Byrdie
TL;DR
The best body makeup we tried is the BLK/OPL Face & Body Concealer, which covered our tattoos and left a lightweight, matte finish. For a portable option, we recommend the Dermablend Body Makeup Full Coverage Foundation Stick.
Whether you’re looking to conceal a bug bite, a bruise, or want to make your skin glimmer and glow, body makeup has you covered (literally). “It’s the perfect way to cover up any type of imperfections,” says Nydia Figueroa, a celebrity makeup artist, who adds that it’s also a great choice for hiding tattoos. While you may think you can reach for your regular foundation, body makeup offers more full coverage and is more resistant to transfer, water, and sweat.
After consulting experts for their top picks, we spent hours testing body makeup. Our product testers had a range of skin tones, textures, and concerns. They evaluated each product on its level of coverage, shade-matching capabilities, finish, feel, water resistance, and transfer (if any) to find the following best in show.
Our Top Picks
Best Overall
BLK/OPL Face + Body Concealer
Excellent coverage
No transfer
Water resistant
Affordable
Sponge applicator might be hard to dispense
Shade Range: 7 | Finish: Matte | Size: 0.5 oz | Cruelty-Free: No
This formula is ultra-pigmented, and and it covered everything thoroughly—including tattoos. We also loved that it was lightweight, leaving a matte finish that felt slightly detectable on the skin. When it came to blending, we found it easy enough, though we added that using a wet sponge helped to ease application. Overall, we're big fans, especially considering the product’s affordable price point.
![BLK/OPL TOTAL COVERAGE Face + Body Concealer]()
PHOTO: Byrdie / Tamara Staples ![BLK/OPL TOTAL COVERAGE Face + Body Concealer]()
PHOTO: Byrdie / Tamara Staples
Daniela, tester: "The ultra-pigmented formula covered everything."
Best Lightweight
Dior Backstage Face & Body Foundation
Amazing coverage despite lightweight feel
No transfer
Water resistant
Doesn't cover dark hyperpigmentation completely
Shade Range: 40 | Finish: Natural | Size: 1.6 oz | Cruelty-Free: No
Made with hyaluronic acid, this moisturizing body foundation offers a lightweight, second-skin feel with impressive coverage. It covered our veins and everything in between. It didn't crease or smudge, and even when we sprayed our skin with water, everything stayed in place. Plus, it has an expansive shade range, offering 40 shades.
![Dior Backstage Face & Body Foundation]()
PHOTO: Byrdie / Tamara Staples ![Dior Backstage Face & Body Foundation]()
PHOTO: Byrdie / Tamara Staples
Leslie, tester: "It completely stayed in place with no creases and smudges! Totally impressed!"
Best Coverage
Estée Lauder Foundation For Face and Body SPF 15
Excellent coverage
No transfer
Water-resistant
Long-wear formula
Limited shade range
Slight sticky skin-feel
Shade Range: 11 | Finish: Natural | Size: 0.11 oz | Cruelty-Free: No
This product is pretty impressive when it comes to coverage that stays put (read: no transfer and very water resistant). Thanks to its thick consistency, you only need one layer to cover imperfections and it blends easily with a dense brush and felt cushiony on the skin. It would have scored higher, but we felt that the shades were limited, making it hard to find an exact match.
![Estée Lauder Double Wear Maximum Cover Camouflage Foundation For Face and Body SPF 15]()
PHOTO: Byrdie / Tamara Staples ![Estée Lauder Double Wear Maximum Cover Camouflage Foundation For Face and Body SPF 15]()
PHOTO: Byrdie / Tamara Staples
Daniela, tester: "With just one pass, the product pretty much covered my arm tattoo."
Best Portable
Dermablend Body Foundation Stick
Travel-friendly
Long-lasting formula
Full coverage
Difficult to blend
Shade Range: 10 | Finish: Natural | Size: 0.42 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
A foundation stick is a great pick for those who like to take their foundation with them for touch ups or simply prefer the swipe and blend format. This one earned rave reviews for its long-wear formula that stays put. The formula is ultra-pigmented, making it an excellent choice for covering up tattoos. We love the creamy texture, and although some testers noted that blending was a little tricky, overall they felt that its lightweight feel made it worthwhile.
![Dermablend Quick Fix Body Foundation Stick]()
PHOTO: Byrdie / Tamara Staples ![Dermablend Quick Fix Body Foundation Stick]()
PHOTO: Byrdie / Tamara Staples
Daniela, tester: "The foundation stayed in place and looked just as great after exposure to water. It's an ultra-pigmented formula that covered my arm tattoos."
Best for Dark Skin Tones
Fashion Fair Skin Foundation
Comes in various shades for dark skin tones
Water resistant
Excellent coverage
Shades tend to have a red undertone
Shade Range: 14 | Finish: Natural | Size: 0.46 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
With 14 shades starting at tan, this compact body makeup is geared towards those with darker skin. This creme to powder product goes on silky-smooth, leaving you with a second-skin finish. Our testers raved about the buildable coverage, although they did say the red undertones made the product a bit more detectable than desired. We also wished the compact were larger and that it had a larger applicator or sponge for greater surface contact.
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Nikki, tester: "The coverage is excellent. The product is buildable and blends out very well. Water beaded up on the product as I suspected it would and did not run in the least. The product maintained its color and consistency despite being sprayed several times."
Best Splurge
Fenty Beauty Body Sauce Luminizing Tint
Shimmer blurs imperfections
No transfer
Water resistant
Coverage could be better
Shade Range: 4 | Finish: High-shine | Size: 3.21 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
This cult favorite provides dewy, glistening coverage, thanks to light-diffusing micro-pearls that impart a high-shine finish. Our testers loved how it maintained its luminosity even when wet, noting that it’s perfect for poolside lounging. Because of its shimmer, it doesn’t offer full coverage, but we think it’s a splurge-worthy feel-good product to elevate your body care routine, especially for special occasions.
![Fenty Beauty Body Sauce Body Luminizing Tint]()
PHOTO: Byrdie / Tamara Staples ![Fenty Beauty Body Sauce Body Luminizing Tint]()
PHOTO: Byrdie / Tamara Staples ![Fenty Beauty Body Sauce Body Luminizing Tint]()
PHOTO: Byrdie / Tamara Staples
Best Feel
Dermablend Makeup Foundation
Creamy texture blends easily
Doesn't feel heavy or greasy
Water resistant
Can transfer
Shade Range: 12 | Finish: Natural | Size: 3.4 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
The coverage of Dermablend creamy foundation is great (a little goes a long way, and it’s best to apply it with a makeup sponge), lasting up to 16 hours. We loved how well the product stayed put and found that transfer only occurred with rough rubbing. While it has amazing coverage, it never felt heavy or greasy.
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Essey, tester: "It feels really nice. I can run my hands across my arm with ease. It is not greasy, heavy, sticky, or chalky."
Best Shimmer
Lux Unfiltered Blurring Body Glow
Lightweight feel
Water-resistant
No transfer
Shimmer may be too intense for some
Shade Range: N/A | Finish: Shimmer | Size: 6.8 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
With a subtle hint of bronze, this ultra-lightweight product adds instant shimmer and sheen from head to toe, giving just enough coverage to blur imperfections and refract light. Note that because this product is a glimmer, it comes in only one shade and isn’t suitable for covering tattoos, birthmarks, or bruises. But if you’re looking for a radiant glow that feels incredible and softens imperfections, we think it’s worth an investment.
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Essey, tester: "It did not transfer at all on the white towel."
What to Look for When Buying Body Makeup
Good body makeup can enhance, conceal, and ultimately elevate our skin. To determine which body makeup is best for you, we recommend considering the following points.
- Water-Resistant or Waterproof: Even if you won't be sporting the body makeup during a beach or pool day, Figueroa advises looking for these criteria to ensure the product’s staying power.
- Shimmer Level: Most body makeups have some shimmer in them, but just how much can vary greatly. So think about whether you want a “J-Lo just back from the beach”-esque glow, or something more subtle and natural.
- Shade: While you do have more wiggle room when it comes to finding the perfect match of body makeup than you do for your face, you still want to find a hue that’s pretty close to your natural skin tone to make sure it blends in well. Top tip: If it’s a bit too dark, try sheering it out with some plain body moisturizer.
How We Tested Body Makeup
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Below are the features our editors and contributors evaluated to determine our top picks.
- Feel: No matter how effective a body makeup product may have been, it didn’t make the cut if it didn’t feel good on our skin. We considered the texture and consistency of each product, eliminating options that felt heavy, greasy, or sticky.
- Coverage: For body makeup products that claimed to conceal skin imperfections, we observed if they provided adequate coverage—awarding extra points when the coverage looked natural (versus cakey or opaque).
- Transfer Resistance: Body makeup transferring onto your precious clothes is a big no-no. As such, we considered which options stayed on our skin and off our fabric, favoring products that lasted throughout the day.
- Water Resistance: While not every day is a beach or pool day, it’s still a good idea to choose makeup that’s water resistant to ensure staying power. We spritzed water over the body makeup products we tested, noting which options stayed put.
Meet Our Expert
To write this story, Byrdie consulted the following expert:
- Nydia Figueroa is a beauty expert and professional makeup artist in the New York/New Jersey area and the owner of Faces By Nydia Makeup Studio.
Why Trust Byrdie
Jill Di Donato is the former associate editorial operations director at Byrdie and has over a decade of experience as a beauty editor. She’s contributed to some of the best beauty and lifestyle magazines out there. Jill routinely uses body makeup to conceal tattoos and has personally tested many products included in this roundup.
Melanie Rud is an editorial writer for Byrdie covering beauty and lifestyle product recommendations. With over 15 years of experience, she’s extremely well-versed (and passionate about) in anything and everything skincare-related.
