COLOR CORRECTION MAKEUP

Color-correcting makeup refers to makeup products used to help even the skin tone and minimize the appearance of discolorations. These color correctors can be used to cancel out redness, neutralize dark spots and dark circles, and brighten dull or sallow-looking skin. Because they need to neutralize discolorations, color correctors aren’t skin colored; instead, they come in a range of shades (like yellow, purple, and green) that help cancel out the imperfection you’re looking to conceal.

While using a purple-toned cream may seem bizarre for those new to color correcting with makeup, color-correction is based on the color wheel theory. Colors opposite one another on the color wheel—think, purple and yellow—cancel one another out. It works the same way with makeup: Purple cancels out yellow, green neutralizes red, and so on.

Whereas color-correcting makeup is designed to neutralize and reduce the intensity of skin discolorations, concealer covers discolorations. As such, concealers come in skin tone shades and may offer sheer to full coverage, depending on the formula. If your skin discolorations (think: redness or dark circles) are super obvious, using a color corrector before applying your concealer can help give your skin a more even appearance.

While color corrector is usually paired with concealer, you can use it without concealer if you want. To do the latter, we recommend applying your color corrector directly to clean, primed skin and blending to help sheer it out a bit. Then, you can apply a buildable foundation on top of your color-correcting makeup to help give your skin an even finish. In some cases, if you sheer your color corrector out enough, you can use it on its own (meaning no concealer or foundation necessary).

Going back to the aforementioned color wheel: Green color correctors are ideal for canceling out red and pink tones, like the redness that can accompany blemishes or even sunburns. Purple color correctors, meanwhile, help neutralize yellow tones; while yellow and peach color correctors can help counteract the blue and purple hues of dark under-eye circles. If you’re not sure what hue to reach for, remember that with color-correction, it’s all about opposites: You want contrasting colors, which balance each other out.

The best color-correcting shade for dark circles depends on your skin tone and the hue of your dark circles. If your under-eye circles are more blue in tone, use a pink shade; if they’re purplish, a yellow color corrector can help balance them out. For those with medium skin tones, peachy shades can help brighten your under-eye area without leaving an obvious wash of color. Lastly, warmer brownish-orange and deeper peach shades are ideal for color-correcting the under-eye area of those with deeper skin tones.