Tattoo Taboo?

Tattoos have become an everyday part of pop culture and even though they are now widely accepted, there are still some events that may require tattoos to be covered up. A wedding may be one of those events. More often than not, people will not care if your tattoo is showing; however, in the case of a formal or black-tie wedding, it may be best to cover it up anyway. There are several ways to cover up your tattoo without making it look obviously fake or messy; however, they are not cheap in price.

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The first option, and the most common cover for a tattoo is make-up. The best product that you can use is a thick medical concealer, such as Dermablend, which is used to cover scars. It is suggested that you buy three different tones of this concealer; one to match your skin tone, one that is a skin tone lighter and the last two tones lighter then your actual skin color. Apply concealer by using a make up brush, beginning with the lightest shade and finishing with your actual skin tone color. It is important that you only apply the concealer to the tattoo because spreading the make-up to the surrounding skin will cause discoloration and make the cover up very noticeable. Once the three layers of concealer are applied and blended, set the cover up with your skin tone powder. Be warned that thick concealer, like the ones mentioned, will be more expensive then the average make-up concealer. The three tones and the matching powder will run you around $45 to $50. The bride below did a similar process and look how natural her arm looks. Can you even tell she has a tattoo?

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Another concealer option is to use the Kat Von D Tattoo Concealer. This product is $25 at any Sephora store or online. The product comes in seven different shades and is oil and paraben-free. In order to cover your tattoo, first, draw over the tattoo with the Kat Von D Tattoo Eraser, which is also available at Sephora for $14, tracing beside the ends then filling in the entire tattoo area. Next, using a concealer brush, apply the concealer over the tattoo and surrounding area. It is important to allow the concealer to dry between layers, for the best results. After several layers, apply using a mattifying powder foundation with a make-up sponge and finish it off by using a make-up setting spray to lock everything in. Below is a bride that used the Kat Von D product. You can see that there is a slight discoloration where her tattoo is, but no one would notice up close.

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If you are hesitant about using make-up for covering up, there are some other options out there. Depending where your tattoo is, you could wear an accessory to hide the tattoo, such as a thick bracelet for a wrist tattoo. Bridesmaids trying to cover up tattoos can wear a dress that will not show the tattoo, or wear a bolero or a shawl. Brides can wear a longer veil to cover up back tattoos or wear their hair down. This bride chose to cover up her tattoo with a bolero that matched with her wedding colors, which looks very elegant. 

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And if all else fails, embrace the beauty of the tattoos and let them shine during your wedding. Photographers can Photoshop them out of the pictures, and I'm sure your guests will not have a problem with them during the wedding. Also, if you are willing to spend a large amount of money, you can go to a professional make-up artist and have them cover it up. In the end, it is your wedding and you should do what makes you feel most comfortable.

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