Covering up a tattoo is an art form—often requiring a professional makeup artist to mix custom colors and use airbrush equipment (at least for film and TV productions). But when you're trying to temporarily hide your tattoo in a pinch, arming yourself with tools and tips that pros swear by is the next best thing. According to Bustle, the expert interviewed for this article, the best tattoo cover-up makeup products are full-coverage foundation and creams in multiple shades. "Alcohol tints (pigments activated by 99 percent alcohol) are the best at extending longevity, but can be tricky to learn," says Heba Thorisdottir, who has worked as makeup department head on films such as "Babylon" and "Don't Worry Darling." Busy. If you sweat a lot when applying foundation or concealer, Thorisdottir recommends staying away from (or at least limiting) silicone ingredients, as they tend to make you sweat faster. Makeup artist Meg Boes advises when using more traditional makeup: "Always have a few shades ready in case you need a lighter or darker shade to blend." While alcohol-based color lasts longer, when applying foundation or concealer, you There are a few more steps to add to ensure makeup doesn't rub off. Waterproof or water-resistant formulas always help, but you'll also need translucent setting powder and setting spray to really hold things in place.
Experts
Meg Boes is a celebrity makeup artist and hairstylist based in Nashville. She has worked with celebrities including Sheryl Crow, Maren Morris and Lily Aldridge, and her expertise includes weddings, editorial shoots and red carpet events.
Omayma Ramzy is a celebrity makeup artist and skin expert based in Los Angeles. Her work includes editorial shoots, ad campaigns and red carpet events. Ramzy is also the founder of Omayma Skin.
Heba Thorisdottir is a Los Angeles makeup artist with over 20 years of experience in editorial shoots, advertising campaigns, red carpet events, and film and television. Thorisdottir has served as makeup department supervisor on films such as "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood , " "Suicide Squad ," "Don't Worry Darling" and "Babylon."
Rebecca Wachtel is a film and television makeup artist with over 20 years of professional experience. Her work ranges from special effects and prosthetics for films and TV series like "Letters from Iwo Jima" and "To Tell the Truth," to extensive tattoo cover-ups for "Pretty Little Liars" and "Daisy Jones and the Six."
Tattoo Coverup Essentials
Before you read the steps to using tattoo cover-up makeup, here are the must-have products according to professional makeup artists:
- Color correcting products (for color tattoos you can refer to the color wheel, but for black tattoos you'll want orange-red)
- Full-coverage makeup that matches your skin tone (if you choose an alcohol-activated palette, you'll also need 99% isopropyl alcohol)
- Stipple brush or sponge
- translucent setting powder
- Setting spray
Pro Tips for Tattoo Coverup Cosmetics
When it comes to covering up tattoos, finding the right product for your skin tone is only half the battle. How you apply the product is also important and involves quite a few steps to ensure your tattoo is fully covered and your makeup stays in place. Before you begin, Thorisdottir stresses that you need to allow your skin to be completely clean and dry. "Don't use lotion on the day because it can rub off the tattoo coverage," she explains, adding that you might even want to put some rubbing alcohol on a cotton pad and wipe it into your skin before applying makeup (and let it absorb). Of course, it needs to dry first).
Ahead, all the makeup artists Bustle spoke to explained that it's important to color correct your tattoo if you want to truly cover it up. "Most tattoos are black, and black ink has a blue undertone, so you need to block that out first," Rebecca Wachtel previously told Elite Daily. Makeup artists use concealers that are more orange or red, but their purpose is the same. "It neutralizes the cool tones of the blue-black ink so it doesn't look ashy," says makeup artist Omayma Ramzy. Professional palettes activated with alcohol will usually include a few options, but you can also use orange or red concealer or even lipstick (more on that earlier).
Once the color-correcting base has set, it's time to apply your chosen tattoo cover-up makeup using a stipple brush or a round sponge brush (one of Thorisdottir's go-to tools). "Dot on concealer, then dot on translucent powder," advises Boss. "Depending on the color correction, repeat with another layer of concealer—perhaps a little darker—and repeat until blended and covered," she says. “There is powder between each layer,” Thorisdottir repeated. "If you don't do this, they'll crowd together and won't cover as easily." Seal your tattoo cover-up makeup with setting spray, and you're good to go.
One last thing to consider: Foundations and concealers meant for home use will most likely not give you the same staying power as professional products (and professional application techniques will). Wachtel previously shared, "When you have something on your body, it moves around and touches other things, so it comes off more easily." Therefore, you want to do your best to prevent your cover-up tattoo from coming into contact with the fabric as much as possible.
Shop for the Best Tattoo Coverup Cosmetics
hurry? Here are the best tattoo cover-up makeups:
- Best Foundation to Cover Tattoos: Revlon ColorStay Longwear Makeup
- Best Mousse Foundation to Cover Tattoos: Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation
- Best foundation cream to cover tattoos: Dermablend Cover Creme
- Best Concealer to Cover Tattoos: Maybelline SuperStay Longwear Liquid Concealer
- Best Body Cream to Cover Tattoos: Mehron Makeup Celebré Pro-HD Cream Foundation
- The Best Professional Palette for Covering Tattoos: Narrative Cosmetics Flesh Tone Alcohol-Activated Palette
- The Best Tattoo Coverup Palette Under $20: Mehron Makeup Tattoo Cover
1. Best foundation to cover tattoos
The waterproof, makeup-proof foundation is so good, Wachtel previously told Elite Daily that she sometimes uses it on set. “Sometimes we’ll do a tattoo cover-up and put [Revlon ColorStay Longwear Makeup] on top to tone the skin,” she says. This foundation contains silicones, but is formulated to last up to 24 hours on combination and oily skin types, remaining water-resistant, heat-resistant, sweat-proof and moisture-proof.
- Available Shades: 44
2. Best mousse foundation to cover tattoos
Boes prefers creamy foundations to liquids and recommends the whipped texture of Rimmel's Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation. This oil-free foundation is lightweight, breathable, and never feels heavy on the skin, no matter how many layers you need to apply to fully cover your tattoo. This is another foundation that contains silicones, but it also contains ingredients like talc, silica, and kaolin clay, which help absorb oil and keep skin matte.
- Available Shades: 20
3. Best Foundation Cream for Covering Tattoos
When it comes to hiding tattoos, several makeup artists Bustle interviewed recommended Dermablend as a trustworthy brand for at-home use. Speaking of the brand's Cover Creme, Ramzy said: "It's a full-coverage tattoo coverage product with a more natural effect." The makeup is a thicker cream that's more matte than regular foundation, and it's also makeup-free. Cruelty-free, vegan, silicone-free and fragrance-free.
- Available Shades: 21
4. Best Concealer to Cover Tattoos
If you're covering a smaller tattoo, you may find it easier to apply some concealer. Maybelline's SuperStay Longwear Liquid Concealer features a flexible doe-foot applicator for precise application, and its formula is both full-coverage and waterproof. "Make sure the product is very concentrated," Thorisdottir says of the top requirement when choosing cheaper tattoo cover-up cosmetics. "If your goal with a product is sheer coverage, you're not going to get very far." She also points out that when using concealer, you definitely need to apply a few layers (dusting powder between each) for opaque, Long-lasting results.
- Available Shades: 16
5. Best Body Creams to Cover Tattoos
Mehron specializes in special effects makeup, face and body painting, and stage and screen makeup. The brand's Celebré Pro-HD Foundation can be used on the face or body for full, buildable coverage. Because it's a thick cream that you scoop out with a mini makeup spatula, you can easily blend a few shades together for more customizable color and control the amount of product you use. This foundation is cruelty-free, vegan and contains no fragrance.
- Available Shades: 27
6. The Best Professional Palettes for Covering Tattoos
Using an alcohol-activated palette is the most reliable way to ensure your tattoo cover-up stays in place all day long without rubbing off your clothes, but there's a bit of a learning curve to getting the consistency just right. The EBA series is a favorite of Thorisdottir and Wachtel, but it is also quite expensive. Narrative Cosmetics offers a more affordable option with the brand's Flesh Tone Alcohol-Activated Palette, which comes with a variety of skin-tone shades for blending and color-correcting shades to cover any colorful tattoo. Just don’t forget, you’ll need some rubbing alcohol to loosen the product and turn it into a watercolor-like consistency that you can dab onto your tattoo.
7. The best cover-up tattoo palettes under $20
Another option from Mehron Makeup, the brand's tattoo covers are designed to cover tattoos, unwanted pigmentation, and more. This concealer wheel has a cream formula that's more suitable for body painting than traditional concealers, and includes five colors that you can use individually or mix together. If you still can't get an exact color match, you can always apply a layer of regular foundation over your tattoo cover-up (and powder).
8. The Best Color Correcting Base for Covering Tattoos
All of the makeup artists Bustle spoke with stressed the importance of color correcting a black-and-blue ink tattoo to block out the darker color before trying to cover it up. While you could try looking for an orange-red concealer, both Thorisdottir and Boes recommend opting for something you probably already have in your makeup bag: a liquid matte lipstick. If you don't have the right color, NYX's Lip Lingerie XXL Matte Liquid Lipstick in "Gettin Caliente" is a color-correcting match for under $10. Concentrate only the orange-red lipstick on the ink and let the liquid formula completely set before applying the first layer of concealer in a shade that actually suits your skin.
9. Best setting powder for covering tattoos
Whether it's liquid or cream, if you're wearing foundation or concealer, you'll also need setting powder. Dermablend Loose Setting Powder comes in a translucent option and two yellow shades that are best for darker skin tones. Each powder helps matte your tattoo cover-up makeup and prevents it from smudging or transferring for up to 16 hours. Plus, it’s a cruelty-free, vegan formula that doesn’t contain any fragrances, sulfates, or phthalates.
10. The Best Setting Spray for Covering Tattoos
For alcohol-activated color, Thorisdottir sticks with EBA's Pro Seal Spray, but as with any concealing she does, finishing with powder and spray is key. "For cream, I go for a water-based finishing spray," she says, recommending Skindinavia's The Makeup Finishing Spray. The unique formula uses patented technology designed to help cool skin and prevent sweat and oil from developing in the first place. The setting spray can be used with liquid, cream and powder formulas to help set your tattoo concealer makeup for up to 16 hours.
expert:
Meg Boes , Nashville celebrity makeup artist and hairstylist.
Omayma Ramzy is a Los Angeles-based celebrity makeup artist and founder of Omayma Skin.
Heba Thorisdottir is a Los Angeles makeup artist specializing in film and television work.
Rebecca Wachtel is a film and television makeup artist specializing in special effects and prosthetics.
