Covering Up–The Art of Concealing

You've scheduled a Restylane^® or Perlane^® treatment and may be concerned about the possibility of bruising. After your procedure, talk to your physician regarding when you may touch or add cosmetic products to your treatment area. Avoid using aspirin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, St. John's wort or high doses of vitamin E supplements prior to treatment because these may increase bruising or bleeding at the injection site. Furthermore, with careful camouflage tips from the pros, no one may notice.

THINK OF CAMOUFLAGE AS A LAYERING PROCESS:

FIRST STEPS

Do not apply anything to an open wound or infected area unless directed to do so by your doctor. When applying cosmetic products, be sure to use a clean sponge (not your fingers, which can spread bacteria).

Warning: For anyone who may be allergic to latex, even the slightest contact with a latex sponge can be extremely dangerous, so be absolutely sure that you purchase non-latex sponges.

Don't be afraid to ask for help in applying camouflage. Buy your products at a counter where there is a Beauty Adviser who can assist you.

THE RIGHT STUFF

Use the thickest, densest cover-up that you can find. They come in small, round "pots," sticks, and tubes. Liquid and cream make-ups will not work; they're not opaque enough. Ask for the fullest coverage (densest pigment) product available. If the cream is too thick and hard, it will be difficult for you to apply without first warming up your forehand.

Choose the shade that best matches your skin tone. If you can't find an exact match, use a slightly lighter shade.

Another option is to use a pale yellow cover-up. If you go this route, you'll need to blend over it with a liquid or cream foundation to normalize the color. Green toners are used to neutralize redness.

THE FINISH LINE

You'll also need face powder. Use either pressed or loose; it is best applied with a blush brush or a powder brush. Use a translucent (sheer) powder. The shade should be as close to your skin-tone as possible. If not exact, then a shade slightly lighter is OK.

Makeup professionals know well how to conceal spots, scars, and blotches, so try one of the makeup artist camouflage products if in doubt.

THE RIGHT TOOL

Start with clean skin. Coat an edge of the sponge with a generous amount of cover-up. Heavy concealers are a bit dry/hard and not too pliable. If it is difficult to get a good amount onto the sponge, try warming the make-up by rubbing the container between your hands for a minute or vigorously swirling the sponge in the make-up for several seconds. Lightly pat (don't rub) the coated portion of the sponge atop and around the outside of the area to be disguised until you can no longer see the offending mark(s). At this point, it's likely that the make-up will be somewhat obvious. To remedy this, take the sponge and gently pat the outermost edges of the made-up area. The idea is to blend the lines of demarcation (the edges of the make-up) into the surrounding (unmade-up) areas thus creating the illusion of no make-up at all. Try not to touch anywhere other than these lines of demarcation; leave the central area alone.

NEXT STEPS

Apply the rest of your daily make-up. Be careful to avoid the camouflaged area, making sure to blend your face make-up gently around and slightly atop the edges of the concealer you've just applied. Unless you've chosen a yellow cover product or your concealer is not the exact color of your skin, you do not need to use additional make-up over the central camouflaged area. If your concealer is off-color, gently pat the face make-up over it until the color blends nicely with the rest of your face.

FINAL SETTING

Apply the powder. If you don't use powder, the make-up (which is somewhat oily) will mix the natural oils from your skin and start to "melt" or become diluted during the course of the day. Avoid conscious and subconscious face-touching that can wipe away your brilliant camouflage job. Powder absorbs all the residual oils, thus preventing "melting," and it even stands up to face touching. Take an extreme amount of powder on the tip of a blush (or powder) brush and lightly (barely touching your skin) dust over the camouflaged area. Do this a few times until the area is not shiny at all, or has the same sheen as the rest of your face. Keep a powder compact with you to touch up any shine that occurs over the course of the day. Don't be too self-conscious about the camouflaged area–leave it alone and go on about your business.

COMMON CAMOUFLAGE MISTAKES

Using concealer on an oozing wound before your doctor gives you clearance, which can breed infection

Sloppy application of concealer that draws more attention to the bruise

Attempting to wear makeup before you REALLY must

Inadequately removing camouflage makeup

Attempting to cover a deep purple hematoma–you're wasting your time

MORE TIPS

Flat marks, scars and bruises are easier to conceal than raised or depressed areas

Don't wait until the morning you want to put on camouflage to start shopping. Buy it in advance to have on hand when you need it