By Michelby Whitehead
Have you ever seen a makeup artist prep someone’s face with spots of green, yellow, orange and other splashes of the rainbow, and wondered what the heck was going on?
According to foreo.com, color-correcting is a concealer technique that professional makeup artists have used for ages. It became a mainstream fascination after social media makeup enthusiasts began showcasing it.
Color-correcting is all about using targeted hues to erase blemishes and imperfections. It’s just a matter of taking colors that are opposites on the color wheel and they’ll “cancel” each other out. (Green works against redness, and so on.)
The finishing touch, of course, is lightly patting your foundation over the color. For example, when covering dark eye circles with orange or pink, apply your regular concealer over the bright pigments, then tap the makeup down with a beauty blender.
Below, we have compiled a list of the most common color-corrections for everyday concerns, no matter your skin color or undertones:
Green Concealer: For redness, acne and rosacea
Green is opposite from red on the color wheel, so it’s perfect for hiding any redness on your face, like pimples and acne scars. If you have rosacea, a color-correcting green primer can help hide unwanted redness and give you an even base for applying foundation.
Orange Concealer: For people with darker skin tones who have dark circles under their eyes
Orange is opposite from blue. If you have darker skin with blue dark circles, orange will work to help conceal the uneven undertones. People with lighter skin should avoid orange and instead use a peach color-corrector.
Pink Concealer: For people with lighter skin tones who have dark circles under their eyes
Pink concealer is usually salmon or peach in tone and is created from a mix of red, orange, and yellow hues. Since these colors are opposite from blue, green, and purple on the wheel, this corrector is best for hiding dark eye circles on lighter skin tones.
Yellow Concealer: For dark purple bruises, veins, and under eye circles
Yellow color-correcting concealer can be used to cover up any flaw that’s purple in tone. Bruises, veins, and under-eye circles can be hidden with a yellow spot-concealer.
Purple Concealer: For yellow skin tones and combatting dull complexion
Purple is best for combatting yellow undertones and brightening skin. Use a purple primer to remove yellow tones from your entire face, or use a spot-concealer to hide yellow spots.
The biggest hack when using a color-corrector (besides using the right color in the right place) is applying an equal amount of foundation over the amount of color-corrector used. For example, a heavier coat of green on your nose deserves the same amount of foundation; otherwise, the green will show through.
Do you color-correct? What colors and brands do you use?
Photo by Joanna Nix on Unsplash
Makeup 101: Color-Correcting Made Easy
