So—I don’t have tattoos (though it’s on my bucket-list); but I do have friends with tattoos, and I know that they’ve got to conceal them every once in a while—sometimes it’s for an interview, and other times it’s courtesy of a photoshoot. But concealing ink is tricky—and quite the process. It’s not as simple as layering on concealer and foundation. You’ve got to colour-correct your skin before you can do any of that. Think about it. Which colour neutralises black? What about purple? Or red? Here’s everything you need to know about concealing your tattoos the right way. Read on.
A Guide To Covering Up Your Tattoo With Makeup
Step One: Cleanse
You must cleanse your tattoo with alcohol on a cotton-pad. This disinfects the area, and absorbs any natural oils on the surface. Remember that starting off with a clean canvas is key.
Step Two: Prime
Next—you need to prime your skin. This step extends the longevity of your makeup, and offers something for the rest of the layers of makeup to hold onto.
Step Three: Colour Correct
After this—you want to colour-correct to neutralise the tattoo. If your tattoo is black or blue, for instance, you might need a peach-based or orange-based colour-corrector; but if it’s purple, a yellow-based one is ideal. The idea is to cancel out the colours in your tattoo with other skin-complementing colours. You can look up a colour-chart, and understand which colours lie opposite each other before you start. Notice how green is opposite to red on the chart. This indicates that a green-based corrector will balance out any tints of red in the tattoo. Make sure you’re going over the product with translucent setting powder to hold the coverage in place.
Step Four: Conceal
It’s time to conceal your tat. Once you’ve selected a shade that compliments your skin-tone, start patting (don’t rub) the product in thin and even layers with a (buffer) brush—keep checking your work along the way to ensure that the coverage and tone is uniform. Sit in a place with proper lighting, and check the coverage from a distance to gauge whether it looks fine or not. For bigger tattoos, you can conceal section-wise.
Step Five: Spritz
Don’t forget to conceal your tattoo with a setting-spray to hold the makeup throughout the day, and prevent it from moving around.
And that’s it.
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