What Is a Color-Correcting Concealer?
Color-correcting concealers are designed to neutralize skin imperfections like redness, sallowness and general discoloration. And while some mild skin discoloration issues can often be covered with foundation and a classic concealer, wearing a color-correcting concealer underneath your foundation can give you the complete coverage you’re looking for.
“Color-correcting concealer is used to neutralize and correct skin discoloration,” says celebrity makeup artist Courtney Hart. “It balances darkness, redness and hyperpigmentation so that skin tone is even and consistent.”
How to Choose a Color-Correcting Concealer
When determining what color to use, refer to the color wheel. Complementary colors, or opposite pairings on the color wheel, cancel each other out, which can help give your face a neutral canvas for applying foundation. Think about the specific skin issue you are hoping to neutralize or mask.Is it redness? Dark blue-ish under-eye circles? Then, determine the correct complementary color based on the color wheel. Read on for a full breakdown of each shade.
How to Apply a Color-Correcting Concealer
Once you have your product, keep in mind that less is more. “Color-correcting concealer should be applied under your regular concealer,” explains Hart. “Apply it in thin layers and limit it only to the specific areas that are discolored. The next step is to use a bit of a concealer that is a match to your skin to blend and create a seamless finish.”
Once you’ve applied your color corrector and your regular concealer to the affected areas, press (don't swipe) your foundation onto your face. Using this pressing technique rather than swiping foundation across your skin will ensure that the color-correcting concealer stays in place.
How to Use Green Color Correctors
Green color corrector “is used to correct redness (red being opposite green on the color wheel),” says Hart. The color green can help correct red spots such as birthmarks, rashes or breakouts. If you struggle with rosacea, eczema or moderate redness on the cheeks, opt for a green concealer to neutralize the red. We recommend a long-wear formula, like the Lancôme Teint Idôle Ultra Wear Camouflage Corrector in Green, which blends seamlessly into skin for a natural finish.
Have you ever wondered how to choose concealer colours for your skin? There are so many shades and variations that the whole process can become overwhelming.
But don’t stress! We’re here to answer all your questions, like ‘should concealer be lighter than foundation’ and ‘should concealer be lighter than skin’, along with tips on how to find the skin-matching concealer your makeup kit is missing!
Better still, this guide contains Global Shades products! These are available in a wide range of inclusive shades and undertones. Look out for the Global Shades icon, or visit globalshades.org to learn more.
So, let’s get to it! For a flawless makeup look, concealer is essential. There are many different uses for concealer beyond brightening and concealing if you have the right one. But how do you pick a concealer shade to suit your skin?
Simply put, part of knowing how to choose concealer colour is knowing your skin tone. Armed with this knowledge, choose your concealer based on your unique colouring, and your purpose in using the concealer.
As we said, knowing how to choose concealer colour means you need to know what your skin tone is. But what does this mean? Well, skin tone refers to the colour of the surface of your skin.
Easy enough, right? Skin tone is determined by the skin pigments found in the upper layers of your skin. These pigments, or melanin, impact the surface colour, which is why there are so many variations found from person to person.
Generally, skin tone is categorised as light, fair, medium, or deep. These tones can then be broken down as needed; for example, you may have ‘very light’ or ‘very deep’ skin tones to work with.
Having a better understanding of what your skin tone is will help considerably when you need to know how to choose concealer colours.
There will come a point when you need to know how to pick a concealer shade that matches your undertones. What are undertones, you ask? Well, unlike skin tones, which reference the skin’s surface, undertones refer to the subtle hues found underneath the skin’s surface.
There are three main types of skin undertones, namely, warm, cool, and neutral.
If you have warm undertones, then you should pick concealer with a gold or yellow shade.
Cool undertones match concealer with pink and bluish hues.
And neutral undertones can often enjoy the best of both worlds!
It is worth pointing out that you can have the same skin tone as someone but have very different undertones.
So, pay close attention to these hues when learning how to choose concealer colour for your makeup routine.
One of the best ways to find your undertone so you can know how to choose concealer colours is to check your veins in natural light. Determining their colour will help you to determine which undertone best matches your skin.
For example, if you notice that your veins are somewhat greenish in colour, you will likely have warm undertones. Alternatively, if your veins appear blue or purple, then you are probably someone with cooler undertones in the skin.
You can also consider how your skin reacts to the sun to determine your undertone. If you are someone who burns quickly, then you are a cool undertone. On the other hand, if you tan easily, you have a warm undertone. Those with neutral undertones generally burn and then tan.