A liquid self-healing coating, incorporating microcapsules filled with tailored repair formulations, repairs itself upon physical compromise after curing. In one embodiment, a commercially available paint primer is mixed with a pre-specified amount of these microcapsules. After the coating has cured on the substrate to which it is applied, any physical compromise of the cured coating results in the microcapsules bursting to release a liquid that fills and seals the compromised volume of the coating. In applications where paint is used to provide corrosion protection, the liquid contains anti-corrosion material as well as suitable diluents and film-forming compounds. In another embodiment, the microcapsules may be provided separately to enhance commercially available products. For example, if a paint formulation is known a priori, specifically configured microcapsules packaged separately from the paint and designed for use with the paint formulation, may be added to the commercially available product just prior to application.