Now that school is back in session, the last thing you want to worry about is a less-than-perfect complexion. There’s just about nothing worse in the beauty world than juggling a million non-beauty endeavors, only to wake up to the distraction of a bright red blemish or sunken under-eye bags. Luckily for us, beauty pros must feel the same way because just about everywhere you look these days you can find not just skin-colored concealer, but pastel rainbow options (green, peach, pink, yellow, purple, etc.), too. Where layering your face with pastel colors may have been reserved for Halloween in the past, nowadays, with thoughtful application, they can actually conceal your pesky skin concerns. So, how does it work?Color Correcting Concealer 101Well, you know what traditional concealer does, so to understand color correcting concealer, you just need a quick recap of what you learned in your elementary school art class. Remember the color wheel and how colors directly across from each other cancel each other out? That’s the basis of this makeup hack. First adopted by professional makeup artists, color correcting in beauty is the process of determining what color concealer will work best with your particular skin concern to balance out your skin tone to help create a flawless-looking complexion. To help you better understand the benefits of the different colors of the rainbow, we’re breaking down the basics, ahead. Green ConcealerGreen is directly across from red on the color wheel, meaning it’s an ideal choice for addressing breakouts and redness. If you have random spots, a color correcting concealer will work well, but if you’re dealing with allover redness, you might be better off with a green-hued primer that can help neutralize your entire face. Try these: NYX Professional Makeup HD Photogenic Concealer Wand in Pastel Green, Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat Neutralizers in Vert Green, or the Maybelline Master Camo Color Correcting Pen in Green. Peach/Orange ConcealerOpposite from blue, peach and orange color correcting concealers can help conceal dark circles. If you have light skin, reach for peach color correcting concealers, whereas orange options are better suited for darker skin tones. Try these: Giorgio Armani Master Corrector in Apricot, Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat Neutralizers in Abricot Bisque, or the Urban Decay Naked Skin Color Correcting Fluid in Deep PeachYellow ConcealerWhile you might think of bruises as yellow at one point or another, yellow color correcting concealer can help hide bruises, veins and other purple-hued concerns. Just be sure to dab it on lightly so that you don’t create too much of a yellow base that’s difficult to cover with foundation. Try these: NYX Professional Makeup HD Photogenic Concealer Wand in Yellow, Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Wear Camouflage Corrector in Yellow, or the Urban Decay Naked Skin Color Correcting Fluid in YellowPink ConcealerAs a mix of orange, peach, red and yellow hues, pink concealer can help with a number of concerns. From dark circles on lighter skin tones, to pale bruises and veins, pink color correcting concealer will be your versatile beauty BFF. Try these: Giorgio Armani Master Corrector in Pink, Urban Decay Naked Skin Color Correcting Fluid in Pink, or the Maybelline Master Camo Color Correcting Pen in Pink.Purple ConcealerIf yellow combats purple undertones, then it’s safe to say that purple combats yellow undertones. So, if you’re at the tail end of a bruise or suffer from any other yellow complexion issues, grab your purple color corrector and go to town. Try these: NYX Professional Makeup HD Photogenic Concealer Wand in Pastel Lavender, Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat Neutralizers in Violet, or the Urban Decay Naked Skin Color Correcting Fluid in Lavender.If you don’t want to add a bunch of separate color correcting concealers to your makeup bag, consider stocking up on the NYX Professional Makeup Color Correcting Palette or the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Total Cover Color Correcting Kit. Both of these kits come equipped with just about every color correcting concealer you could possible need, making neutralization easier than ever…not to mention all in one place.If you use this opposite theory in your makeup routine, you’ll be able to make your concealer work for you like never before. To help you achieve a perfected visage, apply the right color correcting concealers to your problem areas before gently layering on your foundation. By applying your foundation after your color correcting concealer, you’ll be able to conserve product since the color-corrector will already do most of the work to help even out the look of your complexion.
