Your makeup not only enhances your face, but with the use of color correctors it can hide flaws and highlight strengths.
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Color correcting products come in makeup form, in foundation primer form, in concealers of all textures, and in foundation itself. So there's a wide range of consistencies and pigment strengths from which to choose. A woman with dry skin, for example, may choose a tinted moisturizer to apply under her foundation, while a woman with oily skin may go for one of the new gel primers that are on the market now. If your skin is normal or combination, you may opt for a color corrector in powder form. A product's packaging usually contains a description of what it does, and what type of skin it's for. Department stores and specialty cosmetics stores have testers, and retail websites have excellent visuals of the colors they sell.
Here's a run-down of what each color can do:
Green is a popular color for use in correcting redness. Women with rosacea often go for the green.
Yellow is excellent for under eye dark circles. Yellow will counteract purplish blemishes or bruises.
Lilac or lavender normalizes a sallow face by minimizing yellow undertones.
Peach works to hide dark spots, veins, and some under eye circles.
White is strictly for highlighting. Blend it into your makeup on the top of your cheekbone to make it stand out.
Glittery powders or gels also highlight, but are more noticeable. You can use glitter under the outer part of each eyebrow, or dust a glittery powder across cheekbones or decolletage.
Darker makeup shades. A foundation that's one or two shades darker than your regular all-over foundation can be used to diminish flaws. It's like adding a shadow. Some women sponge a small amount of dark foundation just under their chin lines to get a more chiseled look for the jaw.
Lighter makeup shades. Not as light as white, but a foundation one or two shades lighter than your regular makeup can be used to highlight. This works well in daylight, whereas sparkles and glitter show up better at night.
Bronzers are not the same as blushers, although many women use them interchangeably. They often contain a little sparkle, and are best used on the cheeks, or wherever the sun might give you a golden glow.
Blushers and lipsticks come in pinks, peaches, and nudes. For now, we'll concentrate on blushers because you'll want to use a lipstick in the same color category as your blusher. (This creates a more pulled-together look.)
Blushers come in powders, gels, or liquids. Gels and liquid blushers are applied after makeup foundation and before setting powder. The powders are applied on top of the setting powder. In any case, blush must be blended carefully to make it look natural. For detailed tips on blending, see the article Flawless Blending at My Makeup Mirror.
Pink-based blushers look great on women with dark or olive skin, and on most women with blond hair. Younger women and teens can get away with a brighter pink, while women from their 30s will look more natural in dusty pink or rose.
Peach-based blushers are gorgeous on redheads, women with pale complexions, and women who wear "autumn" colored clothes (rusts, salmons, apricots, moss greens).
Nude blushers look good on women who already have a lot of color in their face, or who want a more monochromatic look. If you wear a lot of eyemakeup, you may want to play down your cheeks and lips by choosing nude blushers and lipsticks. Nudes are beiges, browns, tans, and fleshtones. Women of any color can wear them beautifully.
Have fun with color. Experiment. And if you change your haircolor drastically, you'll probably want to change your color strategy too.
About the Author
Suzann writes for the website My Makeup Mirror, a potpourri of articles, product reviews, and how-to's on hair, cosmetics, and well-being.
Read the Science of Color Correcting Cosmetics
jW Related Products
 | Color Correctors
The secret of success |
Highly pigmented to correct and conceal. Color correctors work to counteract specific flaws in facial complexions. This creme formula hides imperfections, evens out skin tones, and covers blemishes. The pigments are designed to reflect and absorb light in a manner that camoflauges underlying color flaws. Apply after moisturizer and before foundation.
Mint
neutralizes redness
Alabaster
covers dark circles on warm skin tones
Lavender
gives a yellowish complexion a healthy glow and covers sallowness
Apricot
Cancels blues and brightens dark areas. Use under eyes, for veins and sunspots. Apricot is also excellent for brightening your complexion, or warming an olive/yellow complexion.
5 grams
Made in the USA |
| |  | Mint | $6.99 | |
| |  | Lavender | $6.99 | |
| |  | Alabaster | $6.99 | |
| |  | Lite | $6.99 | |
| |  | Dark | $6.99 | |
| |  | Pink | $6.99 | |
 | Corrector Kits
Fragrance Free, For Sensitive Skin |
Highly pigmented to correct and conceal blemishes. The pigments are designed to reflect and absorb light in a manner that camouflages underlying color flaws.
Mint
Optically cancels pink to red discolorations. Use Mint to conceal ruddiness, red blemishes, rosacea, and broken capillaries
Lavender
Neutralize sallowed, yellow skin. It will brighten up dull, olive tones and also help to correct yellow bruising.
Apricot
Cancels blues and brightens dark areas. Use under eyes, for veins and sunspots. Apricot is also excellent for brightening your complexion, or warming an olive/yellow complexion.
14 grams
Made in the USA
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| |  | Contour Kit - Curve, Contour, and Disguise | $12.99 | |
| |  | Great Face Corrector Kit | $12.99 | |
Corrector Quad Kits
From Corrector Quads
| |  | Corrector Shades | $12.99 | |
| |  | Light | $12.99 | |
| |  | Medium | $12.99 | |
| |  | Dark | $12.99 | |
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