A self-confessed 'goth' who fell in love with the genre aged NINE wears all black and spends hours doing heavy make up - but "still loves chick flicks and anything pink"."

Grace Rizzo, 26, first fell in love with the gothic look when she spotted some goths at the shopping centre as a child and found them "beautiful"."

She began wearing fishnets, listening to punk and underground music and wearing thick eyeliner from the age of 13.

Years on, she works as a content creator and musician and lives in a gothic home with her partner, Will Leon, 27, who is also a goth.

They go out together in full gothic costume and make up and attend gothic raves together - but Grace - who produces music under the name Thug Muffin - said goths are misunderstood.

She said despite people's assumptions, goths are "often just goofy sweethearts and nerds" - and can still enjoy non-gothic things."

Grace, from Los Angeles, California, US, said: "I remember getting my first fishnets at 13 and I loved them."

"As I grew up, people thought it was macabre and associated with death - but that's not true at all. "

"We're not intimidating - we can be giggly and goofy and I still go to 'un-goth' places like tea shops."

"I love dark films and wearing black but I still have a little pink section in my wardrobe and I love Mean Girls, Barbie and 13 Going On 30."

Grace found her love for the gothic from her early teens and soon was sporting an all-black wardrobe and thick black eye make up.

More than a decade on, she still loves it - and says she "will always go back to goth again" whenever she tries a new style."

While she doesn't do full 'tradgoth make up' every day, she always sports her trademark black clothes and eyeliner.

She said: "On a regular day, I usually wear a band t-shirt and big black jeans with eyeliner and boots."

"I always wear eyeliner but I don't mind people seeing my face."

"But some goths are dedicated and wear full make up every day - I think it's incredible."

"'Goth' is creatively whatever you want to do for that day - and if I wear full make up, it takes me around two hours."

"The make up is part of the process - it's like an art form and a projection of how we feel. I don't see it as scary."

Grace said she's used to people stopping and staring, but doesn't mind.

Children come up to her because they think it's "pretty" - despite their parents often "freaking out"."

But despite the assumption goths are "antisocial" and "unhappy", Grace said it's far from true."

She said: "It's misunderstood - it's a music subculture, and it's just about accepting there are dark parts of life."

"I feel like most goths are sweetheart nerds, we can be really goofy."

"My partner and I are so silly around one another but people assume we're intimidating."

Grace says people also regularly assume she dislikes non-gothic styles and cultures - which she insists is completely untrue.

"People assume I dislike other aesthetics," she said. "

"They try to bash people who have had plastic surgery, for example, in front of me."

"But I don't judge anyone on how they look - I've found 'Barbie-looking' girls to be some of the sweetest I've ever met."

While she and Will love 'dark films' such as Nosferatu and Queen of the Damned, she also loves 'chick flicks'

Her particular favourites include 13 Going On 30, Mean Girls and Ever After - and she has a 'pink section' in her wardrobe too.

She sported a hot pink dress to go and watch Barbie - making her almost recognisable from her usual gothic style.

But Grace says the goth culture is misunderstood and is more than just what they wear, watch and listen to.

She said: "Something people don't realise is that the biggest aspect of goth culture is treating everyone with respect."

"We're anti-racist, anti-homophobic and against any disrespect in general."

"I get followed and photographed sometimes without my permission."

"I've had to tell people to delete photographs before - but if they had asked, I might have let them take the pictures anyway."

"In general, I don't mind if people have misconceptions of me."

"As long as I know that I will never treat anyone the same way."