#AskHauterfly: What Are Colour Correcting Concealers?

By Hauterfly Staff Updated January 08, 2016

Concealing is perhaps one of the toughest skills to master. Anyone who can do it perfectly deserves an award. However, like everything make-up related, it is no rocket science once you understand the basics. While regular concealers available in various skin tone shades are okay for people with problem-free skin (do such girls really exist?), you definitely need a little extra help if you need to cover zits, scars, tattoos, or dark circles. That’s where colour correcting concealers come in.

I’ve mentioned colour correction a couple of times in the past, and although it sounds quite fancy, it actually works on the basics of the colour wheel. Remember that colourful wheel on the covers of most of us our drawing books from school? That’s precisely what I’m talking about.

The Colour Wheel

The logic at work here is that colours on the opposite end of each other cancel the other out. Once you got the colour wheel figured out, you can address all your problems with the right colour corrector. Allow me to explain:

NYX Concealer In A Jar — Green (Rs 990)

Green Corrector

Red and green are directly across each other on the colour wheel, so they neutralise each other out. This means a green concealer works wonders when it comes to covering angry, red zits on your face. It also works on masking sunburns as well as redness caused by rosacea that people with sensitive skin so often have.

NYX Concealer In A Jar — Lavender (Rs 990)

Purple Corrector

Purple is directly across yellow on the colour wheel, so primers, powders, and concealers in shades of purple, lavender or lilac have a brightening effect on people who have uneven, pasty, dull, yellow complexions. Now you know how to cover those slowly healing yellow bruises!

NYX Concealer In A Jar — Orange (Rs 3,190)

Orange Corrector

So there are all sorts of advice floating around on how to cover dark circles. But if you have deep dark circles, using a regular concealing just won’t help. You will need to use an orange colour corrector to neutralise the blue tinge of your dark circles. Then blend a concealer in the shade matching your skin tone to cover them flawlessly. Don’t have an orange colour corrector? Use this trick instead.

NYX Concealer In A Jar — Yellow (Rs 990)

Yellow Corrector

Just like purple cancels the sallowness of yellow undertones, yellow concealers work marvellously on purple-blue bruises, veins and also dark circles. Yellow correctors also have a brightening effect, so they’re ideal as a base under your foundation for the evening.

NYX Concealer In A Jar — Medium (Rs 1,090)

Pink or Peach Corrector

This corrector is derived by mixing together red, orange and yellow hues, which are directly opposite blue, purple, and green on the colour wheel. Want to look awake and bright after pulling an all-nighter? The peach or salmon pink corrector is your best friend. This shade works as a brightening agent by eliminating signs of fatigue and covering dark circles.