You would be surprised how many brides have questions about concealing tattoos! Apparently the body-art craze of the early 1990s has left many women with “permanent” adornments that don’t quite coordinate with their dream wedding gown.
Any make-up that is heavy enough to truly cover a tattoo will look like make-up to people who are near you. However, if your major concern is that the tattoo be invisible to people sitting at a distance from you during the ceremony-and invisible in the photos-there are make-up lines that claim to be able to cover a tattoo adequately.
Some brands that make this claim are: ◾Ben Nye
◾Colortration
◾Makeup Artists’ Choice
◾Kryolan
◾Mehron
These brands are actually theatrical cosmetics, designed to look good from a distance under intense stage lights, so the foundation and concealer are much heavier than you would ordinarily wear. You can also look into make-up brands that are intended to hide dark birth marks.
Before you go to the trouble of mail-ordering special make-up, you may want to try a trip to your local drugstore. Buy a concealer and the heaviest foundation available in your skin tone. If the combination works, you have a simple and inexpensive solution. If it doesn’t, you’re only out about $15. You can also test slightly more expensive foundations and concealers at department store make-up counters. Wear a camisole (with an easy-to-remove long-sleeve shirt over it, if you like) so that the foundation can be tested directly on the tattoo.
If you start to get frustrated with the options in make-up, you may want to try another round of dress shopping. Many brides walk out of the shop with a very different style of dress than they originally intended. It’s not that we’re clueless about style or easily led into big white dresses; it’s just that, if you don’t regularly shop for formal dresses, you have less sense of what will look wonderful on your body. As stylish alternatives to spaghetti straps, see if you can find cap sleeves (not puffed!), a wider strap that conceals more of your shoulder, an elegant halter top with a matching jacket, or a long straight net sleeve that gives a “bare” look while adding another layer of concealment on top of make-up.
Another road to concealing your tattoo is to be creative with your veil. Some current “high fashion” spreads show short, pouffy veils that skim the shoulders and have a very plain headpiece (or no head- piece at all). You can make one of these or you can try another current fashion, a flowing veil that covers the shoulders like a shawl. Brides who chose to be tattooed on their backs have it easier, as a veil neatly covers a back left bare by the dress.