Kiss america tattoo

Today, black lipstick is most associated with the goth subculture, and, to a lesser extent, some heavy metal bands and singers. Bands like KISS and Alice Cooper still wear this dramatic look. However, when badly applied, this lipstick can look tacky and try-hard. Among goths, it is the mark of an inexperienced or self-unaware person.
If you've ever been to an American mall, you can probably picture such a person in your mind: out of shape, wearing a large black t-shirt, with black nail polish, and straggly, unkempt hair. This tragic teenager (or overgrown teenager) has given black lipstick a bad name. Hopefully this person will grow out of their fad, get more in shape, and move on to a better look.
So, who does black lipstick look good on? And how can you apply it so you don't look like you're wearing a Halloween costume out of season? First, understand the history of this lipstick color; then, follow my advice.

Some tribes, including the Maori of New Zealand, paint and tattoo their lips black. In Hindu tradition, both men and women would color their lips and teeth with betel, resulting in a dark green color. There are many reasons for this type of adornment, from ceremonial commemoration (e.g. the black paint represents the blood of one's enemies) to tribal identification.
In Renaissance England, Queen Elizabeth I popularized a proto-goth look of translucent white skin with dark, though not black, lips.

Fast forward (yet again) to the 1920s. Color film existed, but was prohibitively expensive to use it in films, especially full length features. Many film actresses, like Clara Bow, wore black lipstick on set, to accentuate the curve of their lips. This lead to the popularity of very dark red lips. Many women, however, opted for a more natural look, as advertised by Tangee and other companies.
In the 1950s, B- to Z-Grade horror movies occasionally used dark lipstick on temptresses. Vampira, a 1950s television horror host, usually wore a mid-tone lipstick with dramatic eye makeup and highly exaggerated eyebrows. At this time, of course, black greasepaint existed, but its usage on lips was not mainstream.