How to Use Colour Corrector?
How to Use a Colour Corrector Concealer: Key takeaways
- Colour correctors are a subtle but effective way to balance out dark spots, circles, and discolouration on the face.
- Choose your colour corrector colour based on what you’re trying to hide or enhance. Pro tip: to disguise colours, choose the opposite colour on the colour wheel.
- For redness or irritation, go for a green colour corrector like the Instant Eraser Colour Correcting Concealer in Green.
- For dark circles under the eyes, opt for an orange colour corrector, such as our Instant Eraser Colour Correcting Concealer in Orange
You already know the magic that is concealer, but have you mastered the art of colour correcting yet?
Concealer is amazing for covering up areas of discolouration, like dark circles, to even out your skin tone, but using a colour corrector first can make all the difference. Colour correctors come in a rainbow of colours (orange, peach, yellow, purple, green, and blue) and can help even out all types of discolouration on the face.
To help you find the best colour corrector colours for you, Maybelline New York has crafted this colour-correcting guide that includes everything from how to use colour corrector to where to put colour corrector for the best results.
What concealer shade should I use?
Before you start choosing between colour corrector colours, you’ll need to consider what colour you’re trying to conceal.
If you’re wondering how to use colour corrector, a good rule of thumb is to go for the opposite colour of your discolouration. Much of the art of colour-correcting is based on the colour wheel and using the opposite colour to the colour you’re trying to “correct,” which is why you would use a yellow colour corrector to neutralise purple.
The idea is that you want to cancel out whatever colour doesn’t match the rest of your skin tone, which is why lots of soothing creams have a green tint to them, because they help to disguise redness caused by irritation and sensitivity.
You’ll also want to take into consideration your skin tone, as fairer skin won’t necessarily benefit from the same shades as deeper skin and vice versa. This is especially true for colour correctors that are super pigmented (either light or dark) and may show through your concealer.
Orange Colour Corrector
Orange colour correctors, such as our Instant Eraser Colour Correcting Concealer in Orange, are ideal for counteracting discolouration in medium to deep skin tones.
Opting for an orange-tinted colour corrector colour is often recommended for dark undereye circles, as it targets blue tones. If you don’t want to use a full-on orange colour corrector, there are eye-specific products like eye creams and concealers with a peach hue, like our Instant Eraser Eye Mult-Use Concealer in Ivory, that are specially formulated with colour correcting in mind and are meant to help brighten the eye area.
Purple Colour Corrector
If you find that your skin is looking dull or sallow, and essentially has a yellow tone to it, a purple colour corrector is the way to go.
Purple colour correctors, like our Instant Eraser Colour Correcting Concealer in Purple, can be used to perk up your complexion and disguise any dullness that may be sneaking in. While you may not think of it as subtle, purple colour correctors can blend seamlessly into skin and provide an understated complexion boost.
Green Colour Corrector
It may seem like a strange choice, but knowing how to use green colour corrector is vital if you’ve got irritated, red-prone skin.
Green colour corrector works wonders when it comes to cancelling out redness. For light to deep skin tones, apply the Instant Eraser Colour Correcting Concealer in Green to any red patches. Not only is this great for those with rosacea or who are prone to redness in the heat, etc., but it’s also a game-changer if you accidentally get a sunburn (reminder to always apply sunscreen!) and to cover spots!
Yellow Colour Corrector
As we saw earlier, yellow is opposite to purple on the colour wheel, and so yellow colour corrector is well-suited for neutralising discolouration that skews purple or blue.
A colour corrector like our Instant Eraser Colour Correcting Concealer in Neutraliser 06 may be used on under-eye dark circles or to conceal purple and blue undertones from bruising, capillaries or veins.
How To Use Colour Corrector?
Step 1. Apply Primer
Regardless of your colour corrector colour, start your routine with a primer before you go in with your colour corrector and other base products. Apply the primer after you’ve washed your face and completed your skincare routine, giving your moisturiser or sunscreen enough time to soak into the skin.
Step 2. Apply Colour Corrector
After identifying the colour corrector colour for you, dab some onto the area that’s to be treated.
Colour correctors are not meant to be applied all over your face, but rather in key areas where there is discolouration that you want to neutralise. So, if you’re trying to counteract dark circles, put a few dots of your chosen shade of our Instant Eraser Colour Correcting Concealer to the under-eye area with the soft sponge applicator, which makes application a breeze, and blend.
Step 3. Apply Foundation
After you’ve blended your colour corrector colour with a damp makeup sponge or a brush, it’s time to go in with your foundation of choice. It’s important to be mindful as you apply foundation on top of your colour corrector because you want to make sure it stays in place. We recommend using a stippling motion with your sponge or brush, in which you repeatedly dab the product onto your skin with a brush instead of sweeping or rubbing it in.
Step 4. Apply Concealer
Once your colour corrector and foundation are applied, any discolouration that was on your face should be pretty much nonexistent. But, if any unwanted colour is still peeking through a tiny bit, applying some concealer should make it fully disappear. Similarly to how you applied your foundation, you want to be gentle to ensure that your handiwork goes undisturbed.
Step 5. Set Your Makeup
It’s one thing knowing how to use colour corrector, but making it stay put can be a trickier story. For more staying power, apply a coat of our Facestudio® Lasting Fix Makeup Setting once everything is in place. When spraying, pay special attention to the areas you colour-corrected and grease-prone spots such as the T-zone (forehead, nose, and chin).
Colour Correcting with Maybelline
Whether you’re looking to disguise, enhance, or perk up the colours of your face, Maybelline has a colour correction colour for you. Try some new shades on your face today and see how your skin pops!