Complementary colors are colors that are completely opposite each other on the color wheel. The following are the pairs of basic complementary colors you’ll use for color correcting: red with green, yellow with purple, and blue with orange. For most types of color correcting, makeup of one color will cancel out discoloration of its complement. The exact opposite color can also sometimes overcorrect, making skin look lifeless and unnatural. In these instances, you should use a color next to the discoloration’s complement. Most color-correcting concealers come in a single shade. The exceptions are oranges and peaches. For these, select deeper shades if you have a darker skin tone and pastel shades if you have a lighter skin tone. [1] X Research source Christin Birckhead. Makeup artist. Personal interview. 8 May 2020. A normal skin tone concealer is usually used over color-correcting concealers.
Use green concealers directly on small patches of red like pimples. Green concealers are also good for medium-sized areas of redness, such as moderate acne and irritation. For people with fair skin, a common pattern for placing green concealer is down the front of the nose, the center of the forehead, around the nostrils, and along the cheekbones. For more diffuse areas of vivid redness that cover most of your face, like sunburn or rosacea, consider using a green-tinted makeup primer instead. A tinted primer will work the same way as a color-correcting concealer but will even out your tone for a flawless foundation application.
Yellow concealers are a good choice for masking mild to moderate diffuse redness. [2] X Research source Yellow concealers are also great for neutralizing and brightening dark purple and blue blemishes like fresh bruises, age spots, sun spots, and dark under eye circles on some people. If this is your first time using a particular skin tone concealer or foundation, check to see how you look wearing them without additional color correction first. Many concealers and foundations for lighter skin tones have some degree of yellow pigment for built-in color correction.
You can also apply orange to the entire face for a radiant effect. When using orange as a whole-face product, consider using a dusting of orange powder or tinted primer instead of concealer. [3] X Research source Orange is also the color of choice for correcting blue-toned under eye circles on medium to dark skin. If you have darker skin that has a lot of natural variation in shade, it’s best to also use two or more different oranges for color correcting. Use a deeper orange on darker areas of skin and a paler orange on the lighter spots. If you have lighter skin, you may choose to use orange concealer as a bronzer for contouring instead of color correcting. Orange is generally too bold to work as a color corrector on light skin, but you can brighten the area under your eyes with a light salmon color-correcting concealer.
In general, salmon works best on pale skin, while peach works best on olive and tan skin. For darker under-eye circles, you may need to go a little deeper into the orange family when you’re choosing your concealer. [4] X Research source Christin Birckhead. Makeup artist. Personal interview. 8 May 2020. Peach can also work very well on pale skin when correcting brown patches like age spots. [5] X Research source These shades are also good as an all-over balancing brightener for olive skin. When used in this way, either brush some onto your highlight areas or use a pink-tinted primer on your whole face.
You can use lavender to cover up old bruises and age spots. Like orange and yellow, lavender can also be used across the entire face. When using color corrector in this way, consider a tinted primer as an alternative. If your natural, healthy skin tone is on the yellow side, don’t feel the need to “correct” it. Skin that is merely warm-toned looks radiant on its own. [6] X Research source
These concealers are best for balancing out warm tones that are dark and intense, such as sunspots. These concealers are also a good choice if you’ve gone a little overboard with the self-tanner. By bringing these patches to a more neutral tone, they will look less obvious and more natural. If the discoloration is across your entire face, try using a blue-tinted primer instead of a concealer. [7] X Research source
When using an all-over color corrector, such as green for ruddy skin or lavender for sallow skin, consider using a tinted makeup primer. If this is the only color correction you would like to do, skip the color-correcting concealer. [8] X Research source
Like other types of concealers, color correcting-concealers come as creams, liquids, and powders. If you’re using a powder concealer, tap your brush over the container to remove excess product. Some liquid concealers come in tubes with their own applicators. You can use those directly on your skin instead of loading a brush. If you’re using a crayon or stick concealer, you can either swipe your brush against the concealer or apply it directly to your face.
Apply the concealer sparingly, then build up layers if you need more coverage. [10] X Research source Christin Birckhead. Makeup artist. Personal interview. 8 May 2020.
If you used a brush for application, use the same one for this step. You can also use clean finger tips to blend instead. If you’re correcting a small blemish, be sure to keep the concealer focused on this spot and don’t blend it out too far. If you’re using a color corrector on your entire face, blend it out completely as you would with foundation.
Be sure to blend the second concealer before moving on. [11] X Research source
Cream concealers are the best choice for dry skin as they add moisture and prevent your skin from looking flaky. They also provide the most coverage. Liquid concealers are best for oily skin. They feel lighter on the skin but may not cover darker blemishes adequately. Despite this, liquid concealers work very well around the eyes. Primers are always liquid. People with combination skin may choose to use different types of concealer on different parts of the face. For example, liquid at the oily T-zone with cream for dry cheeks.
For example, if your skin is sallow but you also have purple under eye circles and a few pimples, you would use at least 3 different color correctors. A potential makeup scheme would be to start off with a lavender primer before applying your foundation. After that, brush peach concealer under your eyes and spot treat your pimples with a green concealer.
One major reason to use color-correcting concealers is to avoid having to go overboard with opaque foundation and concealers. If you find that your makeup still looks caked on, use less product. Rely on thin, well-blended layers instead of thick ones. [14] X Research source
