How to cover tattoos: fast, waterproof and rub proof (With Video Tutorial)

Airbrush makeup allows for the fastest, most durable and most undetectable tattoo coverage. In the video tutorial below you can see the process carried out mostly in real time. In this post I would like to go a little deeper into the details, but first an important disclaimer: while airbrushing as a technique is much easier than commonly perceived, I would definitely not improvise on others before extensive practice. Attend a class if you can, and if you can't be sure to check these pages for more information that may be useful in selecting the equipment and products that are best for you. 

PRODUCT SELECTION

Airbrushing offers incredible coverage that will be practically imperceptible, thanks to the process of nebulization of the foundation. There are many brands that produce makeup that is specifically designed to be used with an airbrush, and that will dry fast and be more durable than traditional brands. My first advice is therefore to use a made for airbrush product rather than try to dilute and spray your normal foundation. Airbrushing traditional products will still save you application time, but traditional formulas will not gain more durability simply by being sprayed. While silicone based makeup will retain its water proof finish, there are specific products created by airbrush brands specifically to cover tattoo, and these are the ones that will allow for the best results. Among these, two are definitely worth mentioning: Tattoo Cover by Dinair and the Dura line by Temptu.

Tattoo Cover (formerly known as Colair Extreme) is a water based formula that becomes totally water and rub proof once applied. It is truly an extraordinary product that can also serve as blocking concealer on the most severe skin irregularities, as well as latex safe skin color for SFX prosthetic applications. The product is available in a range of shades matching almost every color in Dinair's beauty lines (Glamour, Radiance, Soft Glow and Neutralizer).

The Dura line by Temptu is an alcohol based foundation that is available in the 12 shades of the classic S/B line by the same brand. Adjuster colors for color correction are also available, but almost never necessary in that the product offers enough coverage even for the darkest tattoos.

Other products that can be used successfully for tattoo camouflaging are the Endura line by European Body Art, the Hydro Proof line by Kett and the Nebula line by Kryolan. Non-monetized links to all these brands are available in our LINKS page.

HOW TO COVER TATTOOS: A STEP BY STEP GUIDE

The process of covering up a tattoo is pretty much the same for all the products listed above, regardless of their specific formulation. Each step will have a slightly different duration depending on the product you chose to use.

STEP 1: Shaving the area

Shaving the area you are going to cover is always necessary, even when there are no hairs visible to the naked eye. Even the tiniest, thinnest hairs will create texture unless we shave the skin first. 

STEP 2: Cleansing the skin.

A couple of minutes after shaving the area you can move on to cleansing with IPA. This will eliminate any oily residue and the skin will be ready for the application. 

STEP 3: Light layers

Now you can move on to layering the color in light passes. Color matching before starting is crucial in order to find the shade (or shade mix) that will be right for the skin tone. Don't be tempted to cover the whole tattoo immediately, as this will lead to hot spots and visible product accumulation. Proceed in light passes and keep the airbrush at the right distance. You will see the tattoo fade more and more with each pass, and by working this way you will allow each layer to dry before moving to the next one. As colors oxidize once applied and usually darken, this will give you a better sense of the final result. As I was saying, color correcting is almost always redundant with the products I have listed above. 

STEP 4: Setting Powder

Once you have layered enough passes you can move on to setting the area with HD powder or any fine powder. This will eliminate any residual wetness or stickiness. I advise using a flesh tone powder rather than a white or clear one, as these will leave behind a whitish cast. You can apply the powder by brush and later remove any excess with a setting spray or even water.  

STEP 5:Spattering (Optional)

Even if the airbrushed coverage doesn't add texture to the skin, its blocking power could create a very uniform effect that might look a little artificial also depending on the color scheme of the skin we are covering. In order to break up this seamlessness a to achieve a more natural result, we can break up the tonality by spattering darker foundation shades (or even blush shades if alcohol based). In order to spatter with your airbrush you simply have to remove the needle and nozzle cap and lower the air pressure to the minimum, then flick the airbrush lever. Of course you will have to be extra careful not to touch the skin with the exposed needle.

CLEANING YOUR TOOLS AND REMOVING THE MAKEUP

 When working with alcohol based products or with Dinair's Tatoo Cover it is crucial that you clean the airbrush immediately after the application. Failure to do so will lead to a very long, in-depth cleaning of all the pieces later on, because these colors create a sort of stubborn film in the deepest recesses of the airbrush. Removing the makeup from the skin on the other hand is quite simple if you use IPA or lacking that a very oily makeup remover.

"BEAUTY" CAMOUFLAGE OR SPECIAL EFFECTS?

For best results it is important to keep in mind that covering tattoos for "beauty" purposes is rather a camouflage work, where the primary goal is to prevent the eyes from focusing on what would otherwise be an obvious feature. If your goal is an absolutely perfect coverage that may recreate the exact color scheme of the rest of the skin unto the smallest details, you most likely will not use the technique described above, but rather a a multiple layer spattering of sheer alcohol base colors. This spattering technique is used in Special Effects, and it is not the object of this tutorial.

What's new at Dinair in 2018 - Airbrush Makeup Review

Founded by Dina Ousley and partner George Lampman in 1981, Dinair was the first airbrush makeup brand to produce beauty makeup lines designed for both professionals and consumers. The company has remained fiercely independent through the years, and it's still a family business at heart that keeps growing along with the reputation of its product. Never happy to rest on its laurels, Dinair keeps renovating its offer and updating its formulas in order not only to remain current, but to produce innovation and inspire the rest of the industry.

Last year we gave you an extensive, unbiased guide to their vast offering, which you can read here. Let's see what has changed since then. If you wish to see all these new products in action, please check out this video we recently released where we use all of them. 

A new approach to concealing: Dinair Neutralizer

Concealing Rosacea with Dinair

While normal hyper pigmentation, redness and blemishes will be perfectly covered using just your preferred foundation line, Dinair has renewed its approach to concealing more serious imperfections.

Traditional color correctors such as light green for redness or peach for bluish/purple areas usually require a high level of skill while airbrushing: they must be used very sparingly or they may show under the foundation as greyish spots. To avoid this outcome, Dinair is now directing customers to conceal using just the foundation colors from their newly renamed Neutralizer line. Formerly known as Paramedical or Camouflage, the updated Neutralizer line is water based with a percentage of  cosmetic grade alcohol, and offers high coverage power and strong resistance to water and rubbing. This line is available in all the twenty shades that make up the other foundation lines, and while it can be used on its own, it is ideal in addressing just the trouble areas, and takes the guess work out of color correcting. Simply select the same color of your foundation, and neutralize the problem spots before applying your preferred preferred line (Glamour, Soft Glow or Radiance). The Neutralizer will conceal any shade of blemish underneath and even out your canvas for a perfect foundation application.

Strenghtening your finish: Foundation Extender

The biggest Dinair innovation this year as far as makeup is concerned is the new Foundation Extender line. This product can be added seamlessly to your preferred  foundation line to improve its wear, water and rub resistance, and comes in all the 20 shades that make up the foundations range. It works by adding just two drops every 6-8 drops of foundation directly in the airbrush cup, and then mixing them through back bubbling. The composition of the product is a lighter version of the Tattoo Cover (formerly Colair Extreme), the most powerful blocking product of all. It could be used on its own to block strong imperfections under the foundation, but the end result would probably be more obvious than what you would achieve by using the Neutralizer line instead (see above). I have tested this product and I have to say it does work remarkably well. I would reserve it for special occasions when prolonged wear is crucial, or when the climate is particularly threatening to the resistance of your makeup. Or you could use it (mixed with the remainder of your foundation) for those areas that are more prone to stress, such as the chin or the forehead if you have oily skin. In any case it's a great complement to have and it could be your foundation's best ally on many occasions.

Tattoo Cover

This product is the new version of the amazing Colair Extreme, offering total blocking power and the possibility to erase any tattoo or very visible skin tonal irregularity with just a few passes and no need for color correcting.  The formula is pretty much the same as the original, the only difference I could devise is that it flows better in the airbrush than before. Two shades (black and white) have been added as adjusters for the other 14 colors that mirror the most popular shades in the foundation lines. Thankfully the colors are now called by the same name used across the other lines, and no longer by number. The serial number remains printed under the name, an this is useful to determine the undertone (Warm tones are even numbers, cool tones are odd numbers and neutral tones end in 0 or 5).  The Tattoo Cover colors seem to have a less neutral slant, so for example if you get Olive Beige you might see that it looks more yellow than its counter part in any other line, This could be a chance variation on the batch that I received, however if you are considering getting your own shade in this line, you may want to buy the closest color with the opposite undertone as well in order to mix it and balance it out if necessary.

Dinair AirStyle and One Speed Compressor

Things never stand still at Dinair even as far as equipment is concerned.  A new One Speed compressor has been added to the line for the most inexpensive kit option. The next step up is now the Pro Basic compressor, which has variable airflow, and after that the Personal Pro, which is the one I would definitely recommend for its versatility and performance. The portable solution, battery powered compressor Dinair Go is no longer the only cable free option, and a new hand held device called AirStyle is now available. This unit is completely hose and cable free, and with a higher PSI output than the GO represents a very interesting option to give personal users complete mobility. Please read the in-depth review of the AirStyle kit in our previous article. 

We will be travelling to LA in may, and we are very excited to be touching base with our amazing friend at Dinair again. We can always look forward to this legendary brand to inspire and shake up the game for the whole airbrush makeup industry.

 

100% Dinair Airbrush Makeup, Unfiltered Skin

Concealing Vitiligo, Hyper Pigmentation, Discoloration and Tattoos with Colair Xtreme Airbrush Makeup

I'm going to go out on a limb for this post, as I almost never do, and state that Dinair's Colair Xtreme is the most underrrated revolutionary product to come out of the beauty industry in recent years. 

Colair Xtreme is an extremely highly pigmented foundation line created to block out and conceal anything from tattoos to discoloration of hyper pigmentation on the body and on the face. 

The product applies very quickly, and its coverage power is so high that you don't need to color correct to even out the area before application. This allows you to save considerable time and money, but if that wasn't enough, you also get another amazing advantage: durability. Xtreme is extraordinarily resistant to rubbing, and totally water proof. As a result, the coverage will last pretty much intact until you take it off. The formula is water based, and can be mixed with or topped by any other Dinair product.

Using Colair Xtreme in beauty or corrective makeup is very easy, and good results can be achieved by anyone. Because of its high blocking power, the final effect will tend to look very uniform, something which may not be always ideal if you are striving for the most natural look, but keep in mind that you can use it on the affected area only and then top it with any other Dinair foundation. I would also avoid using this product over symptoms of an active skin condition such as flaring acne or flaking psoriasis. In theses cases you may want to consider other Dinair Lines more suitable for these purposes, such as Camouflage/Paramedical or even the more basic Glamour line. However if you are looking for something that will block out a situation such as a birth mark or a tattoo, Xtreme will be the most effective choice, and a professional makeup artist will know how to break up the seamless finish created by this product with the necessary contouring and highlights, or even by recreating the original skin intrinsic coloring with translucent paints.

Which brings us to the world of Special Effects. If you are a professional makeup artist, you may have heard of PAX Paint, the mixture of Pros Aide glue and acrylic paint that is used in special effects and movies to achieve the most resistant coverage. Because of its very nature, PAX is not the healthiest choice for prolonged use and it is certainly a huge pain to clean from the airbrush afterward. Xtreme is a very viable cosmetic alternative to PAX that is much safer to use and much easier to remove from your tools using Dinair's standard Airbrush Cleaner. As we said before this product can be mixed with or topped by any other beauty product. In special effects it will allow you to lay the base color on prosthetics incredibly fast, and won't budge when painted over with any other makeup, including alcohol based colors. 

I really hope that both the beauty and the SFX world will realize soon the incredible potential that this amazing formula represents, and that the line will be expanded from the current 14 colors to match the full range of foundations available from Dinair.