
In This Story:
I believe in embracing my natural skin texture and tone because achieving perfect, digitally retouched skin is impossible in real life. Dark circles, spots, and pigmentation all occur naturally, and we have little control over how and when they appear. With our busy schedules, uneven complexion is not an issue or concern that should take over daily life. With that cleared out, it’s okay to crave that flawless look sometimes – like on special occasions. I admit to wanting the same, especially on days when I have the time to apply makeup.
So, I set out to perfect my makeup routine to cover up dark circles and hyperpigmentation and learned a lot. Number 1: You don’t need thick full-coverage formulas that look cakey! You can totally cover up all your dark spots and concern areas on the face by using minimal makeup and lightweight products. It’s all about building layers and you can seamlessly achieve an even skin tone. I broke down the process into 5 easy-to-follow steps and it’s the ultimate guide (with product recommendations) to ace your base. Before we dive in, let’s understand undertones and how to pick the right shades for your complexion.
How to Identify Your Undertone
Skin complexion is the natural colour of your skin and is largely categorised as light, medium, and dark. Skin undertones are the hues under the surface, which are dictated by melanin levels. There are three categories of undertones – warm, cool, and neutral. Understanding undertones will help you pick makeup products that seamlessly blend in with your complexion and complement the skin colour on your neck and shoulders.
Here’s a cheat sheet on identifying your undertone:
Warm: Golden, yellow, or peachy hues with green veins appearing on the wrist.
Cool: Pink, red, or blue hues with veins that appear blue or purple.
Neutral: Olive hues or a mix of warm and cool undertones with undistinctive veins.
Picking Colour Correctors Based On Skin Undertone
Once you’ve identified your undertones, colour correctors will help you neutralise pigmentation seamlessly to enhance your makeup look. Green correctors will help neutralise redness due to acne for all skin tones. For warm undertones with light to medium skin use peach correctors to cover dark spots, while orange is better for deeper warm skin tones. Further, you can use lavender or purple correctors to brighten sallow (yellow-ish) areas.
If you have cool undertones, use light peach or salmon for dark circles under the eyes, and yellow to neutralise discolouration for a brighter appearance. Similarly, peach and yellow correctors are also suitable for neutral skin. Makeup products like foundations and concealers also work best if you’ve picked them based on your skin complexion and undertone.
5-Step Guide To Even Skin Tone With Makeup
1. Blurring Primer
A strong foundation allows you to build untouchable masterpieces and makeup is no exception. Primers help create a smooth base, help your makeup last long, and improve the coverage of your foundation and concealers. For dark spots and pigmentation, opt for blurring formulas for a matte finish that will (no points for guessing) blur any imperfections on your skin. We recommend the Innisfree No Sebum Blur Primer which also helps minimise pores or the Makeup Revolution Relove Fix Stick Blur, which evens skin texture.
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2. Colour Correction
As mentioned above, picking the right colour correctors helps cover up dark circles, spots, and pigmentation. It also helps neutralise redness and discolouration on the skin. If you have just one concern, you can use a single product like the Kay Beauty HD Liquid Colour Corrector which has a matte finish and allows for buildable coverage. If you want to tackle multiple concerns, opt for a colour collector palette like the Insight Cosmetics Palette that has multiple shades for your different needs.
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3. Foundation
Building layers is a sure-shot way to get a flawless finish without the bulky feel. It’s similar to how you build multiple coats of mascara or lipstick to get the desired results. Try the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Foundation for a pore-less look, which is available in 23 shades. It is known to reduce the appearance of wrinkles with ingredients like Replexium and boost your skin’s moisture levels. For a budget-friendly option, go for the Maybelline New York Fit Me Matte+Poreless Liquid Foundation which provides 16-hour oil control with SPF 22 for sun protection.
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4. Loose Powder
Dabbing loose powder over your foundation will help set it in place and add a mattifying effect. It helps your skin appear smooth and also allows a fresh base for you to apply other products like blush and highlighter. Try the Nykaa All Day Matte compact powder that provides 12-hour oil control, has SPF 15 PA++, and blurs imperfections. If you don’t want a tinted product, you can use the multi-use Primer & Mattifying Setting Powder from Swiss Beauty that has a silky lightweight texture.
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5. Finishing Touch
While concealers are widely applied before the foundation, applying them after allows you to control their coverage and prevent the product from spreading across your face with the brush or beauty blender. Dabbing translucent setting powder over concerned areas and applying concealers over it is a spot-corrector hack that you must try. We recommend the Lakme Absolute Instant Airbrush Concealer Pen which has a smooth brush applicator and the M.A.C Studio Fix Every-Wear All-Over Face Pen which has buildable coverage, a natural matte finish, and is easy to diffuse blemishes with.
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FAQs On How To Cover Up Dark Circles And Pigmentation
- How to cover dark spots with minimal makeup?
- How to cover dark circles on mature skin?
- How to reduce dark circles and pigmentation?
Covering up dark spots does not have to mean cakey and thick makeup. Using lightweight formulas, you can build up thin layers of corrector, foundation, powder, and concealer for a minimal makeup look that appears natural and still covers pigmentation and dark circles.
The secret to covering up dark circles on mature skin is moisture! Use a moisturising primer before applying your concealer, which will help hydrate the skin for a seamless finish. You can also use depuffing tools and serums that help reduce the texture for smooth under-eyes.
A study has said that many reasons – like environmental stressors, hormonal changes, and lifestyle-led changes – can cause pigmentation and dark circles. While identifying the root cause of pigmentation on the skin and fixing it takes time, you can use creams to reduce dark spots.