Color correcting is neutralizing an unwanted tone in the skin by covering it with the shade opposite on the color wheel, before any concealer or foundation goes on. Blue-grey under-eye shadow is cancelled by peach or orange; redness is cancelled by green; a sallow yellow-grey cast is cancelled by lavender. Done properly it means you need less concealer, not more.
Why concealer alone doesn't fix dark circles
If you've ever piled skin-toned concealer under your eyes and ended up with a grey, cakey patch that looks worse than the circles did, this is why: concealer is opaque, but it isn't the opposite color. Layering a beige over a blue-grey shadow gives you a lighter blue-grey. The tone is still there, just paler — and now there's a lot of product sitting in the fine lines.
A corrector attacks the tone instead of the depth. A thin layer of peach under the same beige neutralizes the blue first, so the concealer only has to even out what's left.
The color wheel logic
Every corrector shade is simply the opposite of the thing it's cancelling. That's the entire system, and it's why the same three or four shades cover almost every case.
| What you see | Use | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Blue-grey under-eye shadow | Peach (light skin) or orange (medium to deep) | Only on the shadow itself, usually inner to mid under-eye |
| Redness, blemishes, rosacea | Green | Tiny dots directly on the red areas only |
| Sallow, dull, yellow-grey cast | Lavender | Sparingly on the areas that look flat or textured |
| Brown or purple pigmentation | Peach or orange, depending on depth | Directly on the patch, blended at the edges |
Choosing the right depth of corrector
This is the step that gets missed. The hue is decided by what you're cancelling, but the depth has to match your skin, and a corrector that's too light for you will leave a chalky grey cast that no amount of concealer fixes.
- Fair to light skin — a soft peach. Anything more orange will show through.
- Medium to tan skin — a true peach or a light orange, applied a little more firmly.
- Deep skin — a genuine orange or red-orange. Peach is too weak to cancel deep blue-grey pigmentation and simply disappears.
The same rule that governs foundation governs this: undertone first, then depth. Our guide to finding your foundation shade covers reading both, and the answer carries straight over.
How to apply it without a heavy base
Correctors go wrong when they're used like concealer — too much, over too wide an area. The whole point is a thin, targeted layer.
- Correct before you conceal. Corrector goes on bare or moisturized skin, then concealer, then foundation or powder.
- Only where the problem is. Dark circles usually sit in the inner corner and mid under-eye, not the whole socket. Green goes on the red spots, not across the cheek.
- Less than you think. Start with a thin layer and build. Layering too much is what makes a base look heavy.
- Pat, don't drag. Press with a fingertip or a small brush so you're not wiping the product off as you blend.
- Set lightly. A whisper of powder under the eye stops the layers moving into fine lines. Heavy powder does the opposite.
One warning for photographs
If the day is going to be photographed with flash, check what's in your products before you layer them. Foundations, powders and correctors containing SPF — particularly titanium dioxide or zinc oxide — can bounce flash straight back and leave a white cast on your face in photos, while looking perfectly normal in the mirror. It's worth doing a flash test the night before. More on this in our guide to makeup that photographs well.
Frequently asked questions
Do I use color corrector before or after foundation?
Before. Corrector goes on bare or moisturized skin first, then concealer, then foundation or powder. Applied on top of foundation it will move the base around and look patchy.
Should I use peach or orange corrector?
It depends on your skin depth. Peach works on fair to light skin, a true peach or light orange on medium to tan skin, and a genuine orange or red-orange on deep skin. A corrector that's too light for your depth leaves a grey cast instead of cancelling the shadow.
Why does my under-eye look grey after concealing?
Usually because you've used skin-toned concealer over a blue-grey shadow without correcting first. Concealer lightens the tone but doesn't cancel it. A thin peach or orange layer underneath removes the blue so the concealer only has to even out what's left.
Do I need all four corrector shades?
Most people need one. Peach or orange for under-eye shadow is the one that earns its place for nearly everyone; green and lavender are worth buying only if you actually have persistent redness or a sallow cast.
Chromyne tells you which correctors your face actually needs and exactly where they go — based on what it reads in your selfie, not a general rule.
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