Concealing the Evidence

 Posted by on November 17, 2012
Nov 172012
 

istock_000020466013small-300x216-2247804Accidents happen. One moment you are enjoying yourself and the next you’ve landed a bruise or welt in the wrong spot, somewhere public and you’ve got work the next day. You have a few options, make up a creative but believable excuse, call in sick, or learn how to camouflage and cover up the mistake. I am going to help you with some tips for the later option of covering up bumps and bruises. Your first impulse might be to run to the local drugstore and grab any tube of concealer, but please stop yourself. A good cover up job requires a little more effort than a simple drugstore concealer.

A bruise forms when something, in our case a flogger or cane, impacts the skin and breaks tiny capillaries near the skin’s surface. That blue or black mark is actually the blood pooling beneath the skin. The first step in concealing a bruise is to baby it and lessen the formation and size. Using an ice pack can help by slowing the leaking of blood. Apply cold to the bruise for half hour intervals. For any swelling, use ibuprofen instead of aspirin which can thin the blood and worsen the bruise.

Make sure the area is clean of oils and sweat before starting with make-up coverage. When applying make-up, use a patting method with your ring finger. Rubbing can cause make-up to peel and can cause further injury to the bruised site. Your index finger has more strength behind it, so using your less dominant ring finger to pat gives a gentle touch. Since bruises usually have a black or blue coloring, a yellow make-up base or primer can help to reduce the darkness. NYX Cosmetics makes an affordable yellow concealer that is a great color for bruise coverage.

The next step is applying a concealer that is closer to your natural skin tone. Cover FX has a product called Conceal FX that can even hide tattoos and birthmarks. This concealer is also water resistant and stays in place throughout the day. You need a make-up that is not going to budge and smear off on clothing. You can also use a foundation after applying yellow concealer. However, you want to make sure that foundation is full coverage as opposed to sheer or mineral versions. Revlon’s PhotoReady foundation line has great coverage with liquid or solid compact foundation. The positive of a compact foundation is that they can be easy to apply and have a more matte finish.