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Seen on a a wedding chat board: "I have a tattoo
on my right shoulder blade that's about 2 inches in size, and I want a dress
that has spaghetti straps. How can I cover up this ugly thing? Will make-up
work? I'd like to have it removed, but it's too expensive."
While most do not look like the the photo that accompanies this
article, you would be
surprised how many brides have questions about concealing tattoos of some type! 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.
One brand that make this claim is
Ben Nye.
It is 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. Having never tried either brand myself, I can't
vouch for how well they actually work. 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 of
this year's "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 tattoo'd on their
backs have it easier, as a veil neatly covers a back left bare by the dress.
Women who are considering a tattoo should note that according to a study, one-third of the men and women who get tattoos regret
them later, usually after their lives take a more traditional and conservative
direction.
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