If the new colour correcting makeup trend looks a bit confusing, you’re not alone! With products that come in various colours of the rainbow with a myriad of textures, how do you know which one works for you? And really, how do you know if you even need one?

We noticed all of your colour correcting questions on our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Youtube and thought we’d answer a few of them now:

Q: What does it mean to colour correct?

A: The basic concept is to use one colour to mask another colour. We could go into great detail about colour theory, but the gist is that every colour has an opposite colour that neutralises it. Below are the most commonly used correcting shades:

• Peach/salmon neutralises blue, purple skin (think: dark under eye circles)
• Green neutralises red or pink skin (think: breakouts)
• Lavender neutralises sallow (overly yellow/green) skin (think: bruises)

*Note: As skin tones range from light to dark, the corrector will become a deeper shade or tint.

Q: Who should use a corrector?

A: Mild to medium discolouration can usually be concealed with a foundation or concealer. If the discolouration still shows through, then you should try a corrector.

Q: Where is the most common place to use a corrector?

A: The under eye area. Skin under the eye is very thin and can look blue, purple or even gray. Skin continues to thin as we age, so most women will eventually have an issue with under eye darkness/discolouration.

Q: How do I apply corrector without my skin looking peach, green or purple?

A: For subtle results, use a sheer liquid or powder corrector all over face to neutralise overall pinkness or sallowness.  For concentrated areas, use your concealer brush or 102 triangle concealer brush to apply a layer at a time until offending colour has been neutralised. Blend out the edges into surrounding area, and apply a flesh-tone concealer over the corrector to even it out and match your natural skin tone.

What other questions do you have about colour correcting? We want to know!