How to Cover a Bruise (With Makeup & Without Makeup)

Bruises in visible places like the face, arms, and legs may make you feel a bit self-conscious. Whether they’re from an accident or a cosmetic procedure, bruises can be a nuisance if you are being filmed, photographed, or have a customer-facing role as part of your job. Don't worry, though, because we're here to show you how to cover up bruises on your face and body using makeup as well as how to hide them with accessories or clothing. Plus, we'll even provide tips on how to heal your bruises faster.

How to Hide a Bruise

Use pink, peach, orange, or yellow color corrector for a blue or purple bruise, green for a red bruise, lavender for a yellow bruise, or blue for an orange bruise. Apply the color corrector followed by a thin layer of concealer that's a shade lighter than your skin tone. Finish with foundation and translucent powder.

Section 1 of 5:

Covering a Facial Bruise with Makeup

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1
Apply a thin layer of color corrector to neutralize the bruise’s tones. Choose the color corrector based on the color of your bruise. Color correcting uses color theory to neutralize the appearance of a bruise. The idea is that the colors on the opposite side of the color wheel cancel each other out. ^{[1]
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Research source} Gently dab the color corrector over your bruise and blend it out lightly so the bruise doesn't show through.
- Blue bruises: Depending on your skin tone, use pink, peach, or orange color correctors to cover your bruise. Light skin tones need a lighter color corrector like pink or light peach. Use dark peach or orange on deeper skin tones.
- Purple bruises: Yellow color corrector is effective for covering purple bruises. However, blue and purple are close on the color wheel, so many of the same corrector colors will work on both depending on the shade of the bruise.
- Red bruises: Cover red bruises with a green color corrector .
- Brown bruises: Regular concealer , a shade lighter than your skin tone usually covers a brown bruise. Add a white color corrector to your concealer or foundation if it’s too dark.
- Yellow bruises: Use a lavender color corrector to neutralize yellow bruises.
- Orange bruises: If your bruise appears orange, use a blue color corrector to cover it.
- Remember, a bruise changes color as it heals, so you may need to adjust the colors you use to neutralize it as time passes.
2
Cover the color corrector with concealer . To ensure good coverage of a bruise, apply a layer of concealer over your color corrector. To cover a bruise on your face , choose a concealer a shade lighter than your natural skin tone and dab enough concealer onto the bruise to cover it entirely. Pat the concealer onto the bruise with a brush and then blend using a fingertip or makeup sponge. ^{[2]
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- Work in thin layers to help prevent the concealer from caking or creasing.
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3
Apply a layer of foundation if necessary. After you have covered the bruise with a layer of concealer, follow it up with a layer of foundation. This will help to even out the tone and provide more coverage. Use your fingertips or a makeup sponge to pat on the foundation and blend it in. ^{[3]
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- Apply the foundation over your whole face for best results. Do not just apply it to one cheek or one side of your face, or there will be a noticeable difference in the color.
4
Dust on some translucent powder . To provide another layer of coverage, use a fluffy brush to dust translucent powder over the concealer and foundation. ^{[4]
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Research source} This will also help to keep the makeup in place.
- Lightly apply the powder over your whole face as well. This will help to ensure that you have a uniform look.
- You may need to reapply the powder throughout the day. Try taking the powder compact with you and check the makeup once every few hours.

Section 2 of 5:

Covering a Bruise on Your Body

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1
Apply a full-coverage foundation that matches your skin tone. Purchase a body foundation or use a full-coverage face foundation . Apply about a dime-sized amount on the bruised area and blend it well with your fingertips. ^{[5]
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- Theater makeup also works well for covering body bruises.
- Apply the foundation to clean, dry skin that's free of lotion.
2
Use concealer for darker bruises. If you have an extra dark bruise that still peeks through the foundation, then you may need to spot-treat it with some concealer. Gently dab the concealer onto the bruised area with your fingertips or using a makeup sponge.
- Opt for a skin tone-colored concealer in a shade slightly lighter than your natural skin tone.
3
Color-correct the bruise if it still shows. Mixing your concealer with a bit of orange-red lipstick may also help to hide the bruise. Mix a small amount of lipstick with your concealer to create a peachy or pink tone. Then, apply the makeup mixture lightly to your bruise.
- After you apply the pink makeup mixture to your bruise, blend it well and then cover it with a layer or two of skin-toned concealer.
- Or, use color-correcting makeup to hide the bruise.
- Add a dusting of translucent powder to set the makeup if necessary.

Section 3 of 5:

Hiding a Bruise Without Makeup

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Use clothing and accessories to cover up the bruise. Physically covering the bruise with clothing may also help. Consider the location of the bruise and check your wardrobe to see what clothing and accessories you have that might help you cover it up.
- If the bruise is on your arm or leg, wearing a long-sleeved shirt or pants is an easy way to cover it up. However, this is not always possible, especially in hot weather.
- If the bruise is near your hairline or forehead, wearing a scarf, headband, or hat may provide coverage.
- If the bruise is on your eye or near the bridge of your nose, wearing sunglasses or prescription glasses may help.

Section 4 of 5:

Drawing Attention Away from a Bruise

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Wear a strong eye or lip look. Creating a strong eye look or wearing some bold lipstick may help to distract attention away from the bruised area. Keep in mind that this will not cover the bruise, but it may help draw people's eyes away from it.
- For example, apply some black eyeliner with a couple of layers of mascara to create a dramatic eye look, or opt for a bright red lipstick to draw attention to your lips instead.
2
Put on an interesting accessory. If you have some really long, dangly earrings or a statement necklace, this might be the day to wear them. Putting on some interesting accessories will not cover the bruise, but it can help pull the focus away from it.
- For example, if you have some large hoop earrings or a necklace with a large pendant, then these might help to distract away from the bruise.

Section 5 of 5:

Healing a Bruise Faster

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Icing a new bruise can reduce swelling and help it heal faster. During the first few days, apply ice for 20 minutes 3 - 4 times a day. ^{[6]
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Mayo Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source} Don’t play ice directly on your skin. Wrap the ice pack in a towel to avoid frostbite. ^{[7]
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Johns Hopkins Medicine
Official resource database of the world-leading Johns Hopkins Hospital
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Use a warm compress after the second day. After the bruise begins to heal, warmth can bring blood flow to the area, which promotes healing. ^{[8]
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Research source} Make a warm compress by wrapping a heating pad or hot washcloth in a towel. Place it on the bruise for about 10 minutes 3 - 4 times a day.
- Don’t use heat in the first 48 hours. It can cause the bruise to grow larger.
There is evidence that applying arnica cream topically can help reduce bruising after cosmetic surgery. ^{[9]
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PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
Go to source} Many topical pain relief products use arnica in their formulations, so using it to treat a bruise can also help with soreness. ^{[10]
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Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
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Expert Q&A

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How can I make my bruise heal faster?

Alicia D'Angelo
Makeup Artist & Hair Stylist
Alicia D'Angelo is a makeup artist based in New York City. She currently works for teams with Dior Makeup, YSL Beauty and Pat McGrath Labs as well as bridal companies Once Upon A Bride and Miss Harlequinn. Her work has been featured in Today.com, New York Live, Forbes.com, VH1, MTV, Vevo, Entertainment Weekly, Refinery 29, and NYXCosmetics.com. She has a Visual Communications degree from FIDM-Los Angeles.

Alicia D'Angelo

Makeup Artist & Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

You can speed up the healing time of your bruise by taking vitamin C and K supplements and drinking plenty of water.

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If you're being hurt by someone close to you, please seek help to stop the abuse. ^{[11]
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Go to source} You're not alone, and you deserve to be healthy, safe, and happy.

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Use a primer before covering your bruise with makeup to help it grip better and last longer.

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If your bruise is around your eye, use a clear eyeshadow primer designed to be used near your eye.

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Warnings

Don't apply concealer or makeup to open cuts, stitches, or other open wounds.

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How to Cover a Bruise (With Makeup & Without Makeup)

How to Hide a Bruise

Steps

Covering a Facial Bruise with Makeup

Covering a Bruise on Your Body

Hiding a Bruise Without Makeup

Drawing Attention Away from a Bruise

Healing a Bruise Faster

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