The Best 8 Types of Body Makeup of 2024

Makeup functions differently as skin matures.

As age spots and spider veins creep up, extending your complexion products down to the neck and chest can help smooth skin. Additionally, for special events and beach days, coverage on the arms, legs, and hands can feel like an added layer of confidence. For new moms, this can also mean looking for solutions to make C-section scars less noticeable. No matter your needs, body makeup can transform your skin. 

Even Schitt’s Creek makeup artist Lucky Bromhead previously told PEOPLE that she uses body makeup on set — “extending the sun-kissed look on Catherine O’Hara’s shoulders and arms” to create balance on the skin. Kim Kardashian also revealed in an Instagram post that she uses body makeup to help cover her ongoing psoriasis, saying “I bruise easily and have veins and this has been my secret for over a decade.” 

We tested 18 different body makeup products to see which covered imperfections the most effectively and stayed on (despite contact with clothes and water during our tests), all factors that pros suggest you look for when making a purchase. “When it comes to buying body makeup — long wearing, transfer resistant, waterproof, and buildable coverage are some definite attributes to look for,” Mac senior national makeup artist Keri Blair tells PEOPLE.

Out of all the body makeups PEOPLE Tested, these eight are the ones we’re adding to our beauty stash.

Our Top Picks

PHOTO: Sephora Star Qualities

• Smooth application and feels extremely lightweight

• No creases or smudges and didn’t transfer

• More than 40 shades in warm, cool, and neutral undertones

Designer doesn’t always guarantee high quality, but in the case of Dior’s Backstage Face & Body Foundation, paying a little more does get you a better value. Earning a flawless 5-star rating in every single test, this body makeup provided full coverage that felt airy on the skin and stayed locked in place.

We believe it compares favorably to the popular Fenty body foundation. It's smooth and extremely lightweight. We love that it’s available in so many shades (more than 40!), and provides full coverage. It covered our arm, veins, and everything in between. It comes in neutral, warm, and cool undertones to suit most skin types. We just wish there were more options for darker skin tones. Our testing feedback shows that this formula is an excellent option for mature-skin women seeking to smooth spider veins and age spots sans the feeling and look of weighty coverage.

During the resistance tests, this body makeup didn’t transfer any product to a white towel when rubbed against it, and didn’t come off even when sprayed with water. It felt like we were wearing a powder, but there was no transfer. We were very impressed that it completely stayed in place with no creases or smudges. And with regards to the water test, water beaded up on the product as suspected, but everything stayed in place with no streaking, running, or transfer.

Overall, we think this is the ideal body makeup because a little goes a long way, and as a medium coverage foundation, you can apply it lightly or build it up for a fuller coverage look. Though the price is higher than some on our list, this makeup is a good value for what you’re paying. There’s absolutely nothing we would change about this pick.

How it's held up:

After months of testing, we're still loving the tone-evening, yet natural results that this body foundation delivers. We did find that as the seasons turned cooler and our skin began to dry, we needed to be extra vigilant about moisturizing well before applying the makeup to ensure that it didn't enhance our dry spots. Working with this product in our day-to-day life also taught us that the amount of layers we applied granted us longer wear time — for example, one layer gave us about 4-5 hours of wear before fading, and two layers resulted in 7 hours. We still think it's worth the hype (and price) given its natural results and high performance in real life.

Coverage: Medium, buildable | Formula: Liquid | Skin Type: Normal, dry, combination, oily | Shades: 40 | Size: 1.6 ounces / 50 mL

PHOTO: Amazon Star Qualities

• Lightweight, talc- and paraben-free formula

• Highly pigmented for maximum coverage
  

• Remained intact after applying and spraying with water

Developed by a dermatologist, this concealer from Black Opal is designed for melanin-rich skin and provides a rich coverage. While it's a matte formula that's even capable of covering tattoos, we found that the product didn't feel feel too heavy. It's lightweight, but you can still feel something is on the skin. Infused with nourishing minerals, this product feels as good as it looks.

The ultra-pigmented formula covered everything, but the shade range could be a little more varied and offer more skin tones. During our resistance tests, this body makeup did not transfer onto the towel or come off when sprayed with water. Considering its durability, smooth finish, wide availability, and budget-friendly price, we think this is a great product.

How it's held up:

This concealer continued to work its magic throughout the changing of the seasons and in several climates, from cooler weather to humidity. The thing that keeps us coming back to this one (besides its amiable price tag) is the color-correcting and tone-evening formula inside. We love to see our hyperpigmentation and spots of redness fade away with a quick blend of this product, leaving our skin looking more flawless than ever. It's become one of our staples, and its budget-friendly price allows it to be a repeat buy for us.

Coverage: Full | Formula: Liquid | Skin Type: All skin types, darker skin tones | Shades: 7 | Size: 0.5 oz

PHOTO: Amazon Star Qualities

• Doesn’t feel greasy, heavy, sticky, or chalky

• Provides ample coverage for masking veins, scars, and more

• Includes SPF 25 sun protection
  

Red Flags

• Some product transfer

As one of the most popular body makeup brands, Dermablend’s Leg and Body Makeup Foundation is ideal for covering tattoos, scars, veins, stretch marks... you name it. With SPF 25, this formula also provides sun protection throughout the day. And if you're worried about something full-coverage drying out your skin, it's actually packed with moisturizing ingredients to nourish your complexion while it sits.

We loved the feel of this product, which didn't feel greasy, heavy, sticky, or chalky. We were able to run a hand across our arm with ease. We found a perfect shade match with this product and were able to build and blend the makeup up to full coverage. We could still see a faint trace of veins and scars, but found the makeup blended seamlessly onto our arm.

We noticed little to no transfer when we brushed against the white towel, but when we heavily wiped our arm there was some transfer. However, when you use this makeup in tandem with the Dermablend Setting Powder, it should set more thoroughly and have less risk of transfer, making this duo ideal for mature skin, covering age spots on the arms and hands without leaving a trail of makeup behind at an event. The makeup did not run at all when we spritzed it during the water test. With a near perfect score, good coverage, and durability, this product is a good pick for covering any unwanted marks.

How it's held up:

We continued to use this liquid over time for masking things like scars and veins, and we loved it for that function. But over time, we started to feel as if the formula were a bit drying to our skin. The finish is pretty matte, so we tried to keep the areas we applied it small in order to not attract too much attention to it and make the area still look like skin. We'd suggest using a good moisturizer on the spot beforehand in order to get the most seamless and hydrating wear out of this product.

Coverage: Full, buildable | Formula: Liquid | Skin Type: Normal | Shades: 12 | Size: 3.4  fluid ounces / 100 mL

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  People / Jessica Juliao

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  People / Tamara Staples

PHOTO: Sephora Star Qualities

• Lightweight and has a velvety feel on the skin

• Stayed in place and during the water and wipe tests

• Evens out skin tone and blends easily

While Rihanna’s glow might come from the radiance of supreme talent and charisma, we can try to replicate it through Fenty beauty — and this Body Sauce Luminizing Tint is a good place to start. It felt smooth, lightweight, and velvety on our skin. 

Made with a blend of babassu oil and vitamin E, this formula also acts as a form of skincare — helping with inflammation, surface wounds, and certain skin conditions. The coverage is sheer, so it didn’t entirely cover our tattoo, but it blended beautifully, evened our skin tone, and covered our arm in a fine shimmery glow. And it’s important to note the formula is buildable.

So if there are age spots or spider veins that don’t feel like they have enough coverage on the first pass, wait for your first layer of makeup to dry, then slowly layer and blend in more coverage using a kabuki brush until you achieve your desired look.

This makeup passed our resistance tests with little effort, locking into place without smudging or wiping away. It transferred very little to the towel and stayed on our skin. We think it would come in handy for those who sweat a lot, and it’s easy to apply.

It doesn’t have a huge shade range, and the price is a touch high, but it delivers on the promise of smooth glowing skin.

How it's held up:

For the warmer parts of the year, this skin tint was a dream — gliding onto our skin like butter and giving us a luminous glow even after it had dried down. However, when the weather began to cool and our skin naturally got drier, it became a bit harder to apply this tint and make it look natural. It required a bit of body lotion before application in order to blend as smoothly as it did in the warmer months, and this eventually made us decide that we just don't love it for winter. But when summer comes around, you know this is our go-to.

Coverage: Sheer, light | Formula: Liquid | Skin Type: All skin types | Shades: 7 | Size: 3.21 ounces / 95 mL

PHOTO: Ulta Star Qualities

• Long-lasting thanks to superior water resistance

• Felt lightweight and dried to a matte finish
  

• Ingredients that provide skincare benefits
  

For a body makeup that will cover spider veins on the arms, chest, legs, and face and last all day, look no further than Estée Lauder’s camouflage foundation. Made with a blend of aloe leaf extract, soybean oil, and linoleic acid (known to help inflammation), this non-acnegenic (means it won’t clog pores and cause acne) makeup also provides some of the nourishment of skincare products.

We found that this body foundation was pretty lightweight and dried to a matte finish when brushed on the skin. In one pass, it covered our arm tattoo. This product thoroughly passed our resistance tests, proving its durability against contact with materials like the white towel and water via our spray bottle. We were impressed with this product’s water resistance. Despite soaking our arm, the body foundation did not budge. So you can be assured that the waterproof, SPF-infused formula will wear well during a day at the beach or at an outdoor wedding where you work up a sweat on the dance floor.

The only caution is that while the product comes in 15 shades, there aren’t many options for darker skin tones. We had a hard time finding a shade that matched our warm undertone. We also found it was best to apply this product using a dense brush since the it is rather thick. 

How it's held up:

We used this product on bruises or discolored marks that we had on our skin for the months that we tested it, and it certainly exceeded in masking these areas thanks to its highly-pigmented formula. However, we do think that it's a little too drying in any time of year — dry skin or not. If you want a long-lasting formula, this is certainly a great contender, but you'll want to lather up with some moisturizer before applying to make this product look and feel natural.

Coverage: Full | Formula: Liquid | Skin Type: All skin types | Shades: 15 | Size: 1 ounce

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  People / Jessica Juliao

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  People / Tamara Staples

PHOTO: Amazon Star Qualities

• Lightweight feel and turns clear when it dries

• Good coverage and a little goes a long way

• Did not transfer or run when put to the test

If you’re looking for a subtle bronze glow, this tint will be the first thing you reach for. It doesn’t have a shade range, but rather one bronze-toned "universal" shade that has a shimmery finish and is very lightweight on the skin (it's virtually undetectable once it dries). We used a conservative amount and it covered about half of our forearm. It didn’t transfer at all on the white towel; only when we applied pressure did a small amount come off. It also didn’t run when we spritzed our arm with water.

With ingredients like shea butter, squalane, sunflower seed oil, and vitamin C, this product is extremely moisturizing, which only adds to the glow effect on your skin. If there was anything we would change, it would be to name it a shimmer instead of glow, due to the level of sparkle in this product, which might not be for everyone. Regardless of what it’s called, this body makeup will give you the subtle bronze glow of summer all year long.

How it's held up:

Over time, we discovered that this product was a little less on the pigmented side, especially when compared to some other contenders on this list — our tester says that it "doesn't 'cover' flaws, [but] sort of makes them softer." We ended up loving the shimmer in this formula, which gave us just enough of a glow without looking sparkly. It could stand to be a little more hydrating, but this didn't keep us from reaching for it throughout the months of testing.

Coverage: Sheer | Formula: Liquid | Skin Type: All skin types | Shades: 1 | Size: 6.8 fluid ounces

People / Jessica Juliao

PHOTO: Ulta Star Qualities

This sheer foundation acts more like a tint upon first application, but can be built upon to add extra coverage — an ideal quality in body makeup to smooth age spots with gradual application. We loved the super lightweight, breathable feel, and noticed very little transfer during our tests. “It offers a glowing natural skin like finish that can also be set with powder depending on what type of finish you are looking to create,” says Blair.

“As a professional makeup artist that has worked on countless bodies backstage for well over 20 years — one of the most versatile products I carry with me is MAC Studio Radiance Face & Body Foundation,” Blair says. “It’s a water-based product that contains various types of silicones which create excellent skin adhesion as well as long wear. It also is extremely buildable — upon initial application, it provides a veil of coverage, however the more layers you apply, the [more opaque] the coverage becomes.”

Though advertised as waterproof, when sprayed with water, it took on a somewhat greasy consistency (so maybe just don’t wear this one to the beach!). However, once it dried, this body makeup went back to its original consistency and didn’t run at all. We love the diverse shade range for a variety of skin tones, we only wish there was slightly more opacity. You can build this one, it just might take a few extra layers.

How it's held up:

This one was a real winner throughout all of the months (and seasons) that we tested it. We changed up its utility as the weather turned cool and our skin naturally became drier, where we instead used it more as a face and neck foundation rather than a body product. However, this doesn't mean that it didn't work fabulously on our hands and arms — it continued to make our skin look natural while feeling lightweight, we just didn't need the extra layers of product when we had longer sleeves and pants on. What we did grow to love, surprisingly, was its plastic packaging, as this made it super easy to travel with.

Coverage: Sheer | Formula: Liquid | Skin Types: All skin types | Shades: 30 | Size: 1.7 ounces

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  People / Jessica Juliao

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  People / Tamara Staples

PHOTO: Ulta Star Qualities

• Creamy and lightweight feel on application

• Transfer- and water-resistant

• Ultra-pigmented formula provided good coverage

Red Flags

• Hardly any dark shades

If you’re planning a getaway and still want your skin to look smooth and even while you travel, then this body makeup stick should be the first thing you pack. It's perfect for touching up small areas (like the "concealer" name suggests) or spot-treating throughout the day. Like the previous Dermablend product, you can enjoy up to 16 hours of transfer-resistant staying power so long as it's set with the brand's setting powder. On top of its portability and longevity, the overall application is incredibly smooth. We also noticed how creamy the application is and how lightweight it feels.

We did struggle with finding a seamless shade match, and of the existing 10 shades, there is only one that errs on the darker end of the skin tone spectrum. However, as far as coverage, the ultra-pigmented formula did completely veil arm tattoos.

During the transfer test, this body makeup held up as well, staying in place and looking just as great after exposure to water. It also didn’t transfer to the towel at all. Overall, this is a good product for travel needs because of its small size. The cream stick makes it easy to apply targeted coverage to age spots on the neck and chest or c-section scarring. To build out seamless, impactful coverage, allow each layer to dry before adding more product, and apply powder after you reach your desired coverage to lock in the formula.

How it's held up:

We think it's worth calling out that this foundation stick, though great at covering dark spots, isn't the best when it comes to hydration. It began to feel drying and came off a little too matte to look like real skin, but we did love to get creative and use it as concealer when we had bad under-eye bags. If you want to conceal certain spots on your skin, this one will certainly do the trick — just make sure you're setting it with powder afterwards, or it risks fading.

Coverage: Full | Formula: Cream stick | Skin Type: All skin types | Shades: 10 | Size: 0.42 ounce

What to Know About Body Makeup

Coverage

Body makeup, like face makeup, can have a totally different appearance depending on how much product you use. “Coverage relates to the amount of light or skin you can see through the product. Think about how nylons look on the legs versus tights,” says Blair. If you’re looking for a complete coverup of imperfections such as tattoos, scars, veins, or acne, in addition to mature skin concerns like spider veins, you’ll want a full coverage formula that's buildable.

Our picks from Dermablend, Estée Lauder, Black Opal, and Dior will provide ample coverage for unwanted marks. For a lighter option that evens out skin tone and smooths age spots without calling attention to fine lines, you’ll need a formula that provides buildable and blendable coverage that won’t transfer when applied to the arms, neck, décolleté, and hands. Winners from Fenty, MAC, and Lux Unfiltered would be a better choice for this.

Ingredients

When looking at any makeup products you should keep in mind how the ingredients will interact with your skin. If you’re looking for body makeup to cover up acne, then products with oils might perpetuate the issue. Comparatively, to cover skin conditions like psoriasis, you want to make sure there aren’t any ingredients that will further irritate the skin or cause flare ups.

Shades & Texture

Not unlike the face, when you apply body makeup, you want it to look natural and blend well with your skin tone. “When you are putting together an entire look, the face, shoulders, decolletage, arms, and legs should all have a similar texture,” says Blair. She reflects on the '90s trend of a “flawless matte face up against exposed skin with a natural skin finish” and how it gave an appearance of “a floating head or mismatched body parts.” 

In order to create a seamless finish, you have to be consistent with shades and texture. In terms of shades, Blair says, “When it comes to shade matching, often our bodies are a bit darker than our face.” But in order to create a balanced tone, she suggests mixing some of the body foundation in with your facial makeup to bring some additional color to your face (which might not see as much sun as your legs!).

Placement

The placement of the makeup might also influence which kind you get. If you’re looking for a coverall that can generally smooth out skin tone and texture, it might be best to use a lightweight body makeup that can be easily dispersed across different areas of the body like legs, arms, elbows, and the face. Whereas with specific problem areas, a thicker body makeup might provide better coverage and be more easily applied (rather than all over).

Water-Resistance

If you’re planning to wear your body makeup during strenuous outdoor activities, or at the pool, you’ll want to look for a product that is water-resistant or waterproof so it doesn’t run or transfer when wet. Our best overall, Dior's Backstage Face and Body Foundation, passed our water tests with flying colors and stayed in place when wet.

Transfer-Resistance

The last thing you want your body makeup to do is rub off on your clothes or furniture. Look for products that are transfer-resistant, meaning when the product is dry, it stays intact and won’t come off. We tested all of our recommendations for transfer resistance and found that Estée Lauder’s Double Wear Maximum Cover was long-lasting, dried to a matte finish, and was one of the most transfer-resistant body makeup products we tested.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is body makeup?

  Much the way foundation is used to give your face an even skin tone, body makeup offers the same effect on other parts of your body. It’s often used to mask scars, tattoos, and veins on your neck, chest, arms, and legs — any area that is exposed. But it can also be applied so that your face, arms, and legs all have the same skin tone.

• How should you prep your skin for body makeup?

  Just like you would prep your face before applying makeup, you need to do the same for your body. “Exfoliating and moisturizing your skin is going to help with the evenness of application of your makeup and longevity of wear,” says Blair. So be sure to exfoliate while you’re in the shower, and then moisturize the areas you’ll be applying the product.

• What are the best tools for applying body makeup?

  “As with most body products, your hands can be great tools,” Blair adds. She suggests warming up the body makeup with your hands by rubbing them together — especially with more sheer products like the MAC radiance foundation. “The more friction you add to the formula, the more whipped the texture becomes which helps create additional coverage when layering,” she says.

  Comparatively, for thicker and more full coverage products, you can also use a large fluffy brush in circular motions to cover larger areas, Blair says. And just like your facial skin, setting with powder can help makeup stay on your body throughout the day.

• Where are the most common places to wear body makeup?

  Generally, the most popular spots to apply body makeup are the arms, legs, and collarbone (basically the most commonly exposed skin). A lot of people use body makeup to cover up old scars and tattoos, as well as prominent veins — but it can also be applied to even out one’s skin tone. Sheer products like Fenty’s Body Sauce and Lux Unfiltered Blurring Body Glow can also create a little shine for your body. Trickier areas are your back (in which case you might phone a friend for assistance) and underarms (which should be avoided if possible due to streakiness). Also, make sure to always apply body makeup before other products, like your favorite perfume, to avoid uneven coverage.

• Can you use body makeup on your face?

People / Tamara Staples

Behind the Scenes

To find the best body makeup, we tested 18 of the most popular brands. Considering the feel, coverage, and resistance to transfer and water, we narrowed the list to the best eight body makeup products to give your skin a smooth appearance. 

• Application: Our testers arrived for the day with clean skin (no lotions, makeup, or other products) and then selected a shade that best matched their skin tone. 
• Pen Marks: Then they did the thing we all tell kids not to, they drew on themselves with a pen (adult art class!). Applying a pea-sized drop of product over the pen marks, the testers blended the makeup with a sponge or brush to see how well it covered the pen.
• Weight: They weighed the feel (lightweight? smooth? sticky? heavy?) and coverage level to see how much texture and color it blurred out.
• Transfer Test: Then they simulated a transfer test, rolling the applied makeup against a clean white towel to see if it stained. They also sprayed the area with water to see if the makeup ran or stayed in place. They used hands, arms, and legs for the same tests to see how well the makeup held up on different parts of the body.
• Rating: Ultimately, we rated the products on a scale of one to five in the following categories: feel, application, overall look, and performance. The products that earned the highest average scores made it on to our list of best body makeup.

Why Trust PEOPLE?

Madison Yauger is a PEOPLE shopping editor, covering beauty, home, travel, and other lifestyle topics. Her background includes news, lifestyle, and commerce journalism for publications like Food & Wine, Real Simple, Health, and Martha Stewart. With a background in news and lifestyle journalism, she has a wide network of expert sources. For this article, she referred to an earlier conversation with Lucky Bromhead, makeup artist on the hit TV series Schitt’s Creek and her own interview with Keri Blair, Mac Cosmetics’ senior national makeup artist. She also used PEOPLE tested insights to learn more about our winning body makeups. Bianca Lambert is a contributing freelance writer for PEOPLE who specializes in beauty and travel writing. She’s well-versed in trending topics, such as the in’s and out’s of the best vitamin C serums and John Legend’s skincare line.

Our Expert Panel

• Lucky Bromhead is an Emmy Award and CSA-nominated makeup artist who was the personal makeup artist to Catherine O’Hara and Annie Murphy on the hit television show Schitt’s Creek. 
• Keri Blair is Mac Cosmetics’ senior national makeup artist.

What Is People Tested? 

We created the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval to help you find the very best products for your life. We use our unique methodology to test products in three labs across the country and with our network of home testers to determine their effectiveness, durability, ease of use, and so much more. Based on the results, we rate and recommend products so you can find the right one for your needs.

But we don’t stop there: We also regularly re-review the categories in which we’ve awarded the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval — because the best product of today might not be the best of tomorrow. And by the way, companies can never buy our recommendation: Their products must earn it, fair and square.

In short, PEOPLE Tested provides recommendations you can trust — every day, every purchase.

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