I've never wanted to cover up a bruise with lipstick more than I do now on my back. I'm no stranger to injuries; I stub my toe at least three times a day and feel like I'm nearly losing consciousness every week. Yes, that dark complexion hid a few bruises. Since using red lipstick to cover under-eye baggage has proven effective for many people (myself included), I figured it must have a positive effect on similarly colored bruises. Maybe discovering a new way to apply red lipstick will give my back injury a glimmer of hope.
Concealer is the obvious choice when trying to hide any discoloration on your skin. I have a feeling that while red lipstick is pretty heroic when it comes to beauty techniques, concealer is still the best way to cover up. Still, I'm always up for makeup experimentation, and I can't see the harm in trying the reddest lipstick on my sad little bruises. One of the reasons you might choose this concealer over a concealer is when you find yourself in need of coverage and none of your friends have the same skin tone as you. Guys, you can’t see the color in red lipstick. Next time you wake up to a surprise hickey, you can trust that at least one of your coworkers is wearing red lipstick.
This is how my red lipstick secret failed.
1. Waiting for recovery
This bruise was caused by my clumsiness at work. As I bent over to get a cold pint from the fridge, I fell backwards into the high rail where we kept the well wine. Strangely, no one seemed to notice that I knocked over a few bottles, shook the railing, and screamed in agony. Since my bruise started out as a cut, I had to wait until it was no longer an open wound before I could cover it up.
2. Start from scratch
I don’t like to put makeup on any unclean part of my body. I use witch hazel on the bruises before applying lipstick.
3. Choose lipstick color
Since my bruises are darker than my skin tone, I chose a brighter red. I was still a little skeptical about whether the bruises would be completely covered up by the redness, so I opted for a matte formula. Just like when you choose concealer, you want a lighter color than the darker areas.
4. Apply red lipstick directly to the bruise
The size of the bruise will determine how much lipstick you need to use. I applied a dime-sized amount of lipstick to the bruise and rubbed it in until I was satisfied it had enough coverage.
5. Disappointment
Well, as you can see, I just exacerbated the problem. My bruises still look like bruises, but they are bruises from being kissed by someone wearing red lipstick. I refused to give up on my lipstick beauty skills, so I reached into my makeup bag and found a lilac lipstick to test out.
6. Ultimately successful
As expected, the lilac lipstick provided more coverage than my lipstick, but it still didn't really cover up my bruises completely. Since my bruises are barely palpable, it's difficult to effectively wipe the area.
Luckily this bruise is on my back and not my face. Still, I'm glad to know that lilac lipstick is an easily acceptable substitute for me when I don't have concealer.
Image: Christine Collins Jackson
