Dry Skin And Makeup
For the cheap end concealer I like Almay Clear Complexion Concealer. You can pick it up at places like CVS.
If your skin is really dry, drug store concealer might not be the best to use, because it has 1.0% salicylic acid in it.
It hasn’t bothered me though, and doesn’t overly cling to dry patches. I like it because it’s layerable, medium to full coverage, and it doesn’t break me out. If you’re looking for really great coverage and don’t mind spending a little bit more, I would try Mac’s Pro Longwear Concealer. I would highly recommend using liquid foundations and concealers in general for the fullest coverage.
For foundation, your skin type really matters. I’m still using Shiseido’s UV Protective Liquid Foundation, even though it’s meant more for oily skin. (I’m testing out new foundations right now though because I’ve noticed a little bit more oxidation than I like from Shiseido – oxidation is when the foundation color you put on gets a little more orange throughout the day). Foundations are usually the one thing that I will really “splurge” on and go high end, but Revlon Colorstay foundation (~$12) is a GREAT very full coverage foundation, if you don’t want to spend so much. They have two versions, one for combination/oily skin and one for dry/normal skin. Both are pretty great, especially for the price. Right now, I’m testing out the Dior Forever foundation and so far it doesn’t make me dry at all. It’s an expensive investment though, so we’ll see if I end up purchasing it.
If you’re looking for the highest coverage possible (I don’t know how bad your red marks are), I would try Kat Von D’s Lock-It Tattoo Foundation. It was created to cover tattoos, so it’s really thick and extremely full coverage. If you use the store locator on Sephora.com, you could find it in store and ask for a sample.
They usually give you enough to test several times, before deciding if it’s worth the money.