PS: goth effect; pale skin/makeup
Learn how to make a subject look pale and have goth-style makeup.
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Open your image. This effect works best with subjects that already have dark hair, but you can use it on anybody.
Sharpen twice, use the blur/smudge tool to even out skin/background. Duplicate your base, desaturate the new layer (Shift+Ctrl+U), and set it to Soft Light 100%. To make your subject look pale, adjust the Saturation by going to Image ---> Adjustments ---> Hue/Saturation and turn the Saturation bar down to somewhere between -50 and -60. Don't go too pale... you want a little color left.
To make the skin even paler, create a new layer, set it to Soft Light 76%, and use the color #d3d3d3 (a light gray) to paint over the skin to your liking. Next, use the Burn tool set to 80-100% on the hair to make it dark or black. You can also create a new layer, set it to Overlay 50%, and paint the color #1e1e1e over the hair to darken it up more. To add some colorful highlights, create yet another new layer, set it to Color 100%, and streak a bright color (green, blue, purple, red) through you subject's hair. Adjust the opacity to your liking. I used the smudge tool on the background in this picture to get rid of the stray hairs everywhere.
Create yet another new layer, set it to Overlay 75%, and use the color #474747 on the background and clothes to make them darker and stand out more. Now create ANOTHER new layer, and set this one to Multiply 22%. Use a dark gray/purple (like #352936) on the eyelids/browbones and lips for a base color. Create another layer, set this one to Overlay 100%, and use it to apply dark makeup. Here I used a dark red on the lips, and a medium/dark purple on the eyelids. I also added a darker blue to the irises of the eyes, and then used the Dodge tool on the irises to make them brighter. Flatten the image.
Here's where it gets a little detail-y and tedious. Use the Burn tool under your subject's eyes to make the eyeliner look smeared. Next, create a new layer, set to Color Burn 100%, and use a SMALL round brush to paint on eyeliner in #2d2626. You can be creative here and paint swirls, tears, whatever. This part is straightforward but tedious to actually do, because you're drawing the eyeliner on by hand. You can use a drippy brush to create tears if you want.
Lastly, create one last layer for "jewelry." This layer should just stay at Normal 100%. Use small round brushes to draw piercing "studs" wherever you want (I did a labret, nose stud, and eyebrow barbell). You can magnify your image if it helps. You can try to draw rings, but it's more difficult. After you have your studs placed where you want them, use a light gray to highlight them... just color a little in the middle of the stud, but don't cover the whole thing.
And that's it :)
Go from this to
Open your image. This effect works best with subjects that already have dark hair, but you can use it on anybody.
Sharpen twice, use the blur/smudge tool to even out skin/background. Duplicate your base, desaturate the new layer (Shift+Ctrl+U), and set it to Soft Light 100%. To make your subject look pale, adjust the Saturation by going to Image ---> Adjustments ---> Hue/Saturation and turn the Saturation bar down to somewhere between -50 and -60. Don't go too pale... you want a little color left.
To make the skin even paler, create a new layer, set it to Soft Light 76%, and use the color #d3d3d3 (a light gray) to paint over the skin to your liking. Next, use the Burn tool set to 80-100% on the hair to make it dark or black. You can also create a new layer, set it to Overlay 50%, and paint the color #1e1e1e over the hair to darken it up more. To add some colorful highlights, create yet another new layer, set it to Color 100%, and streak a bright color (green, blue, purple, red) through you subject's hair. Adjust the opacity to your liking. I used the smudge tool on the background in this picture to get rid of the stray hairs everywhere.
Create yet another new layer, set it to Overlay 75%, and use the color #474747 on the background and clothes to make them darker and stand out more. Now create ANOTHER new layer, and set this one to Multiply 22%. Use a dark gray/purple (like #352936) on the eyelids/browbones and lips for a base color. Create another layer, set this one to Overlay 100%, and use it to apply dark makeup. Here I used a dark red on the lips, and a medium/dark purple on the eyelids. I also added a darker blue to the irises of the eyes, and then used the Dodge tool on the irises to make them brighter. Flatten the image.
Here's where it gets a little detail-y and tedious. Use the Burn tool under your subject's eyes to make the eyeliner look smeared. Next, create a new layer, set to Color Burn 100%, and use a SMALL round brush to paint on eyeliner in #2d2626. You can be creative here and paint swirls, tears, whatever. This part is straightforward but tedious to actually do, because you're drawing the eyeliner on by hand. You can use a drippy brush to create tears if you want.
Lastly, create one last layer for "jewelry." This layer should just stay at Normal 100%. Use small round brushes to draw piercing "studs" wherever you want (I did a labret, nose stud, and eyebrow barbell). You can magnify your image if it helps. You can try to draw rings, but it's more difficult. After you have your studs placed where you want them, use a light gray to highlight them... just color a little in the middle of the stud, but don't cover the whole thing.
And that's it :)