On a scale of 1-10, how afraid of colour are you?

If, like me, black is your happy colour, we’re batting for the same team. However,  something I’ve realised lately is somewhere over that rainbow lies a ray of polychromatic magic that all of our skin-tones should be taking advantage of, without having to go down the classic eighties blue eye shadow route.

All hail the colour correcting spectrum, here to share the light on those extremely, unwanted imperfections and save you 10 hours of lifetime concealing power.

Red

Have you seen that under-eye trick with ruby-red lipstick and wondered if it could work for you?  It may seem too good to be true, but this scarlet hue works perfectly to eliminate dark areas – especially those with green undertones. This crimson concealing shade blends well with a warmer skin tone, specifically looking to brighten deep, dark under eyes.

Main concealing concern
– Conceal green tones under eye
– Better for olive skin tones

Pro Product Pick
Guerlain Rose Aux Joues Blush in Crazy Bouquet

Top Tip
Opt for a rouge eye shadow/blush instead of a lipstick, which may be too heavy on the delicate eye area. All scarlet shades will work equally as well!

Yellow

The most popular concealer shade to date, this banana blemish buster eliminates sallow tones in your skin, which is particularly great for your under eye game.  If you’re stuck in a rut over purple/blue tones (veins) or you need to cover a big nasty bruise, grab your lemon lifesaver to diffuse and diminish any unwanted areas, while creating bright and beautiful base for your foundation.

Main concealing concern
Brighten dull areas of complexion

Pro Product Pick
Bare Minerals Correcting Concealer in Light
Shiseido Sheer Eye Zone Corrector in Light

Top Tip
Apply this sherbet hue on your eyelids to awaken your complexion. You can also brighten the highlight of your contour.

Pink

It’s not just on Wednesdays that we wear pink. This clever cotton candy chroma transforms green/blue tones in the skin, making it yet another great shade for banishing under eye circles. If you’ve had a late night and need to look bright eyed and bushy tailed the next morning. You can guarantee your bubblegum buddy will remove all signs of fatigue, leaving your skin tone looking fresh as a daisy. Another bonus is that olive skin tones can brighten their complexions by highlighting the high points of their face with this radiance enhancing shade. Pale pink, salmon pink, peach pink… all the names roll in to one benefit, but just remember to keep the hot pink on the lips.

Main concealing concern
Banish dark circles

Pro Product Pick 
Clarins Instant Light Brush-On Perfector in Pink Beige
Laura Geller Spackle Neutralizer Colour Correcting Under Makeup Primer

Top Tip
Opt for a pink toned concealer over a yellow shade if your under eye bags are a major concern. This transformative tint will neutralise those nasties in an instant!

Green

Now, this is the shade that makes everyone seem to panic – but before we go anywhere I can guarantee you won’t look like Shrek, the Grinch or Kermit, when you apply.  If you suffer from any redness, whether it be roseaca, acne or flushes, green is your ticket to a spotless complexion.

Main concealing concern
Diffuse unwanted red areas

Pro Product Pick
Givenchy ActiKiwi Make-Up Base

Top Tip
Apply the green hue underneath your foundation to neutralise and perfect your base

Orange 

This hue lives very closely to the red bracket. I’d advise fair skins to stay away from this carrot-coloured corrector, unless you’re blending your contour, or using your favourite blush or eyeshadow. The zingy hue works best for deep discoloration for darker skin tones, smokescreening freckles, sunspots and eye bags once blended.

Main concealing concern
Dark skin tones with discolouration under eyes

Pro Product Pick
Givenchy ActiPeach Make-Up Base

Top Tip
Fair skin tones should stick to peach concealers to have a similar effect on their skin.

Purple

Viva la violet! The purple pigment aims to brighten and balance a sallow and dull complexion. If you’re looking for an ethereal touch, look no further than a lilac wash to embellish your skin tone with natural radiance.

Main concealing concern
Brighten dull skin tone

Pro Product Pick
Givenchy Prisme Libre Mat-finish & Enhanced Radiance Loose Powder in Pastel Mousseline

Top Tip
Use the Givenchy powder to set your contour as when the hues are blended they mimic real light, creating  a luminous final look.

Blue

Yes, blue can actually colour correct and if, like me, you’re partial to layer of fake tan and experience the odd Patchwork Adams error, add this sky blue hue to any unwanted mishaps (hairline or dry skin) to balance out the yellow tones. Genius, right?

Main concealing concern
Neutralise unwanted orange skin tones.

Pro Product Pick
Givenchy ActiPlum Make-Up Base

Top Tip
Fair skin tones can use a cool blue concealer to add a natural, real-tone highlight to the skin.

So opposites do attract after all, who knew the rules of a perfectly even skin tone would lie within the colour theory wheel? I hope you’ve found this post useful! Comment below with your main concern to learn more ways to neutralise and conceal your complexion.