Color Correcting Before Foundation/Concealer

I'm doing this post after a friend asked about this on Facebook and I realized I may know some information that would be helpful to many folks dabbling in makeup!

COMMON MISTAKE: You have a zit or mark or even under eye circles and you apply normal concealer to it, see that it's not infact covered, so you apply more concealer, finally it's covered and you apply your foundation only to realize that the covered area now looks cakey.

SOLUTION: Color Correctors will neutralize the color you are covering, so that one thin application of concealer will cover the spot. Leaving you concealed but not cakey. 

Now before you just go slapping color correctors all over your face - let me explain how they work.

This is a wheel of primary colors. To find complementary colors (colors that will cancel out the other), you simply find the color you are trying to cover, and then find the color directly opposite of that. 

Used next to each other in make up application, these colors will pop! But since you are trying to conceal, you will actually TOP the color with the other. 

Example:

1.  I have red splotches on my face due to my skin being sensitive to air (half serious). To cover my red splotches, I would use a green corrector and just pat a nice thin layer over the area. You are NOT looking for full conceal in this step, only to neutralize the color. After this you will have some green splotches but don't panic! You can now conceal over this and you will find that it's easier to conceal with much less product - therefore avoiding the cakeyness. And the green goes away too!

2. If you have blue bags under your eyes, you would use orange (though usually it's sold in more of a Salmon color), if you have purple, you would use more of a yellow. Apply them the SAME way you just did the green.

3. If you find that your face in general, is redder than most - you can purchase green primers to use under makeup (Smashbox makes one). 

Hope this helps at least a little!!

***Found this image on a site and thought I saved the link but didn't. If this is your image, please let me know so I can give proper credit!