Stand Corrected with Color Correcting Makeup

The past few weeks, my skin has looked awful.  Fighting a terrible breakout was only made worse by the under-eye circles caused by two weeks of late nights and early mornings.  It was rough.  So how do you hide the imperfections that make you want to avoid reflective surfaces?

Color correcting makeup can conceal dark circles, redness, dullness or acne.  You just have to know how to neutralize your individual concerns.  Sephora has the lowdown on the best products, here are some of my favorites for faking perfect skin.

Under-Eye Darkness can feel unbeatable.  Staying hydrated helps, so does a cooling eye mask, but sometimes you just need a good concealer.  I tried a sample of this Lancome’s Miracle CC Cushion delivers peachy concealer in small doses to give you light coverage.  Apply with my favorite flat, wide brush and set with Makeup Forever’s amazing translucent powder.

If you need a bit more oomph, add some flesh-toned concealer on top.  I recommend applying it in a triangle pattern and patting it in with a sponge.

Acne is such a struggle sometimes.  Applying a hint of green concealer to a blemish neutralizes the redness before you apply your concealer.  Lancome’s cushion corrector also comes in this pistachio color for hiding acne.  NYX makes a green correcting cream for $5.

This Laura Mercier brush has long been my favorite acne-covering tool; it zeroes in on the red spot like a laser.  I use her matching Secret Camouflage concealer, but I’m intrigued by this Cinema Secrets concealer, which claims to correct redness.

Dull skin can be brightened with a purple correcting base.  The purple hue eliminates sallow, yellow undertones.  Byrdie has the rundown on this Marc Jacobs Color Correcting Stick.  If you want something more affordable, e.l.f. makes a well-reviewed purple primer.

To brighten any look, add Hourglass’s Ambient Light Powder after your makeup is applied.  Their fluffy brush is the best for light application.  This e.l.f. Kabuki brush is an inexpensive alternative.

All-over Redness is sometimes treated the same as acne; it’s not.  If you have rosacea or broken capillaries, a yellow primer can neutralizes and conceal the redness.  This Make Up Forever correcting base is well-liked, and applying it with a large, angled sponge gives flawless coverage.

I’ve used this affordable Physician’s Formula correcting and brightening powder since college.  It’s one of the best drugstore products ever.  Just toss the brush when you get it; that thing is useless.