Skin Color Corrections

By Torrey, Make-Up Maven

We all have some sort of skin imperfection we wish we could get rid of, but just won’t go away.

Instead of spending loads of money on various skin care treatments or procedures, try using color correctors and concealers.

Concealers alone won’t have the same effect as using them along with a corrector. Skin color correctors do just that – correct the imperfections of the skin. They come in different colors to combat a specific type of imperfection.

Green	Covers redness	Works best for fair/light skin tones. Will cancel out redness caused by acne, rosacea, or other skin issues.
Purple/Lavender/Lilac	Combats sallow skin tone	Works best for dull looking/sallow skin tone, best for light/medium skin. Will help to give you a glow.
Pink/Peach	Covers bluish/dark under eye circles or blemishes	Use a thin layer of a pink or peachy/pink corrector before applying concealer. This cancels out the darkness and the concealer acts as a skin brightener, which brings light to your face. This will make you look more awake and highlighted.
Apricot/Orange	Covers purplish/gray under eye circles or blemishes. Also brings luminosity to medium/deep skin tones	Use an orange or apricot colored corrector for purple/grayish toned under eye circles before applying your highlighting concealer. This is best used for people of color with medium to deep skin tones. Will cancel out any darkness all over the face, such as around the mouth and nose. Women of color are usually 2 toned, particularly around the mouth area, works great to eliminate an ashy appearance from foundations.
Ochre/Gold	Also works to cover redness	An ochre/goldish colored corrector will also aid in covering redness, particularly for people of color. Using green can be troublesome when blending and could actually cause an ashy appearance. Follow up with a skin tone colored concealer or foundation for seamless blending

Here are a few examples of color correcting for under eye circles on women of color.

She has under eye circles which take on a grayish/purple tone.

To correct, I used a warmed toned (with a pinkish/red undertone) concealer to correct, then layered on a highlighting concealer 1 -2 shades lighter than her skin tone to bring more light to her face.

This client also has dark under eye circles with a grayish/purple tone. She also has a little darkness around her mouth, as mentioned in the chart. For her I used a yellow toned foundation primer to bring luminosity to her skin, to help it appear less ashen, then I applied a thin layer of a warm toned concealer under her eyes and around her mouth. This neutralized the darkness. I then followed with a skin tone colored concealer around the mouth, and a concealer 1 shade lighter than her skin tone under her eyes.

This is my tattoo. I’ve had it since I was 19 (I’m old now).

The ink is not quite black, more of a dark gray, almost bluish tone.

Covering tattoos, bruises, or severe dark circles is easy with color correcting.

For anything of a similar color as my tattoo, you want to first outline the area with a pinkish toned lip liner, lipstick, or emollient product. I wouldn’t suggest a deep red, unless you apply with a very light hand.

After allowing the pinkish toned product to dry and set in, apply a layer of an ochre/golden toned corrector on top. This instantly neutralizes the pinkish/red area.

Allow to dry, then apply a skin toned concealer.

Again, allow the concealer to set and dry, then you can apply a layer of foundation. Be sure to blend well into your skin, so there isn’t a line where you can see with your skin and the foundation meets.

You can use a powder to set as well.

It’s very easy, but takes a little patience in order to wait for drying. You don’t want to rush because using one product before the preceding product dries will make the colors run and blend together.

Remember, piling on the concealer does not always work well. Using correctors along with your concealers will allow you to save product (by using less of each) and will give you a more natural appearance.