Banish Skin Imperfections With the Best Color Correctors
You put a lot of time and effort into creating flawless makeup. But most foundations and concealers aren’t meant to cover up or improve overall skin concerns.
Color correctors disguise more stubborn skin conditions, like severe acne scarring, rosacea, and dark patches. Many color correctors also improve such concerns, giving you a seamless complexion with and without makeup.
Choosing color-correction makeup requires some research and can be daunting — you need to understand your skin tone, type, and beauty needs. But this guide will help you find the best color corrector for you.
How to use color correctors
Color correction uses the principles of color theory to even out skin tone and minimize the appearance of redness, dark spots, and undereye circles. A color-correcting palette allows you to use a color that “cancels out” its opposing shade from the color wheel. Green sits opposite the color red on the wheel, orange counterbalances blue, and purple offsets yellow tones.
Here’s an outline of the colors that cancel out the appearance of certain blemishes and skin conditions.
- Lavender: Neutralizes yellow undertones in fair skin.
- Blue: Corrects warmer patches (like sunless tanner mishaps) and disguises dark spots and freckles.
- Green: Counteracts redness caused by skin sensitivities, rosacea, or acne blemishes. It works for all skin types.
- Yellow: Disguises hyperpigmentation and redness in olive and medium skin tones.
- Pink/peach: Improves the appearance of darker under-eye areas on fair skin tones.
- Red/orange: Disguises under-eye circles and acne scars for darker skin tones.
Always use color correctors after washing, moisturizing, and priming your face. Then, apply a light amount with clean fingers or a makeup brush to the areas you’d like to conceal. Follow up with the rest of your makeup, setting it with your favorite powder or spray.
The best color correctors for a flawless look
Color correctors come in many forms, including single-purpose products, color-correcting concealers, and primers. Here are our favorite correctors, available on Flip.
Color correctors
These are single-purpose products that neutralize discoloration. Dab and pat the appropriate shade into your skin until well blended, and then apply your concealer and foundation as usual.
1. Dragun Beauty DragunEgg TRANSformation Kit
This corrector conceals, corrects, and perfects the appearance of dark circles, discoloration, and blemishes. Vitamin E and A provide long-term complexion benefits, and the formula is buildable. They offer green, lavender, and red color correction.
2. Smashbox Halo Under Eye Brightening Corrector
This full-coverage color corrector uses light to brighten dark under-eye circles. It’s the same cruelty-free and vegan formula you know and love, now available in an expanded shade range, including medium, medium/dark, and dark skin tones.
Color correcting moisturizer
If you’re confronting an uneven skin tone and dry skin, combine the hydrating power of a moisturizer with color correction in one easy step.
3. TonyMoly Panda's Dream White Magic Cream
Say goodbye to dark spots with a moisturizing cream that’s loaded with niacinamide and bamboo sap to hydrate and brighten skin while reducing the appearance of dullness, redness, and dark spots.
4. Honest Beauty CCC Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30
This multi-tasking miracle worker provides mineral SPF, skincare, and makeup benefits in a single step. Infused with vitamin C, the lightweight, breathable tint corrects and diffuses the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, blemishes, pores, and uneven skin tone for a smooth, radiant complexion across all skin types.
Color correcting primer
A color-correcting primer evens out and prepares skin for concealer and foundation. It may feel like you’re applying layer after layer of product, but because your complexion is more balanced, you reduce the number of cosmetics needed to achieve a flawless look.
Always apply primer sparingly — otherwise, it may show through your foundation.
5. Smashbox Photo Finish Correct Anti-Redness Primer
This skin-loving primer is infused with a silkscreen complex, algae, rose, and mushroom. Its creamy formula creates a breathable, silky barrier that perfects, smooths, and strengthens skin against the damage caused by pollution and blue light.
6. PÜR 4-in-1 Primer Dark Spot Corrector
This peach-toned dark spot corrector face primer neutralizes the look of dark spots, discoloration, fine lines, and wrinkles for a smoother-looking complexion.
7. VDL Limited Edition Color Correcting Primer
This silky primer is formulated with blue pearl powder and pigment to improve dullness and rejuvenate discolored skin. The hydrating formula delivers all-day moisture with SPF 20 protection while giving your skin a long-lasting, healthy glow.
8. Moonshot Multi Protection UV Fixer
Korean skincare does it again — this face primer offers highly effective color correction and SPF protection.
Color correcting concealers
Color-correcting concealers give your foundation a little extra help to cover breakouts and discoloration. Keep application light, building up until you achieve coverage.
9. Embryolisse Concealer Correcting Care
This instantly conceals dark circles and offers a fresh, flawless base. It softens fine lines while neutralizing skin tone unevenness. Soft and light, this product absorbs quickly, providing a long-lasting, natural-looking finish.
10. Hourglass Vanish Airbrush Concealer
This full coverage, weightless, waterproof concealer has innovative microspherical powders that blur and brighten for up to 16 hours of long-wearing skin perfection. Its crease-resistant, light-reflecting formula blends seamlessly into skin and diffuses the look of pores and fine lines. Plus, it’s available in 12 shades.
Color correcting bronzers
These are perfect for those natural-look days — you’ll gain light coverage and an even, glowing skin tone.
11. Illamasqua Colour Correcting Bronzer Flare
This color-correcting palette neutralizes redness and balances skin tone for a natural, sun-kissed glow. Its buildable and long-lasting formulation sculpts, shades, and contours your face. Blend the cool and warm shades with the color corrector or use them individually to create a healthy, bronzed complexion.
Adding a corrector to your routine
It’s daunting adding new products to your makeup routine. To feel confident and excited about your color-correcting purchases, watch video reviews on Flip. Our community is discussing the pros and cons of the beauty industry’s best products so you can feel well-informed and excited about your next purchase.
