The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 3 plus 5 letter word WAR PAINT
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
W
A
R
P
A
I
N
T
More clues leading to the result WAR PAINT
- Make-up - defect is not commonly seen
- With a standard accent “isn’t” commonly gets slap
- Battle colours?
- Trouble hiding blemish? Just the opposite with cosmetics
- Crooked pair entering need to get cosmetics
- Make-up is not put on pervert
- Trouble concealing blemish? The opposite with cosmetics
- Twist a tin into shape for make-up
- . Wrinkle is not because of too much makeup
- Irritation carried by skin growth cosmetics
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Make-up" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case make-up = war paint.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does WAR PAINT mean?
WAR PAINT noun- Pigments ritually applied to the face and/or body (originally and still especially of a Native American warrior) prior to going into a battle.
- Cosmetics, makeup