Covering tattoos can be a pretty tricky job. To be honest, it is something that takes lots of frequent practice.If you don't cover one for a long period of time you can get rusty. Luckily for me, I have several of my own. There are days when I will just pick one and work on it to get better at this task.
Luckily, I find that brides don't really worry too much about covering them up. Everyone usually knows that she has one and anytime you have to cover something dark you run the risk of "bleed through". I find that most women look at their ink like I do, as a part of themselves and a statement they want to share.
With that being said, what do you do when you do want to cover it up? Having an airbrush machine works wonders and can usually do the job pretty well. There are many companies that specialize in products that do an amazing job, but are often very expensive. So if you don't have an airbrush machine and you don't want to spend lots on special products here are my thoughts.
First put a primer over the area. Just like if you are painting over a vibrant color on a wall, a primer helps ensure evenness. Next take some secret camouflage by Laura Mercier and really work on the dark outline of the tattoo. Once you have blended the color and lessened the outline, then tackle the rest. After that, I like to use Cover FX. I start with their liquid water based foundation. You will probably want to build up the coverage, so that means put a layer on, let it dry, then add an additional layer. You might need to do this a couple of times. Here is where the airbrush machine comes in handy. When you apply a liquid foundation you need to use a brush, finger, or sponge. Every time you touch the skin with one of those instruments and then pull it away, it pulls the foundation up. With airbrush you don't have to deal with that "pulling". So, take your time here. I think a sponge or a brush works much better than your finger. After your foundation layers you will want to finish with a powder to set and hold everything. I again like the Cover FX mineral powder foundation as it has a lot of pigment and there are many color choices. Of course if you have makeup sealer you will want to use it to ensure a long wear.
I tried a few other products from Sephora that said they were for tattoo covering. Many of them were to thin and light to do much good. Others (like the one by Kat Don D) didn't have enough pigment to cover the tattoo. I am not saying these are the only products that will work, they are just the ones that I have had good success with. If you are going to DIY with tattoo covering, you might want to check them out!
