Choosing the Right Camouflage Makeup

I get many emails from birthmark buddies asking me to suggest a camouflage makeup. I always have to respond by asking questions. How dark is your birthmark? Would you call it eggplant? Rose? Baby pink? Is it flat or raised? Are you currently having laser treatments? Where is the mark? On your cheek? Your leg? Your nose? Is your skin oily or dry? How old are you, more or less? And the final question, which is the toughest—How important is it that your birthmark be completely concealed? I ask this because when I was younger, it was very important to me that not even a shadow of the birthmark was visible under my makeup. I had no idea that what people saw when they looked at me was a woman with a mask. That’s how heavy my makeup was.

Sometimes we assume that other people examine us as closely and carefully as we examine ourselves. We’re so self-conscious about our birthmark that we think it’s the first thing people see when they look at us, and that even the slightest shadow will give away our secret. So we slather on thick makeup in the hope of looking “normal,” only to make ourselves look strange.

When I first starting wearing makeup in my late teens, this dilemma really broke my heart. At first I wore only a light makeup, toning down the birthmark a bit, and applying more blush to one side of my face than the other in order to balance it out a bit. It seemed to work. My makeup took five minutes to apply. I had boyfriends, dates. But sometimes, people still asked me what happened to my face and that was unbearable.

So I switched to heavier makeup, Max Factor Pancake or Covermark. Instead of five minutes, I spent an hour on my makeup every morning. On a warm day, the makeup was like a heavy blanket on my face, and when I perspired, the makeup ran. Now, no one asked me what happened to my face. Instead, they asked me why I wore so much makeup. I just smiled and said, “I like it.” And if they were bold enough to suggest that I’d look so much prettier without it, I’d say it was a matter of taste. And it is. Each of us has to decide for ourselves what sort of compromise to make. How much makeup are you willing to wear? How much time are you willing to spend getting ready to face the world? How important is it that no one knows you have a birthmark? With that in mind, the following are some options.

Your birthmark color is pink to rose:
Luckily, with a little skill and practice, you can wear many ordinary types of makeup, just like anybody else. The difference is in how you apply it.
Try: Revlon Colorstay Liquid Foundation. Relatively cheap and easy to find, this drugstore brand comes in two formulas, including one for dry skin. It applies easily and lasts for hours.
Application: Using a firm cosmetic sponge wedge, apply a very light film of the makeup all over your face, using long strokes, as though you were painting a wall. Now go back over the birthmark area and pat the makeup on, pressing it over the birthmark with the sponge. Be careful to blend out the edges. Let this layer dry while you attend to other things, like your eye makeup or brushing your teeth. The foundation will become more opaque as it dries. If you still see areas that need more coverage, just pat on a little more foundation.

Your birthmark color is medium to dark rose:
You still don’t need to resort to heavy makeup, but you’ll need to look for a specialized foundation designed to give extra coverage.
Try: Estee Lauder Maximum Cover Foundation, Dermablend Smooth Indulgence Foundation, or Clinique Continuous Coverage
Application: These foundations all come in a tube because they are just a bit thicker than liquid makeup. You apply them the same way, using a firm, wedge-shaped cosmetic sponge. You may want to squeeze a little of the makeup on the back of your hand and mix it with a bit of moisturizer, then apply a thin film to your entire face. Next, squeeze a bit more straight out of the tube and apply it using a pressing or patting motion, just over the birthmark area. You don’t need to powder over it. Just wait for it to dry.

Your birthmark color is deep rose to eggplant:
Darker birthmarks need specialized makeup that provides very opaque coverage. Luckily, there are several on the market now that are relatively easy to use.
Try: Dermablend Cover Cream and Setting Powder—A leader in the field of corrective cosmetics, Dermablend products provide the ultimate in coverage for darker birthmarks. Plus, it’s extremely moisture resistant. Coverblend by Exuvience Concealing Treatment and Finishing Powder—These products work very well for dark to lighter birthmarks. And it’s actually good for your skin, with anti-aging ingredients.
Application: Your technique is going to depend a lot on how dark your birthmark is and how determined you are to cover it completely. Put a bit of the makeup on the back of your hand and dilute it with a little moisturizer. Using a wedge-shaped firm cosmetic sponge, go over your entire face with a thin film of makeup. Next, using the makeup straight out of the jar, pat a thin layer over your birthmark, being sure to blend out the edges. Repeat, adding thin layers until you are satisfied with the coverage. Next, dip a fat brush into the loose powder. Tap the brush against the side of the jar to get rid of the excess. Now, using light strokes, apply the powder over the foundation.
Tips to avoid a mask-like look: For a dewier look, try using a cream instead of a powder blush, patted over the apples of your cheeks after the powder has set. Apply a bronzer powder in a diagonal line under your cheekbones, and blend well. If you’re not sure how to find your cheekbones just suck in your cheeks! Voila! You’ve got a line to follow with your brush.