Color Corrrecting: How To's.

Seeing as how the color correcting trend isn't going anywhere anytime soon, I thought I'd make a more in depth post about how to color correct or neutralize certain things. It won't be as much about new products that are out just what type of product you might need formula wise. I'm gonna include some video links of short demo's on how I do things.       

When I think of color correcting I think old school. When we didn't try to color correct everything on our face. Color correcting will not solve every single flaw, just like contouring and highlighting won't change face structure and shape. These things are done as something to HELP areas of concern. So it's ok to want to change things, or not like something but at some point you have to be ok with "hey this is just how it is and I can do things to make me feel better about it, make it look better, or whatever". Trust me when I say, someone else would love to have your issues, or your bad days, and even if you don't feel beautiful...you are. So many people see the beauty in you that you don't see in yourself. If someone is teasing you or being mean, they want to make you feel bad and make you unhappy because misery loves company. 

With all that aside lets get into this business. The picture about is photo shopped obviously to show some different skin scenarios. This is for those of you with really red skin, or rosecea. I'm not talking a little pink, I'm talking really red skin. So back to the color wheel: Green cancels out or neutralizes Red. I personally don't have redness. I have a little pink which we'll discuss later. Green correctors that I feel are good things to use to neutralize this issue are: primers, Smashbox has a green primer that is really well loved in "Adjust" it's $39 but it's stood the test of time and is considered the #1 primer among artists for this. Make Up For Ever has a primer Skin Equalizer Redness Correcting Primer it's $37. I really enjoy their primers. Another thing that I think is very cool if you don't like primer is, Algenist Concentrated Color Correcting Drops in Green. This is $38. I love these because it's not another layer that you have to do. It's pure pigment and can be added to your moisturizer or foundation even to neutralize the skin. I would start with one drop and go from there to see how much you needed. NYX just released some new color correcting primers for $13.99. I don't know how well they work but in general I like NYX products. L'Oreal also has one on Ulta for 12.99. When it comes to large areas that need to be corrected I like to either use primers or drops. Thicker creams get so heavy and can make you look cakey or intensify pores and I prefer not to use them if I need a large area covered. So I'd go with a full coverage possibly yellow toned foundation and a green base instead of a really thick paste like green cream. If you needed something a little thicker though Sephora Bright Future Serum Color Correctors and also Urban Decay Naked Weightless Color Corrector are both light weight with a little more coverage.   

So in this picture we're correcting pink. Hormonal pink around the nose, pink eye lids and just minor things. For pink I like to use Yellow. For the eyelids especially I really like Benefit Lemon Aid eyelid corrector and primer. I also like the NYX HD Concealer in yellow and also the NYX High Coverage concealer that comes in a pot in yellow. The High Coverage is thicker and heavier but that's alright for spot treating a pimple that's a bit pink or hormonal pink or redness around the nose. I also really like Urban Decay Naked Skin Corrector in Yellow or the Weightless Concealer in Light Warm. MAC Light Boost has always been a good choice as well. Yellow correctors aren't hard to find usually. Even if you don't get a full blown corrector, a yellow toned concealer will do the trick. You can let it sit on the skin for a while so that it will build more coverage too, kinda like cooking. I don't usually feel a yellow primer is necessary for pink areas that don't cover the entire face. That's when you'd go with more green.     

Next up is "brightening" the skin, or correcting skin that is sick looking or overly yellow. The way to do that is with pink or lavender. In the picture above I changed the saturation to make my skin look very dull with minimal color in it. Primer is another route I would go or even powder. Besame powder in Vanilla Rose is a super light pink powder that is very brightening. They also have Lavender as well and I have both of those and they work really well. NYX released a color correcting powder in Lavender but not Pink. This is easy to correct over foundation though as well as under it, so it's really up to you how you want to do it but I do prefer doing it over top of foundation. Some other good options that aren't powder are MAC Radient Rose, Urban Decay Naked Skin Color Correctors in Pink or Lavender, a pink based concealer, Maybelline Instant Age Rewind in Brightener, so on so forth. Olive skin tones may want to go with Lavender instead of pink while lighter tones may want to go with pink. Sometimes it's as easy as getting a more pink toned foundation. Of course blush and other things are gonna help put color in the skin as well.  

Lastly, is my biggest issue, which is dark circles. Dark circles are hereditary, also from lack of sleep and poor health as we know. I've tried dozens of products over the years. I'm very picky but I have found some really great ones. Peach is my preference for my blue and purple circles, but Pink can also be used if they aren't super dark circles. My favorite pink corrector for circles is Becca Under Eye Brightener. It's a light pink and reflects light as well so it bounces of the reflection of the corrector since it's so luminous and shiny. I also like Benefit Eye Bright I don't like the actual crayon cause I don't like to drag things on my lower eye area since it's so delicate under there and the crayon is kinda dry. I do however like it when they put it in compacts or duos. That to me is easier. 

For peach correctors I like Benefit Erase Paste in shade 2 they have 3 shades. It's very very creamy which is always a plus. It goes fast though. I also really like It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Corrector which is a little less creamy but still very nice and has that shine. I love NYX Dark Circle Corrector just as much as any other it does a great job, I always have it on stand by. Recently I've been using Sephora Bright Future Corrector in Peach to cancel them when I need a bit more than pink but not a hardcore corrector. MUFE also has a line of of correctors in the Ultra HD concealer (they start with R while the others start with Y) that are more for dark circles.

If you have darker skin or have actual dark spots darker peaches and oranges like papaya and mango shades might be more to your liking such as Becca Backlight Targeted Colour Corrector in Papaya. If you need a larger area covered because of pigment issues, Smash Box has a peach/orange primer base as well as NYX and MUFE has a peach primer and a caramel primer for dark skin tones. Algenist has an Apricot shade in their color drops. I've also seen people use Red for dark circles but I don't just because it runs into the already pink areas I may have and amplifies them. I have seen some though that used it and it worked wonderfully from light skin- darker complexions.

There are also some products that are "balms" I however just don't really like that idea. I think other things would work better and be cheaper than the "balms" I'm seeing.

Here's some videos on color correcting products I've used:

Benefit Life's Little Correctors Set: I used the Eye Bright, Erase Paste, and Lemon Aid for my eyelids.
Sephora Bright Future Corrector in Peach for dark circles
Urban Decay Weightless Concealer in Light Warm for hormonal pink around the nose and then Benefit Shy Beam Liquid Matte highlight that is a baby pink to brighten up the face in certain areas.


As always you can buy these things at Sephora and Ulta or even the drugstore for some. I also really like ordering from Frends Beauty. You can sign up and be a member for free and get 10% off your purchases at all times. As always use Ebates and get you some cash back if you can. Hope this helped you out in some way. If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask me or email me I'd be happy to help.