Best colour correctors to neutralise everything from dark circles to rosacea and acne
Makeup techniques have evolved beyond just your regular concealer or cc cream. From red to purple, colour correctors are the under-the-radar products that disguise Saturn-like dark circles and dial down redness on the cheeks.
All of which sounds brilliant, until you're presented with the full spectrum of unflinchingly bold colours that seem at odds with your actual skin tone. Without a degree in art this genius makeup hack can seem a little daunting as it's difficult to know how to match yourself properly and how to use the products to the best of their ability.
“Colour correctors are essentially used to adjust, neutralise or brighten areas of the face where it may be needed,” says Claire Mulleady, Givenchy's national makeup artist. “It all starts with understanding a little bit of colour theory in order to discover the right shade of colour corrector to use.”
How to use colour correctors
Put simply, colour correctors work on the principle that certain shades will neutralise opposite hues on the colour wheel.
Red tones in the skin are typically caused by sensitivity, rosacea or acne. “Green is opposite red on the colour wheel, which makes it perfect for neutralising redness in the skin,” says Claire.
Anything with orange and red undertones will combat blues and purples. “Peachy hues lift cool blue and purple tones in the skin so work perfectly for brightening dark circles,” Claire notes. Also worth noting is “if your concealer or foundation starts to look a bit grey when covering pigmentation, use a peach colour corrector underneath to warm up the skin just where you see the discolouration,” she adds.
Purple colours will correct yellow skin typically found on the cheeks and under eyes. “It is opposite yellow on the colour wheel and will bring life and radiance to a more sallow complexion,” Claire explains.
These sunny pigments work to brighten, which is useful when addressing under eye bags as well as dark spots and pigmentation.
Once you've got your head around the colour matching aspect, the rest is actually really straight forward. Simply blend and apply your concealer or foundation as usual afterwards – the results will speak for themselves but expect skin to appear more even, brighter and any areas of concern to be far less visible than with just using concealer.
Here's our round up of the best colour correctors available to buy right now…
Best colour corrector for illuminating the skin
Givenchy Prisme Libre Skin-Caring Corrector in Blue, £36.50, Look Fantastic
Claire regularly reaches for this in her makeup kit. “This blue corrector is made of 90% skincare and incredibly illuminating," she says. "The shade is sheer and melts into the complexion for a natural result, which means it can be used all over as a highlighter but it also works well underneath foundation or concealer.”
Save when you shop for the best colour correctors with these LOOKFANTASTIC discount codes at checkout.
Best colour corrector for full face application
Stila One Step Correct Skin Tone Correcting & Brightening Primer, £26, Boots
This time-saving hybrid will prime skin for long-lasting makeup as well as tackle any discolouration thanks to a swirl of three correcting pigments – green addresses any areas of redness, blue neutralises sallowness and red boosts brightness.
Best colour corrector for under-eyes
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Vanish Colour Corrector, £24, Charlotte Tilbury
Available in four shades to suit all skin tones, this red-tinted colour corrector neutralises under-eye bags while ingredients such as Carnauba wax allow it to blend seamlessly and Mica provides luminosity to fake a good night's sleep.
Best brightening colour corrector
Ole Henriksen Banana Bright+ Vitamin CC Stick Banana, £25, Boots
Banana powder, with its bright yellow hue, is an age-old makeup artist hack for brightening the skin. Ole Henriksen already leans into this technique with his vitamin C skincare line and now he has added an easy-to-use, colour correcting stick to the line up to improve the look of bruises, veins, and under eye bags.
Save when you shop for the best colour correctors with these Boots discount codes at checkout.
Best colour correcting bronzer
Illamasqua Colour Correcting Bronzer, £34, Look Fantastic
If you're a fan of multi-tasking, you'll love this bronzer with added colour correcting benefits to help streamline your makeup application. Not only are there two bronzing pigments to add warmth and contour to the skin, but the flash of blue with neutralise any yellow tones or pigmentation.
Best colour corrector palette
NYX Professional Makeup Colour Correcting Palette, £10.39, Boots
Perfect for mixing and matching, this palette has everything for all your colour correcting needs, whether it be counteracting redness or neutralising blue tones in the skin.
Best colour corrector for dark spots
NARS Radiant Creamy Colour Corrector, £24, John Lewis
This targeted formula can be applied to any areas of concern to balance out blue and purple tones in the skin often found in dark spots and pigmentation. Plus, over time, white water lily and red spiderling flower extracts help to brighten areas of discolouration for long term benefits.
Save when you shop for the best colour correctors with these John Lewis discount codes at checkout.
Best colour corrector for redness
Sephora Collection Color Corrector in 01 Green, £12.70, Sephora
For those wanted to correct and conceal scars, irritation, rosacea or other red patches, this green-tinted stick will provide instant and easy-to-apply colour correcting.
Best professional-level colour corrector
MAC Studio Fix Conceal and Correct Palette in Dark, £32, Look Fantastic
With four concealer shades and two correctors designed to knock back dark circles and redness, you can mix the exact shade to match your skin tone in summer and winter, just like a professional makeup artist.
Best colour corrector compact
Kiko Milano Colour Correct Concealer Palette, £15.99, Sephora
Small enough to slip in your makeup bag, this palette's impressive array of five shades means you can correct dark circles on the move with the deep orange shade while using the green, lavender and banana to counteract redness, dullness and pigmentation.
Save when you shop for the best colour correctors with these Sephora discount codes at checkout.
Best budget colour corrector
MUA Pro Base Prime & Concealer Corrector, £3.50, Superdrug
Available in the three core correcting shades, this precision application is perfect for addressing specific areas of concerns to create a neutral base to add the rest of your makeup look.
