The Right Way to Cover Up a Hickey - So You Can Get Back to Business
If you thought having a hickey in high school was embarrassing, try having one as a 24-year-old young professional. Combine that with a penchant for men with vampire-like kissing styles and pale, easily bruised skin and you get me — the most hickey-prone individual you could meet.
After a particularly steamy evening, I woke up the next morning to find a crater-sized red mark on my neck. Back in the day, I might have freaked out, but I've become a pro at the cover-up. The key is just in a few essential products: a color-correcting concealer, a toothbrush, an ice pack, and powder. Keep reading ahead for my tried-and-true tips to looking like a put-together human as quickly as possible . . . so you can go back to all that Summer loving.
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The first step in covering up a hickey is doing some damage control. You could put a cold spoon on it to reduce inflammation, but after one too many hickeys gone wrong, I've discovered that the best treatment starts with a soft-bristle toothbrush. Just clean the brush and then gently sweep the bristles across the mark for about five minutes to get the blood flowing. After that, ice the area for 15 minutes.
When I wake up in the morning, it's brush, ice, and repeat. There will still be a gigantic hickey on your neck, but it should look a little calmer. Then, to cover up the love bite, prep the skin with a color-correcting primer like ELF's Blemish Control Face Primer ($6). This will help to even out your skin before you layer on concealer and is an important step in making sure the formula stays in place.
ELF's Blemish Control Face Primer $6 from target.com Buy Now 
My NYX HD Photogenic Concealer Wand in Green ($4) is a godsend when it comes to canceling out my natural super-red undertones, and this affordable brand is my favorite for covering up a hickey. The formula is lightweight, making it easily blendable, but it's also pigmented enough to really cover any redness. Plus, at under $4, you really can't go wrong.
Make sure to blend well with a beautyblender or concealer brush before foundation.
NYX HD Photogenic Concealer Wand in Green $4 from target.com Buy Now 
Look for a color-corrector with orange undertones like the NYX Conceal Correct Contour Palette in Deep ($9) to combat the blue tones left behind by your partner.
NYX Conceal Correct Contour Palette in Deep $9 from target.com Buy Now 
Remember: hickies don't stay red forever, and hopefully it will start to change colors quickly. Once your hickey starts to look more like your traditional black-and-blue mark, try out a salmon-toned concealer like the MAC Studio Conceal and Correct Palette in Light ($35), if you're pale like me.
The palette also comes in Medium and Dark, if you have a darker complexion.
MAC Studio Conceal and Correct Palette in Light $35 from maccosmetics.com Buy Now 
I don't wear foundation, so instead I layer my go-to concealer on top of my color-correcting product. I blend my Maybelline's Facestudio Master Conceal ($6) in Fair, make a wish on a shooting star, and go about my day. If one layer doesn't do it, add a second and pat onto skin to build up the coverage.
Maybelline's Facestudio Master Conceal $6 from target.com Buy Now 
Make sure to set the formula with some powder, like the Make Up For Ever Super Matte Loose Powder ($31). This will ensure that all of your hard work stays in place and that you won't get any side-eye during your morning commute.
This powder is also great if you have dry skin, as it doesn't create a cakey look.
Make Up For Ever Super Matte Loose Powder $31 from sephora.com Buy Now 
While there may still be a slight undertone on the neck, my concealing job got me through a dinner with my family with no questions asked. Now that's what I call a success.
