Makeup to Cover Scars

What kind of makeup covers scars?

Regular foundation is made to be sheer and to sit on your face for a day. A scar needs more pigment than that, and on the body it needs to survive clothes rubbing against it. That's what body makeup for scars is for: more coverage, waterproof once it dries, and made to stay on for days.

Which one to use depends on where the scar is:

• Legs, arms, stomach, chest or back: Bombshell Body & Leg Makeup, a liquid in 91 shades that you can build in thin layers until the scar blends in.
• A large area, or scars plus uneven tone all over the leg: the Leg Makeup Spray, then Bombshell on the scar itself.
• Face: our Face Foundation + Concealer, also in 91 shades, waterproof and transfer-resistant. Bombshell works on the face too.

How to cover a scar with makeup

1. Make sure the scar is fully healed. Never put makeup on skin that's open, scabbed or irritated. If it's a recent surgery scar, ask your doctor when it's OK to use makeup on it.
2. Start with clean, dry skin, with no lotion or oil on the area.
3. Match the skin around the scar. If the scar is much darker than your skin, a thin layer of orange or peach corrector underneath first helps.
4. Tap on a thin layer. Put a little product on the Body Brush or your fingertip and tap it over the scar, then blend the edges outward so there's no line where the makeup stops.
5. Build it up. Let each layer dry before the next. Two or three thin layers cover better and look more natural than one thick one.
6. Let it dry for 5 to 10 minutes, then press a tissue on it. If it comes away clean, you're done.

There's a longer step-by-step in our guide to covering a scar with makeup.

Covering different kinds of scars

• Surgery scars (tummy tuck, C-section, knee, shoulder): these are usually long and flat, and often pink or white. Bombshell in thin layers covers them well. Read how Patricia covered her tummy tuck scars.
• White scars: they're lighter than your skin, so go for the shade of the skin around them and add a second layer if they still show.
• Dark or brown scars: use the orange or peach corrector step first, then the makeup.
• Acne scars on the face: Face Foundation + Concealer, tapped on rather than rubbed in.
• Raised or indented scars: makeup evens out the color, which is what most people notice. It can't flatten a raised scar or fill in a deep one, so you may still see some texture in direct light.