Concealers vs Correcters
(Note: My website provider doesn't have the option yet to apply multiple photos on blogs, but they are working on this as we speak. - I'll post photos to reference the color wheel on all my social media sites)
What is the difference between concealers and color correcters?
I'm sure you all have seen those colored concealers at Sephora, Ulta and may other stores and thought "What in the world are those?". Well they are color correcters and they can completely save your life if you are in need to cover ANY type of discoloration on the face.
If you deal with under eye circles, hyper-pigmentaion, unexpected bruises, redness and so forth, todays post is for you! While the results seem like magic, the trick is simply a matter of understanding how different shades of the rainbow (or color wheel) cancel each other out. Woah woah color what?! Don't worry ladies lol....it's simply a color wheel that covers all the colors within the color spectrum. When trying to neutralize a specific color you look straight across the color wheel and that color will "cancel out" so to speak the color or discolorization you are trying to hide. This is why they are a must in every girls makeup kit.
Have you ever applied concealer on your under eye dark circles or redness area and it made it just ashy and worse? Well that's where correcters come into play girl...using concealers was an old technique and are a thing of the past.
So what's the difference between concealers and correcters? Well here we go...
Concealers - Concealers are always flesh colored based and are meant to match your skin tone/foundation. They are highly more pigmented than correcters and have somewhat the same concentration as foundation.
Color Correcters - Color correcters are different colors, mostly pink, salmon, orange, purple, yellow and green colors.
Basically concealers conceal any flaw while correcter will neutralize th effect of the flaw and helps in better concealing te problem area. Almost BFF's...they need each other :)
What is the difference between concealers and color correcters?
Salmon / Peach / Orange Color Corrector - are used to counteract the undereye darkness. The under eye area has a very thin skin and normally dark circles have a tinge of blue or purple undertones to them. By applying these peachy or orangey color on them will take away the blue/purple tinge. This is by far the largest used corrector. For choosing the correct shade the broad guidelines are the fairer you are lighter shade of orange u will pick , example very fair and fair skinned people should pick a salmon color. Medium color skinned should pick a peachy color and darker or wheat-ish complexion beauties should pick orange (or for that matter even pink) color corrector.
Green Color Corrector - is second most important corrector. These are especially good for people suffering with Rosacea or red skin conditions. Green color neutralizes redness, so it's good for any red acne bump. Just apply tinniest amount on top of the acne and blend it with a patting motion, then cover it with a flesh colored concealer or the foundation, depending on the coverage you need.
Purple/ Lavender Color Corrector - These are good for people with very yellow undertones. Normally people like from South East Asia have a very prominent yellow undertones to their complexion. These purple / lavender colored correctors are great a pick me up for these types of skin tones. It overall brightens the complexion. These are even beneficial for covering up yellowish kind of olive bruises.
Yellow Color Corrector - These are good to cover brown pigmentation on skin like hyper pigmentation, age spots and sun spots. These are also good for covering blue and green bruises on skin and even tattoos.
Blue Color Corrector - These are used to counteract orange tints in the skin. These can be even applied under eyes for very dark skin tones.
How to choose a Color Corrector and is it really worth investing in?
Well there is no hard and fast rule of choosing a color corrector; everyone has different hues in their skin and something that suits someone might not suit another.
But generally talking about medium/tan skintones a peachy/ orange corrector is a good option if you have very dark circles like mine. Or Orange / Pink corrector can really brighten up the under eye area of duskier beauties, It will really bring attention to the eyes. Medium and fair skinned ladies who don't have dark circles to hide can avoid buying these.
Green corrector is very effective for people suffering with skin redness either as Rosacea or red acne.
Yellow corrector is not required if you have a concealer. Generally concealers are yellow based and do pretty good job in concealing pigmentation as yellow corrector. My preference is still a correcter though...but that's just me. I like the brightening a correcter can accomplish.
Rest of the colors should only be bought under very specific circumstances and or can be completely avoided.
How do I apply a correcter and concealer?
Always stick to the less is more concept. Apply tinniest amount and blend well.
I prefer using finger tips as the heat from fingers melts the product into the skin and blend better.
You can even use a small brush like a concealer brush to apply and blending brush.
I like to apply the correcter first and always top corrector with a concealer and/or foundation and top it off with a setting powder to set it. Think thin to thick when you apply our face makeup. Lotion/toner, correcter, foundation, then concealer (will discuss more in future posts).
My favorite correcters and concealers:
As you girls know there's sooo many products on the market and it was tough to choose just five lol. I mixed in both drugstore and high end. But a big tip of advice to you ladies is that if you're gong to spend money on your makeup products, spend it on your face. Expensive shadows, lipsticks, mascara, etc are nice to have and some are great....but I believe not to go cheap on your foundations, concealers and correcters. You'll thank me later :D
Bobbi Bown Correcter $22 -This peach tinted concealer is perfect for dark circles under the eyes as it counteracts the blueness (orange/peach is the opposite of blue on the color wheel, (therefore the colors balance each other out). The gel like consistency is perfect for under the eyes. It won’t cake up or look too dry. It glides easily, isn’t too thick, and covers extremely well.
Eve Pearl Salmon Correcter $32 - Very similar to Bobbi Brown's, this correcter works amazingly well under the eyes! The difference is this one is a bit more pigmented in color, so ultimately it hides the blueness under the eyes better. The consistency is exactly the same as the BB one, gel like, so it glides easily without caking up.
Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer $8 - In LOVE with this concealer! It comes in a stick form so it's super easy to apply. It comes in 6 different shades so there should be a shade for everyone. The formula is real creamy and blends so well. It adds brightness to underneath the eyes, so I use it over the foundation in a triange pattern. I like to use a beauty blender for a flawless finish.
Make Up For Ever Camoflauge $36 - This palette was my first love for concealers! I love how well it covers blemishes and how it doesn’t get cakey. The texture is almost exactly like MAC’s Studio Finish, but it includes 5 shades in one sleek palette, perfect for custom blending. To apply I usea spatula for my client, but you can dab your finger (clean finger *cough cough*) into the concealer and dab over the blemish. Do NOT swipe as it will streak instead of covering the blemish, especially if it is raised. If you need just a little coverage under the eyes, this could work, but be sure to apply with a soft dome brush so you get a super thin layer.
MAC Pro Longwear Concealer $19 - Another holy grail of my concealers that I love. It seems like I always reach for this first when working on my clients. It has 16 shades (which I love) so if you have the fairest or deepest skin tone MAC has got you on this. It's super long-wearing, about 12 hrs and does not cake up or crease whatsoever. It has medium to full coverage and blends beautifully. A little pricey for 9 ML (but so worth it)
Ben Nye Total Conceal-All and Cover-All Wheel $27 - First anything BenNye makes I love so maybe I'm little bias haha. But this wheel is great because you can mix your colors of the shade that meets your needs and skintone. It covers even the most deepest imperfections, and is relatively cheap for a correcter wheel. It isn't the best for fine lines, but other than that love love ths.
Phew!...So there you go ladies, you're all educated now and can make those imperfecions just vanish. I will post the color wheein tenext blog so you can see it with your own eyes :)
XO Adam
