If there were an Olympiad for the most bruises in a lifetime, I would win without a doubt. Learning what makeup to use to cover bruises isn’t a necessity in my life—I kind of like the blue, purple, and yellow patterns on my legs that signify a good night out—but I occasionally think about it on special occasions. Hide them when active. It's a great way to make people think I'm a normal adult.
If you've tried covering black and blue before, you may have discovered that it's not as simple as applying foundation to your legs instead of your face. First, you need the right type of full-coverage product. Then, you need to know how to use them to create natural-looking coverage.
Buying a color correction palette is great, but you still need to know how to use it. It's great to use heavy concealer, but heavy makeup can look worse than visible bruises. Here are some products to cover up your minor injuries, along with tips from professional makeup artists on how to use them properly.
1. Concealer and Foundation
Double Wear Stay-in-Place Liquid Foundation Estee Lauder
This is my top buy in the makeup world and I personally recommend it to you if you want to cover anything, not just bruises. This foundation is hardcore: I've worn it to the club, a sleepover, and an Uber home the next day, and it still looks flawless.
Layer it with a beauty blender and make sure to blend the color into the rest of your skin so it's not obvious that you're wearing makeup where it shouldn't be. If the bruise is really bad, Estée Lauder Duo Concealer is as great as foundation.
Double Wear Stay-In-Place Flawless Wear Concealer Estee Lauder
While this brand is my favorite in a long list of heavyweight concealers and foundations, there are plenty of others to choose from. Check out these anti-sweat foundations that are definitely strong enough to cover your bruises, in a formula or brand you might like.
2. Color Correction
5 Color Camouflage Cream Palette Color Correct & ConcealerMake Up For Ever
Busy fashion and beauty writer Aly Walansky talks to makeup artist and Lip Service Makeup owner Jennifer Trotter about covering hickeys with makeup, and since bruises are basically the non-sexual cousin of hickeys, the same color-correction rules apply Here it is.
"If it's a purple shade, use a yellow concealer to cover it. If it's more red, use a green, and if it's healing and has turned yellow, use a peach shade," says Trotter. "Once you've covered purple or red tones, you're not done yet... you need to cover with a concealer that matches your skin tone! Remember, this is your neck — it's usually slightly smaller than your neck Light or slightly darker face, so match accordingly.”
Color Correction Palette NYX
Although your bruise may occur somewhere other than your neck, this advice still stands. Your body is usually a different color than your face, so be sure to use a concealer or foundation that matches it.
3. Lipstick
I'm personally skeptical of this approach, but if it means you don't have to buy any fancy palettes or different concealers, then this is the best route to consider for any frugal wounded beauty out there. Bustle's Kristen Collins Jackson tried covering a bruise with lipstick and found that burgundy was the perfect color for the job. In the video above, beauty vlogger and makeup artist Sharon Farrell mixes red lipstick with her go-to concealer to cover up bruises.
I think this method of covering bruises with makeup requires a bit more experimentation on your part, but once you perfect it, it will be the easiest way to cover bruises because you can do it all with products you already have my own. But just in case you don't own one red lipstick—or like me, don't own a thousand—then invest in the same one Farrell uses in her tutorial. (I own this shade too and it's so beautiful and bright for summer.)
Ruby color retro matte lipstick WooM.AC
Hopefully one of these methods will appeal to you when you find yourself having to cover a bruise for a distant relative's wedding, a family photo, or a work meeting. Whether it's a more DIY lipstick, a tried-and-tested concealer or a makeup artist-recommended color correction, I'm sure one (if not all three) of these will be perfect for all your bruise-covering needs.
