someone has marks of a beating on their face

[alpacinou]

I want to describe a situation when someone has marks of a beating on their face. Can I use "smudge"?

Is this okay?

There were dark red smudges beneath her eyes, compliments of her drunken husband.

 

[Rover_KE]

bruises

 

[emsr2d2]

No. Dark smudges under one's eyes usually suggest that you're just very tired. It doesn't really work for a black eye courtesy of an abusive spouse.

 

[Skrej]

A 'shiner' is a slang term for a bruise, particularly those around the eyes and on the face.

I don't really associate 'red' with a bruise, though. They're only red when they're quite fresh, before the blood has a chance to start pooling and they start turning those shades of black, blue, and purple.

 

[alpacinou]

Are these correct?

1. Her eyes were fringed with dark bruises, compliments of her drunker husband.

2. Beneath her eyes purple bruises had been etched, courtesy of her drunken husband.

 

[alpacinou]

Are these correct? 1. Her eyes were fringed with dark bruises, compliments of her drunker husband. 2. Beneath her eyes purple bruises had been etched, courtesy of her drunken husband.

Also this:

3. Dark bruises ringed her eyes.

 

[Skrej]

#1 and #3 are okay. With #2, it's grammatical, but I don't think 'etched' works for bruises.