How to Cover Mosquito Bites

Summer, while anticipated all year long, comes with a few less-than-lovely side effects. One of those being mosquito bites. The dastardly little irritations are pretty much synonymous with camping, cookouts, days at the beach, and just about any other outdoor summer activity you can think of. Not fair. But don’t despair, because there are ways to deal with those itchy bumps and guarantee your summer will be nothing short of stellar. Ahead, we walk you through what mosquito bites look like, along with the process of what to put on mosquito bites to cover them with makeup. You’ll definitely want primer, foundation, and concealer for this one!

WHAT DO MOSQUITO BITES LOOK LIKE?

Before we talk about how to conceal mosquito bites, let’s go over what they look like—you can’t cover a mosquito bite if you can’t spot one. The Mayo Clinic states mosquito bites are red, itchy, swelling areas on the skin. These bug bites usually stop itching and heal on their own within a few days. That said, there are a few precautions you can take to make dealing with itchy bites more bearable. Speaking of…

WHAT TO DO FOR MOSQUITO BITES

While makeup is a wonderful ally in the fight against itchy mosquito bites, it won’t do it all. Wondering what to do for mosquito bites? If you want your bite to disappear, the biggest thing you can do is keep your hands off. No matter how itchy the little bump becomes, paws off, babes.

HOW TO CONCEAL A MOSQUITO BITE

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s talk makeup! Lucky for you, armed with the right face makeup products, the redness of a mosquito bite doesn’t have to be quite as noticeable.

What you’ll need:

L’Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Matte Lock Makeup Primer

L’Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation

L’Oréal Paris Infallible Blend Artist Foundation Blender

L’Oréal Paris True Match™ Super-Blendable Multi-Use Concealer

L’Oréal Paris True Match™ Color Correcting Crayon in Green

L’Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Sweep & Lock Loose Setting Face Powder

Get the look by following these simple steps:

STEP 1: PRIME YOUR FACE

Any time you’re taking the time to apply makeup, you should always start your routine with a dab of primer to ensure the rest of your makeup will wear evenly and go on smoothly. After all, the last thing you want is to work so hard to perfectly conceal your mosquito bite, only for it to melt off in the summer heat. So, reach for a matte primer and spread a small amount all over your face so that you have an even surface on which to work.

STEP 2: COLOR CORRECT YOUR MOSQUITO BITE

Wondering what’s good for mosquito bites? That would be color correction, at least for covering them. Use a green color-correcting concealer to help neutralize the redness of your bites. This works thanks to the color wheel and the fact that red and green sit opposite one another, ensuring optimal coverage. While you’re at it, if you notice any dark circles or dullness, you can reach for peach or purple color-correcting concealer to help neutralize those areas as well. Don’t worry if you look a bit like a clown with pastel color splotches across your face. Since you’ll be covering these pigments with foundation and neutral concealer in just a moment, the color corrector will be completely hidden.

STEP 3: APPLY FOUNDATION

When it comes to what to put on mosquito bites (in the way of makeup), it’s best to work with matte formulas, as glowing formulas can inadvertently draw more attention to problem areas. Apply a matte foundation in your shade of choice and use a makeup blender to stipple it into place. As always, you want to remember to stipple, not rub, because rubbing can further irritate your mosquito bite, making it redder, and effectively undoing all the makeup magic you’ve achieved up to this point.

STEP 4: CONCEAL

If you still notice a little redness peeking through, dab a dot or two of a flesh-toned concealer onto your mosquito bite and use a makeup sponge to blend it into place. While you’re at it, you can also add a little concealer to the bridge of your nose, center of your chin, forehead, and in upside-down triangles beneath your eyes. Applying concealer in these places will allow you to brighten the appearance of your complexion, adding depth and dimension to your overall beauty look—but don’t forget to blend!

STEP 5: SET YOUR LOOK

Now that you’ve concealed your mosquito bite flawlessly, it’s time to ensure your look lasts. To do so, use a fluffy face powder brush to dust a coat of translucent setting powder from forehead to chin. Using an ultra-fluffy brush will ensure that the product goes on super sheer, so that it won’t cake onto the creamy base beneath it. What’s more, it will turn your momentary perfection into a long-lasting look that gives no hints of any mosquito bites below. Pretty cool, right?

Editor’s tip: While we’ve taken a full-faced approach to a mosquito bite, note that you can use this same method for mosquito bites that pop up anywhere on your body. When it comes to your face, you just want to make sure that everything is super-even, hence why we recommend applying makeup from forehead to chin and not in just one spot.

Looking for other skin concern-disguising beauty tips? Here’s How to Cover Dark Spots with Makeup. (Bug bites can sometimes leave behind dark spots, so this is the perfect article to read next!)