How to Cover a Cold Sore Because That's Beauty DEFCON 5
Ready the nuclear football.

It hurts. It's unsightly. It's...the cold sore that crops up twice a year because of some mystifying configuration of your wonky hormones, recent travel, stress levels, sun exposure, and the Dow Jones industrial average 17 days before you started ovulating. Our bodies, ourselves, etc. But who even cares *how* when there's the question of "What'll it take to get this damn thing off my face, I can't just go into hiding until it clears up?"
Well #AMA, because one such bugger emerged on my lip over the weekend, when I was meant to give a semi-important presentation. True, the audience was mostly several feet away and down (while I was onstage), but all the same, Bay Area makeup artist Asal made a valiant effort that resulted in me looking and feeling normal enough to not do the whole thing with the top half of this pink guy over my head. Here is what we—okay, she, mostly—did, as told in the only song of ice and fire you're going to read for a very, very long time.
A post shared by Fendi (@fendi)
A photo posted by on
Ice, or the Only Bit I Played Any Part in (Aside from Growing the Cold Sore)
Because I'd felt blisters coming on before I boarded my flight, I'd had enough foresight to be like "Oh, @$%^, better bring this tube of Abreva along, even though the pump is definitely manufactured to release way more product than you'd ever need at once so you'd have to buy more faster." As I treated and cursed the twisted ingenuity of Big Pharma, I also went to the hotel ice machine, filled a bucket, and promptly held cube after cube to the sore spot. (Do not wrap in a towel, because that's just asking for further contamination.) By the morning, the swelling will have gone down, providing a flatter surface for coverage.
An Interlude About Safety
In addition to being ugly and exasperating, cold sores are contagious. Which means you must take precautions against ruining everything in your makeup bag because you weren't careful. After applying medication (this one dries clear), dip a clean finger in concealer to pick up enough to do the whole job, and transfer the product onto the back of your hand. Then, using a disposable sponge or doe-foot applicator—Q-tips can drag on bumps—carefully spot-correct, making sure to feather out the edges. Set with powder.
Fire!, or the Name of the Musical I Am Destined to Write
Meant more in the 🔥 sense, or as much in the 🔥 sense one can feel when one has pustules growing on one's upper lip. However, if you've properly concealed, there is nothing preventing you from 🔥, except, perhaps, your own insecurities about how others perceive you. Now is the time for a diversion, the unlikeliest, most badass of which would be...a bright lip. Nothing too matte or fluorescent, of course, but pretty, poppy pink? Yes, please. The texture will be off where your friend has taken residence, but it's not like you're going to let anyone you care about get that close—not until it scabs over, at least.
Follow Marie Claire on Facebook for the latest celeb news, beauty tips, fascinating reads, livestream video, and more.
Stay In The Know
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.
Chelsea Peng is a writer and editor who was formerly the assistant editor at Marie Claire. She's also worked for The Strategist and Refinery29, and is a graduate of Northwestern University. On her tombstone, she would like a GIF of herself that's better than the one that already exists on the Internet and a free fro-yo machine. Besides frozen dairy products, she's into pirates, carbs, Balzac, and snacking so hard she has to go lie down.
-
Will Situationships and Gossip Stop 'Love Is Blind' Stars Lauren and Dave From Making It To the Altar?
Here's what we know about where the season 8 couple stands now.
By Quinci LeGardye Published
-
It’s Time to Upgrade Your Spring Wardrobe With a Trendy Bag
I found 18 options that you can shop on sale.
By Brooke Knappenberger Published
-
Jennifer Lopez's Skintight Catsuit Gets a Standing Ovation
The singer's bedazzled chrome onesie was the highlight of her sold-out performance.
By Hanna Lustig Published
-
New York Fashion Week’s Fall/Winter 2025 Best Beauty Moments Are a Lesson in Juxtaposition
The week's best beauty looks were a maximalism master class.
By Ariel Baker Published
-
Zoe Saldaña’s Red Nails and New Ombré Hair Match Her $3,495 Shoes
The actor is a master of the monochromatic look.
By Ariel Baker Published
-
Nécessaire's Extra-Strength Deodorant Outlasts an Editor's Sweatiest Test: Fashion Week
Even with my hectic schedule, I've never smelled better.
By Halie LeSavage Published
-
Lily-Rose Depp’s Cool-Toned Makeup Is So ‘90s Coded
Clean girl meets grunge.
By Ariel Baker Published
-
The 13 Best Foundations for Mature Skin, Tested by Women Over 50
It's perfect for mature complexions.
By Siena Gagliano Published
-
Gray Hair Was the Hottest Accessory at the 2025 Golden Globes
Gray hair is chic, period.
By Hannah Baxter Published
-
25 Brown Nail Designs To Instantly Elevate Winter's Hottest Polish Trend
Luxury at your fingertips.
By Emma Aerin Becker Published
-
Billie EIlish’s Makeup Routine Is Surprisingly Wearable and Lasts for Hours
Her makeup routine is full of drugstore staples.
By Ariel Baker Published