Using Coloured Concealers

Coloured concealer palette.

Concealers don't only come in skin tones, you can get them in a variety of colours. Surprisingly, but very commonly, a lot of people use lighter shades of concealer in hopes it will cover their problem, however this will only make it more apparent, you only want to use lighter concealers to brighten and highlight. I like using cream concealers as I find they are the easiest to work with (warmed up using fingers first to make them workable), it is really up to you and what you prefer. There is always the issue with creasing (the annoying line/s you get with liquid based makeups) so you will need to always apply a thin layer of powder on to concealed areas. Concealers are used to cover blemishes, imperfections and discolouration. Here I'll show you how to choose the right coloured concealers for various skin imperfections/problems and why they work. 

First I'll help you understand WHY certain coloured concealers will help cover up these imperfections, below is an example of a colour wheel (Photo credit: Design Dish). This can be used as a guide for various purposes not only makeup. 

To neutralize and cancel out an unwanted colour, you will want to find the opposite colour using the colour wheel, as you can see purple is positioned opposite of yellow, so if, for example, you had a yellow bruise, you would use a purple based concealer to correct it. Blue works against orange, if you had a botched bleach job on your hair, you would use a blue or purple toner. Blue working against orange, and purple  working to make yellow a more 'natural' colour. Most coloured concealers have pastel or paler (tertiary & secondary) versions of primary colours, this is because most skin imperfections are usually never as bright as a primary colour, however brighter concealers are available if you feel pastels do not cover your spot well enough.

Green:

Out of all the coloured concealers, I would assume green is used the most. Green works against red, so it is perfect for use to camouflage pimples, redness, broken capillaries, rosacea and red based birthmarks.

Yellow:

Second most common, yellow. Sitting opposite purple is applied to correct most common under eye circle shades and bruises.

Lavender:

In the violet group, lavender is used to conceal yellow tinged skin/staining i.e caused from bruising or illness.

Orange:

Orange can be used for under eye circles on someone with a more olive/tanned complexion. Unwanted ash tones in medium-dark skin tones can be balanced with an orange concealer too. If bright orange doesn't compliment your skin tone, opt for a peachier shade.

Pink:

Pink shades cancel out green/blue shades like veins. A pale pink can work well as an illuminator/brightener and highlight. A more warm salmon-pink shade can also work to conceal under eye circles however you should be careful as it can accentuate them, to avoid this, be sure to only use if you have grey/blue tinged under eye circles. When using salmon-pink for under eye circles be sure to blend this extra well and follow with a concealer that matches your natural skin tone, foundation (optional) and as always, powder to set.

Additional;

Blue concealers are used to conceal dark/brown/tan spots/scarring and freckles. I mix my lavender concealer with a hint of the pale green shade and it works fine too :)

You can buy handy little colour correction concealer trios or/ multi palettes from various cosmetic stores. If you're wanting a cheaper option you can find decent palettes from eBay and Coastal Scents. Remember that not all skin blemishes/imperfections are the same as the next persons. So play around with it, mix colours together and use the colour wheel as your guide. Good luck! :)

Important Note:

You should always apply a concealer that matches your skin tone after applying a coloured concealer. For the most natural look, blend well and apply foundation over concealers. Always remember to set it with a translucent powder or powder that matches your skin tone.