It’s fair to say the extent of our beauty knowledge is directly proportional to some very questionable experimentation as teens. From the depths of tween magazines to hearsay from our peers, we traversed the land of kohl liner and patchy powder to emerge with a basic understanding of how to exploit make up to our advantage. Whatever your go-to face, our skills were built from basic foundations imparted upon us all- roughly what goes where, when and why.
Despite this commonality, one of the most invaluable and fundamental principles of make up falls completely by the wayside- colour correction. Knowledge of colour theory is rarely engrained in our make up education, and yet if your goal is to conceal, blend or enlighten, it’s exactly the skill you need to know.
If you’re anything like me, the sight of bright purple or green concealer sticks left me utterly confused at their (/my) place in the universe, and I would skulk off like a novice. Fast forward 10 years and I feel it’s my duty as a citizen of the earth to share this simple yet critical skill with you all.
The basic principle behind colour correction is to use those colours opposite each other on the colour spectrum (known as complementary colours) to neutralise one another. By this notion, any problem areas/colours will be ‘cancelled out’, leaving a seemingly well balanced, flawless complexion.
Colour correction is achieved by applying concealers underneath your foundation, allowing your foundation to even out your colour once problems have been omitted (no one wants a rainbow face…)
Green
Green is opposite red on the colour wheel, and is therefore perfect for counter-acting the redness associated with acne and rosacea.
Yellow/Peach
To neutralise blue-purple under eye circles, bruises or dark spots, pick an orangey yellow concealer tone. This is also a general concealer colour ideal for equalising overall skin tone and disguising sun spots and freckles.
Mauve/Rose
Those with a fairer skin tone may find their under eye discolouration is more green-toned, which can be counteracted with a more red concealer.
Lavender
Purple concealers disguise yellow bruising and sallowness, as well as dark spots on more olive/bronze skin tones.
If a skin imperfection occurs across your whole face, coloured primers provide an ideal solution in unifying your complexion.
For such a simple and overlooked part of our beauty repertoire, you’ll be amazed at the results a few green and purple splotches will make to your face…
♥