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Brands I recommend: The LA Girl Liquid Correctors Yellow & Green. They make an Orange but I personally feel this is too dark and creates more work than necessary to get a good color for your correction. The best orange in my opinion is the MAC Pure Orange. This is the best orange with a really nice bright tone that blends beautifully. I also love MAC Cosmetics Ochre which is an excellent yellow corrector.

Brushes to Use: I prefer using a small concealer brush for under eye correction & small blemish correction. My favorite is the Ben Nye DB-12. For larger area correction I like a larger concealer brush, such as the Ben Nye FCB-18.

When I was in training my mentor didn’t believe in color correctors, she felt they were a waste of time, money and product. Because of this, it was a belief I carried with me long into my solo career. However my eyes were opened and I don’t know how I went this long without it. The way it works is pretty simple. Using basic color theory, these colored correctors cancel out colors on the opposite side of the color scale. So basically, orange colors cancel out the blues and purples of dark eye circles. This little trick, takes only a few extra seconds to do, and blending a soft orange over dark circles will save your face and your clients. So, now, I am a strong believer and cannot live without this lovely little orange corrector.

I used to think that color correctors, you know the ones that come in lovely shades of orange, purple, green, etc, were a complete waste of money and time. I have since changed my tune. While I personally don’t find much use for the ones in purple, I am a very strong believer in the green and orange color correctors. It is now a staple of my Pro Kit.

There is something I really have to say about color correctors: Most skin colors can’t handle straight orange or green corrector without darkening the client’s skin or being too intense of a color. Seriously, correcting dark circles with a dark orange just makes more work for you. And smearing green all over your face and then putting your foundation over it is going to make you look like the Bride of Frankenstein on camera. So just DON’T DO IT. Ok, so the most efficient way to get the perfect coverage for your blemishes is to mix your orange or green corrector with a concealer that is 1 shade lighter than your skin color. Once you achieve the right shade of correction color apply to the blemishes, then blend out lightly before applying your foundation.

MUST KNOW: Color Correctors are NOT Concealers. Don’t expect the blemish to be 100% gone with the color corrector. Color Corrector removes undertone NOT blemish. You remove the undertone with the corrector, then use foundation and concealer to fully remove the blemish. Those steps will remove all blemishes and leave you with a light weight, natural foundation.

PURPLE: Ok, so we know there is a purple color corrector, but in the 16 years that I’ve been doing makeup I’ve never found a use for the purple. Purple Color Corrector is to counter Yellow blemishes. I’ve never had a client so yellow they needed a violet corrector. But, if you find that Purple works for you, use it. And drop me a comment and tell me how it’s worked for you.

Blemishes:

There are many places you might need to use corrector. Some areas you might find you need an orange corrector would be under your eyes or on your lids. This corrector is for BLUE toned blemishes. Use orange under your eyes for these blemishes.

For purple toned undereye circles or lids use yellow corrector. Yellow also works for women of color who might have darker blemishes on their forehead, upper lips, darker rings around the neck, darker lines leading from the edges of the mouth or darker frown lines. Yellow helps counter the graying undertone and brightens the skin.

For pimples, redness in the nose, cheeks, chin, or even sun damage in the chest, use a Green color corrector.

Remember while doing correction if you turn Red/Flush in your chest, neck or face when you drink alcohol, exerting yourself or embarrassed. If you do make sure to color correct in those areas to prevent them turning red in photos later.

Areas that you may need to use blemish control:

Darker ring around the neck – this can be found more commonly in women of color. Yellow correctors work best to brighten and counter the blemish

Darker lines coming from the outer edges of the mouth – this can be found more commonly in women of color. Yellow correctors work best to brighten and counter the blemish

Darker pigment on forehead – this can be found more commonly in women of color. Yellow correctors work best to brighten and counter the blemish

Freckles – Yellow correctors work best to brighten and counter the blemish. NOTE: Freckles are not blemishes to everyone. Some clients love their freckles, some do not. Be sure to ask them.

Dark circles under eyes – orange corrector for blue toned circles, yellow for purple toned blemishes

Pimples – green to counter the red pigmentation

Rosacea – green to counter the red pigmentation

Bright pigmented cheeks, chin – green to counter the red pigmentation

Method Makeup Academy, Sacramento’s Makeup School