Watched Game of Thrones all night and your dark under-eye circles frighten even you? It’s time to learn the fine art of color correcting with nifty concealers because unlike the movies, there are no filters in real life. Or are there? Enter colour correcting concealers!
Up until now, your concealer was doing a pretty good job of keeping your secrets safe, whether it was those late night calls or extra glass of wine. A little recap of what you learned in school will come in handy here. Remember the colour wheel you learned about? The basic theory is that complementary colours, that is, colours opposite each other on the wheel neutralize each other. We spoke to Sonic Sarwate, Global Senior Artist, M.A.C. who said, “Concealers work fine for slight discolouration, but if its severe pigmentation you want to neutralize, colour correction is a must.”
Read on to know how you can battle your skin discoloration woes.
1. Redness
So here’s what you need to do. Based on the theory, look at the colour opposite red on the wheel. Voila! Green is your go-to colour and will work on extra redness, acne marks and zits.
2. Dark Circles
If it’s dark circles you want to combat, orange is your best bet. If the dark circles are very pronounced and have a deep blue or purple hue, use a yellow corrector instead.
3. Pale Skin
If you’re very pale-complexioned and dullness is your main concern, a purple corrector will work well for you. It’s also useful for camouflaging yellow spots on the face, irrespective of your skin tone.
4. Dark and Dull Skin
For darker complexions that need brightening or highlighting, a yellow corrector will instantly brighten your complexion.
Your go-to-guide for concealing
So now that you know your basics, how do you go about the actual application? Clint Fernandes, makeup artist suggests these simple steps:
- Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! Not only does it nourish your skin, but also acts like a base for your makeup. It will ensure that no dryness or cracks, laugh lines or crinkles show up. Nykaa recommends Cetaphil Moisturising Lotion.
- Pat the correctors on problem areas and lightly dab it in to set it.
- Follow this up with a concealer on the same areas. Nykaa suggests Maybelline New York Fit Me Concealer.
- Apply your foundation in dots all over your face and blend. Nykaa recommends L'Oreal Paris True Match Liquid Foundation.
- Apply blush on the apples of cheeks. Try Natio Blusher.
- Finally, set your makeup with sheer, loose powder. You could use Coloressence High Definition Loose Powder.
Expert hacks
We also quizzed Sonic and Clint on their favourite colour correcting hacks. Here’s what they had to say:
Bruise cover up:
To cover up an obvious bruise, lightly pat on a matte orangey-red lipstick and then apply concealer to neutralize the undertone. Try L'Oreal Paris Rouge Signature Matte Liquid Lipstick - 115 I Am Worth It.
Dark spot:
If the discolouration is very dark, use foundation in a shade darker than your skin tone to even out the discoloration without using too much concealer.
Run out of green:
If you’re out of green corrector, use a cream-based or matte green eye shadow instead. However, ensure that it’s not frosted, or you’ll end up with frosty bits on your face! The green shade from Makeup Revolution 32 Eyeshadow Palette gives good results.
Pore Fix:
Apply an ice pack on your face after moisturizing to close pores. This will give a lovely, even finish to your final makeup look.
Read more about concealer makeup:
Watch the whole video here
