Your complete guide to colour correction

It’s Friday night. You’ve worked 10 hours a day for five days. All you want to do is get home and pretend you’re a houseplant for the next two days. Unfortunately, you have to attend a birthday party on Saturday for which you neither have the energy nor the social capacity. But alas, the struggle of adulting is real. You spend all of Saturday lounging about and finally decide to start getting dressed. You put on a cute outfit and get to your makeup. You look in the mirror and almost cannot recognise the person standing before you. She has pale skin and under eye bags under that would put a panda to shame. What do you do? The stubborn dark circles are peeking out even after two layers of concealer. One more and you know your face will look chalky and patchy. Before you psyche yourself out though, here’s a solution we’re sure you knew about but it’s not one to strike immediately—colour correction.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with wearing your dark circles or blemishes proudly. But there are times when you want to look like you have Hailey Beiber-like skin. On those days, you need to know how to effectively mask those dark and red spots. And the only way to completely get them to vanish (not really but think of it like an optical illusion) is by knowing how to colour-correct your skin. In real life, not on photoshop.

What is colour correction?

Think back to when you were taught about the colour wheel in school. If you are truly smarter than a fifth grader, then you know that colours on the opposite side of the wheel always cancel each other out. This same principle applies to covering blemishes and spots with makeup as well. For instance, if it’s an aggressive red pimple that you’re trying to cover, think of a colour that can cancel out red. It’s basically a method of using skin complimenting colours to correct discolouration. Sure, it can seem intimidating to use concealers that are green, purple and yellow in colour. But if you understand the mechanism and master the skill, you’ll never have to worry about having a bad skin day. 

The most important thing to remember is that you must apply colour corrector to your bare skin. Right after you’re done prepping your skin and before you apply your foundation or regular concealer. Once you use the hue you need, go in with your foundation and the rest of your routine. Don’t forget to spray and set.

Colours and their functions

Dark Circles

Since dark circles have a bluish undertone, the colours that work the best to cover them are either a peach (if you have a fair skin tone) or an orange (if you have a medium or a darker skin tone). Try the Bobbi Brown Creamy Corrector in Dark Peach. It works like Harry Potter’s spell on tired and drained eyes. 

Redness 

If you’re trying to disguise angry red spots, pimples, or any blotchiness in general use a green colour corrector. This will neutralise the redness of the skin since green is situated against red on the colour wheel. However, approach this very carefully. Put on a thin layer at first and then build up your corrector as needed.

Try Benefit Cosmetic’s That Gal Colour Correcting Primer in Silky Green and bid all your redness a temporary goodbye. 

Discolouration

If you have pigmentation or dark spots with purple undertones a yellow corrector is your friend. The yellow hue cancels out the purple and minimizes the spots, leaving you with bright skin.

Try Kay Beauty’s Colour Correcting Primer in Yellow. 

Dullness

If, after a strenuous week, you need to give your skin an instant glow use a lavender colour corrector. It works best with skin that has a warm undertone. It will brighten and combat dullness.

Try Smashbox’s Color Correcting Stick, Lavender Don't Be Dull. It will briefly breathe life back into your skin.