All About Color Correcting + Demo

Good Evening! Tonight I have a post all about color correcting. We’re going to talk all about what color does what and I’ll show you how I use color correction for my rosacea on pale skin.

Let’s start with the color wheel. Remember this thing from art class? Color correcting is based on that same color wheel, using complementary colors. For example, green is direct across from red on the color wheel making them complementary colors of one another, therefore green will neutralize red.

It’s been over 10 years since I was in Art class so that’s the best explanation I can give you on color theory but essentially two shades across from one another on the color wheel will neutralize one another.

So let’s apply this to makeup and address those unwanted tones in our skin. Most of what we do in makeup is straight from Art 101, but today, I want to focus on Color Correcting 101.

Types of Color Correctors:

Color Correctors are found in various forms and formulas from high-end brands to drugstore.

For a subtle all over color correcting, a primer would be ideal.

If you need a more concentrated correction, go for a more concealer like formula. You can find these in a cream, stick, or liquid. These tend to be very pigmented and used for spot correcting.

You can mix the more concentrated correctors in with a primer as well to correct all over.

If a shade is too pigmented for your skin tone which can happen and you can have a hard time covering the corrector with a lighter coverage foundation, you can dilute it by mixing in a bit of your regular concealer.

When and Where to Apply:

I recommend always applying any color correcting concealer before you do your foundation or regular concealer. Obviously, if it is a correcting primer you would apply it first as you would any primer.

Colors:

Starting with green. Like I said, green neutralizes red. So, if you have a lot of redness in your skin that you want to take down, go for a primer with a green base. You can also use a more pigmented green corrector around blemishes and broken blood vessels in a thin layer to help conceal it.

Green correctors can come in a variety of shades, most common is a minty green. For lighter skin tones, go for a lighter green and deeper skin tones a deeper or brighter green.

Yellow Corrector (1) — Yellow Color Corrector

Yellow correctors are used for purple tones and brightening a dull complexion. It’s a great option to brighten if you have an olive undertone and a deeper skin tone. Like Kim K’s makeup artist uses the banana powder to highlight and brighten.

On fair skin, yellow can read as sickly.

On the other hand, a lavender or blue corrector can balance out sallowness or yellow tones in the skin. It can also brighten a dull complexion. Lavender and blue correctors can really enhance a porcelain skin tone but can come off as gray on a deeper skin.

A pink corrector can be used to combat dark circles on a fair skin tone and be used more universally as a highlighter on cooler skin tones where as yellow would be more ideal for a warm skin tone.

Peach, salmon and orange correctors are great for canceling out those panda eyes. I know dark circles are a pain to hide. Picking which under eye corrector to go with can be tricky because there is a lot to consider like; skin tone, how bad the dark circles are, and how the product will sit on the undereye.

Generally, the deeper the pigmentation of the dark circle, the brighter or more orange the corrector should be. Even red can be used in some cases.

Sadly there is no universally undereye corrector that will work for everyone.

Orange is also ideal for deep skin tones to correct dark spots.

Other Products on the Market:

Palettes like these below are great for MUA’s to have in their kit because they can be used on a number of issues but the average person most likely will only need one or two of the colors for correction. However, if you are unsure what to use, pick up an inexpensive one and experiment and see what works on your skin. We are all different and have different concerns.

Another great type of product to try out if you aren’t sure what to do, or just want to address all the issues in one go without and don’t want to fuss with cream products is a mosaic corrective powder. I love te one from e.l.f. and NYX has a nice one too that has some illumination to it which most of them do. The e.l.f. one is completely matte, though. There are also primers like the one from Stila that claims to address multiple concerns. These won’t be miracle works but they can help out. For deeper skin tones be careful and go for one without the pastel lavenders and blue tones as they will look ashy. The Guerlain one with the pinks and peaches would be better suited for deeper tones. I believe Physician’s Formula has something similar.

How I Color Correct:

As you may know if you have been around here for while I have lots of redness from rosacea in my skin and hyperpigmentation. I am super fair with very red undertones. My skin freckles in a heartbeat.

I don’t color correct often, typically it depends on what sort of look I am doing. Most people really don’t need to do all this crazy clown face correctly that was going viral for a while. In my experience with myself and clients, 9 times out of 10 the amount of color correction I do is minimal, usually just if they have redness, acne or dark circles.

Makeup Revolution Color Correcting Palette

I picked up this color correcting palette from Makeup Revolution just to have in my kit should I need it, so I’m going to use it on myself and show you what I do when I want perfected skin for myself.

On a side note, this isn’t the best quality palette on the market but there are tons available from high end to drugstore. L’Oreal just launched one I hear is very good.

I like to use a fluffy brush like the Deluxe Crease Brush from Real Techniques when I apply the creams from this palette and use a light hand as the product itself is somewhat greasy and doesn’t sit on the skin very well. Less is more when it comes to color correction anyway.

color correct (3) — Deluxe Crease Brush – Real Techniques

Warning: Crazy eye makeup ahead. I look a bit insane in these pics because I was doing a Mardi Gras makeup to go out in so I only have my brows and half my eye shadow done.

Here I am bare skin.. mostly, I have primed with the Maybelline Master Prime Blur + Redness. (blurs great but does nothing for redness)

I used a combo of the green and the pale green on all the areas of my face that tend to be the most red. I applied a thin layer and blended it out with my sponge. You can see, it does make a huge difference. Just be sure to do this before foundation and apply the foundation with a dabbing motion or else you will move the product and defeat the purpose, especially if you are spot correcting a blemish.

Next, I went in with a little bit of lavender of the higher points of my face to brighten those areas and counteract any sallowness which the green eyeshadow can bring out in my skin. I again blended it with a dabbing motion.

I applied a bit of the salmon shade to my under the eye as well. I don’t have dark circles really but for the sake of the demo, I did it.

I applied my foundation, and concealer with a damp beauty sponge. ( I think the Eco Tools one) with a pouncing motion and applied powder, blush, contour, bronzer, and highlight like normal.
I was having fun with this look.