Color Correcting Concealer: Everything You Need to Know

It’s no secret that we could not survive without concealer—the cosmetic weapon that covers a multitude of sins, from a late night out to unsightly blemishes and beyond. But while we’ve always touted the benefits of our beloved concealer, we thought it was high time we delve into one of concealer’s most astonishing talents: color correction.

Before Photoshop and filters were a thing, top makeup artists created complexion perfection with powders and creams in colors like mint green or baby duck yellow—hues you’d never imagine putting on, say, the circles under your eyes. Colored concealers camouflage and correct uneven skin tones without the need for gobs and gobs of foundation.  How can shades that look more like Easter eggs than anything resembling human flesh make your skin actually look better? Think back to art 101, where you may have learned a thing or two about color theory. If you weren’t paying attention, the concept is pretty simple: Shades that are opposites on the color wheel cancel each other out. So a primer in pale lavender erases ashiness, while light green minimizes redness, and on and on. 

The effect is so fabulous that bloggers and Instagrammers have jumped on the color correcting bandwagon at such warp speed that it’s now the worst kept secret of celeb makeup artists. Now instead of finding countless new YouTube videos and Instagram how-to’s painstakingly taking you through the steps of baking, strobing and contouring, you’ll find everything you ever wanted to know about color correcting. And we have to admit, the selfies of what they look like before blending in all the colors are pretty cool (think abstract pastel paintings). But what’s even more impressive is the “After”—a face devoid of dull, sallow skin, and eyes that look like they’ve seen many, many nights of luxurious beauty sleep. Oh, and redness or acne? It simply doesn’t exist in the world of post-color correction.

The downside? Color-correcting makeup can be a bit daunting if you’ve never tried it before, but that’s why we’ve created the complete guide to getting it right.  Here’s every tip and trick you need to get the most out of the newest crop of color-correcting makeup.

How Do I Apply Color-Correcting Makeup?

1. Start with a clean, moisturized face. You want a blank canvas so that you can see which imperfections you’d like to color correct. The trick to creating the most natural look possible is to use just a tiny amount—remember the goal is to cancel out whatever discoloration you have going on, not to look like you’re wearing a mask. If you have an extreme case of discoloration, you'll need a heavier product with a more intense hue. To even out mild to moderate discoloration you'll want a sheerer formula in a softer hue.

2. Using your fingerstips and a light touch, apply with a tapping motion. Or if you’re more comfortable with a sponge, try L’Oreal Infallible Beauty Blender.

3. After you’ve applied the proper color correcting makeup, press on foundation and with a makeup sponge. You want to make sure you don’t wipe away the correcting concealer while applying foundation.

Do Certain Shades Of Color-Correcting Concealer Work Better with Certain Skin Tones/Complexion’s?

We’re glad you asked. The answer is a resounding “yes!” Light skin tones (or fair skin) come alive with light shades of pink, while skin that’s more medium and has olive hues gets a lift with peach. Lavender also neutralizes hyperpigmentation on medium-tones skin. Darker complexions see a big difference when orange or red tones are applied to darker areas (like spots or under eye circles). Green calms targeted, intense redness (like pimples) on all skin tones, while minimizes mild general redness on most complexions.

How Do I Know Which Color of Color Correcting Concealer to Use and Where?

Green Color Correcting Concealers

Green corrects all types of redness. Use a sheerer formula for light to moderate ruddiness, and switch to a heavier, creamier formula for red rashes, rosacea, extreme redness or angry acne flare-ups. If you’re pimple-prone or have a ruddy complexion, opt for a mint green corrector to neutralize too much flush. "Green is great for covering any redness on the skin such as a blemish or rosacea," says L'Oréal makeup artist Collier Strong. Lightly dust the color over trouble spots such as the T-zone and cheeks, then apply foundation.

Orange & Peach Color Correcting Concealers

Orange and peach correct blue hues, under eye circles, dark spots caused by aging or sun damage, and brightens deeper skin tones. Orange is great for covering up a blue bruise, while lighter shades of orange, like peach, are better for milder under-eye circles. It will instantly lift your face, making you look like you got a full eight hours of sleep even if you only got five. This hue is also great for erasing mild brown spots (though not darker ones).

Apricot-toned correctors are makeup artist favorites for adding light and luminosity to medium to dark complexions. Simply smooth an apricot primer along your cheekbones to add instant radiance.

Yellow Color Correcting Concealers

Yellow corrects pink and reddish issues (though green is better if your red is really, really red). Try applying yellow over green to airbrush away broken capillaries that often appear around the nose or on cheeks. Just be sure to use a very light touch, since you want the yellow to neutralize, not make skin look jaundiced.

Pink Color Correcting Concealers

Pink corrects yellow and green discoloration (think olive skin in the thick of winter), making it the perfect thing for brightening drab, sallow skin. Pale pastel pink is also gorgeous as a highlighter if you’re contouring. Swipe some on the inner corners of the eyes, under the brow bone and along cheekbones for beautiful definition.

Because under-eye skin is thinner, some of the darkness you may see is veins peeking through the tissue-paper thin skin. This is especially true if you’re seeing some shade of dark green under the eyes (those with olive skin may see this as naturally blue veins are covered with skin that has shades of yellow or green).  If this sounds familiar, try a peachy pink color correcting concealer under the eyes to brighten the area.  In this case, you may want to work backwards, applying flesh-tones concealer first, then adding your pink color corrector on top to erase the discoloration and add light in the same way a highlighter would.

Violet, Purple & Blue Color Correcting Concealers

Violet and blue shades neutralize yellow and orange hues, correct dark spots and hyper-pigmentation and skin that may have been the victim of too much tanning (especially spray tanning, which produces a more orange shade). If your skin tends to have too much yellow in it (often common with medium-toned complexions in the winter), a light violet color corrector will quickly become your best friend. Simply add a bit to your regular foundation or tinted moisturizer to brighten your skin even on the drabbest of days.  It’s also beautiful when applied to those areas of your face that would be kissed by the sun in the warmer months when you spend more time outdoors (for example, your nose, chin and cheekbones). Think of it as a more natural antidote to bronzer. Voila! Instant vacation complexion.