Makeup techniques have evolved beyond just your regular concealer or cc cream. From red to purple, colour correctors are the under-the-radar products that disguise Saturn-like dark circles and dial down redness on the cheeks.
All of which sounds brilliant, until you're presented with the full spectrum of unflinchingly bold colours that seem at odds with your actual skin tone. Without a degree in art this genius makeup hack can seem a little daunting as it's difficult to know how to match yourself properly and how to use the products to the best of their ability.
“Colour correctors are essentially used to adjust, neutralise or brighten areas of the face where it may be needed,” says Claire Mulleady, Givenchy's national makeup artist. “It all starts with understanding a little bit of colour theory in order to discover the right shade of colour corrector to use.”
How to use colour correctors
Put simply, colour correctors work on the principle that certain shades will neutralise opposite hues on the colour wheel.
Green
Red tones in the skin are typically caused by sensitivity, rosacea or acne. “Green is opposite red on the colour wheel, which makes it perfect for neutralising redness in the skin,” says Claire.
Peach
Anything with orange and red undertones will combat blues and purples. “Peachy hues lift cool blue and purple tones in the skin so work perfectly for brightening dark circles,” Claire notes. Also worth noting is “if your concealer or foundation starts to look a bit grey when covering pigmentation, use a peach colour corrector underneath to warm up the skin just where you see the discolouration,” she adds.
Blue/lavender
Purple colours will correct yellow skin typically found on the cheeks and under eyes. “It is opposite yellow on the colour wheel and will bring life and radiance to a more sallow complexion,” Claire explains.
Yellow
These sunny pigments work to brighten, which is useful when addressing under eye bags as well as dark spots and pigmentation.
Once you've got your head around the colour matching aspect, the rest is actually really straight forward. Simply blend and apply your concealer or foundation as usual afterwards – the results will speak for themselves but expect skin to appear more even, brighter and any areas of concern to be far less visible than with just using concealer.
Here's our round up of the best colour correctors available to buy right now…
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