How To Cover a Tattoo With and Without Makeup in 2024

There are reasons why you may need to cover up the tattoo urgently. This can be a one-time situation, or it can be permanent. We have prepared the simplest and at the same time the most effective ways to hide a tattoo quickly and not energy-intensive. Which method will you choose?

Reasons Why You May Need To Cover the Tattoo

There are many reasons why a person needs to cover a tattoo. Sometimes this can provoke some kind of internal preference, and sometimes situations related to etiquette.

• Your tattoo is out of place at work.

As much as you love your tattoo, it happens that in some professions it may be inappropriate. For example, if you work with clients, are the “face” of the company (administrator, top manager), work with children, etc. In such cases, you can freely enjoy the tattoo in your free time, but cover it at work to avoid the wrong message, which can come from you.

• You go to a society of people who are not so open about body art.

For example, you are going to marry a girl, and in the light of these events, you are going to get to know her great-great-grandmother. This woman is very welcoming, but she is more conservative about male beauty. Why not cover your favorite tattoo on your neck for the sake of the peace of mind of your future relative?

•   You are tired of your tattoo design.

Yes, it happens. Instead of immediately removing the tattoo with a laser, you just want to cover it for a while to understand how you will feel without it. Perhaps it’s just a matter of changing your mood, and after a while, you will fall in love with your tattoo again.

•   The tattoo reminds you of a person or an event that you would like to forget about.

Of course, for all the reasons that are related to the fact that the tattoo no longer makes you happy or has lost its importance, we can say that removing the picture with a laser is the best decision, and rightly so. But this process is not fast and partly painful, so our pieces of advice are perfect for a quick and at the same time effective result.

•   You don’t like how your tattoo ended up.

These kinds of situations are a part of our life. It so happens that in the end, the tattoo looks different from what you wanted. This is a good reason to cover it before deciding how to change the tattoo — with another design, or even completely reduce it.

Whatever your reason for covering a tattoo is, we’ll show you simple and effective ways that everyone can repeat.

How To Cover a Tattoo With Makeup Step by Step

If you decide to cover up your tattoo with makeup, it’s important to do this right. First, you need to use high-quality tonal products so the coverage looks as natural as possible. Secondly, for all its naturalness, the foundation should effectively hide the tattoo. So, follow the step-by-step instructions below to cover your tattoo quickly and securely.

Step 1: Shave the Tattoo Area

Shave the tattooed area for better makeup and a natural look. Even if it seems to you that there is very little hair in the place of the body art, still shave for the best result. Be sure to apply a small amount of soap or shaving gel to your skin before the procedure. It creates a thin protective layer between the blade and the skin, thereby reducing the risk of redness, rashes, and irritation, as well as the number of scratches and cuts.

Step 2: Apply Primer (Makeup Base) To the Tattoo

With the tattooed area, we do the same as we would do with the face before applying makeup. Get the base in a thin layer to make it easier for the foundation to spread over the skin, creating a natural look. Moreover, the primer prolongs the durability of the makeup, which is not superfluous at all.

Step 3: Apply a Color Corrector for a Colored Tattoo

If you have a color tattoo, it is very important to neutralize the shade before applying the foundation. Use the opposite side of the color wheel for neutralization, this will reduce the visibility of the picture. For example, if your tattoo has a red color, use a green corrector to cover up the red parts of the design. If you need to neutralize the purple hue, apply a yellow concealer. You can also use any liquid-colored eyeshadow to neutralize.

Step 4: Paint Over the Colored Elements of the Tattoo With a Flat Brush

Apply a couple of strokes of the corrector directly to the tattoo area. Next, use a flat-bristled brush to gently spread the product over the entire design and parts of it. Do this until you completely cover the bright color of the tattoo. The corrector will help the picture to be less visible under the tinting agent (concealer or foundation).

Step 5: Apply Foundation to the Tattooed Surface

Choose the perfect foundation for your skin tone — the choice of product is up to you. Most importantly, keep in mind that the color of the skin on the face and other parts of the body may be different: for example, if you were tanning with your body, and your face was kept under a hat. The tone will be different in any case, because the hands are usually more exposed to the sun, and the face is cleaned more often and with more harsh products than other body parts, so the tan will keep for less period of time.

Apply some foundation on the tattoo area and gently blend the product with your fingers or a special cosmetic sponge. Let the base dry thoroughly before the next step.

Step 6: Apply Concealer to the Tattoo Area

To secure the foundation and even better cover the tattoo, you need to apply concealer in the color of your skin. Remember that if you have a tattoo on an arm or leg, the skin tone there may be different from the complexion. Apply concealer with a slightly damp sponge, using a hammering motion to ensure the concealer looks like your second skin and not like make-up.

Step 7: Set the Result With Translucent Powder

The final touch is to fix the tattoo area using a sheer fixing powder. This technique is widely used in makeup as it prolongs the durability of the applied products, and prevents the tinted area from flowing or fading during the day.

Before / After

Best Concealers To Cover Tattoos

If you are unsure of which concealer is best for the final covering of your tattoo, take a look at this list:

– Dermacol Make-up Cover;

– MAC Pro Longwear Concealer;

– Kevin Aucoin The Sensual Skin Enhancer;

– Dermablend Quick-Fix Body Foundation Stick;

– Ben Nye Tattoo Cover-All Wheel;

– Too Faced Born This Way Multi-Use Sculpting Concealer.

Covering a Tattoo Without Makeup

Makeup isn’t the only way to hide a tattoo. Let’s take a look at the methods by which the picture will also not be visible.

Way 1: Hide the Tattoo Under Your Clothes

The easiest way to cover a tattoo is to hide it under your clothing. For example, if you have a tattoo on your neck or chest, wear golf with a high neck, if on your arms — find a suitable shirt with long sleeves, if on your legs — pants, thick tights, and even socks will save you.

Way 2: Cover the Tattoo With Accessories

The accessories can also help you when covering the tattoo. If the unwanted body art is on your wrist, you can easily hide it with a watch or a thick bracelet. The tattoo at the base of the neck is perfectly covered by necklaces, scarves, and hair if it is long enough.

Way 3: Overlap With Another Tattoo

Nothing covers a tattoo as well as another tattoo. Note that your new tattoo needs to be larger and darker for better overlap. If the original tattoo is very dark, the tattoo artist may recommend lightening the tattoo with laser removal before making a new one over it. Naturally, light-colored tattoos overlap better than black ones.

Way 4: Remove Tattoo Permanently With Laser

The surest way to get rid of a tattoo is to remove it with a laser. This method is a lengthy process, but effective. A laser is used to remove the ink and a local anesthetic is applied to the tattoo area. Depending on how large and dark the tattoo is, the number of sessions will be envious. After the procedure, it may take 1-2 weeks for healing. Consult a dermatologist to find out all the questions that concern you.

Summary 

One should decide how to cover a tattoo based on several principles. Pay attention to the methods that work best depending on the size, color, and location of your tattoo. Combine these methods, choose the most favorite and convenient ones, and use them with pleasure.

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