Concealers vs. Correctors 101

CEBU, Philippines - Correctors are often mistaken for concealers.

Correctors can be concealers, while some correctors are to be used together with concealers or foundations to cancel out specific colors of blemishes, scars, tattoos, and the like. They must be used sparingly or end up looking like a kaleidoscope of color!

Yellow and salmon concealer

The color wheel is quite vast and specific. So unless you know how to use and balance correctors with concealers, best to stick to yellow and orange since they're the most Li

Yellow toned: Cancels out purples and reddish tones

Salmon/Peach toned: Cancels blue tones

Pink:

Cancels out tans, browns, making skin look fairer.

Orange:

Cancels out blue tones often seen in dark circles.

Lilac or lavender:

Cancels out yellow, sallow tones, brightening the skin.

Green:

Cancels out red tones from acne, broken capillaries, flushed skin, etc.

Light blue:

Cancels out certain reddish tones as well.

Cindy Crawford's mole; Lauren Hutton's tooth gap; Sarah Jessica Parker's prominent nose, all once deemed facial flaws that need alteration or removal, but ironically, have become their beauty trademarks and made their beautiful faces iconic.

Soprano Tanya Corcuera is no different from these ladies, who are larger than life! But on days when she's got to tame her "natural blush," here's how she can do that in an instant:

1. The prominent Port Wine Stain on Tanya's face is deep reddish-purple in color.

2. Though it covers a third of her face, it's still easier to conceal since it's not a textured birthmark. So in order to cancel out the purplish tones, with a large concealer brush, model/makeup artist Bianca Valerio applies a highly opaque yellow-toned concealer to cover the whole discoloration.

3. As much as Bianca wants it effectively concealed, she didn't want Tanya's face to look like it had a big gunk of concealer on it. She builts the coverage on the affected area in layers. She advises to use a patting motion to keep the pigment concentrated as you apply.

4. What seemed impossible is totally achievable with the right color corrector. Bianca follows that by topping it with foundation that matches Tanya's skin tone. This tones down the brightness of the corrector. To ensure it's budge-free for hours, she sets it with a liberal amount of loose powder, using a sponge.

By using a patting motion with the sponge, Bianca presses the powder onto the concealed area for heavier coverage and staying power.

TIP: Concealers and correctors are meant to cancel out colors, but not textures. So primers and concealers work hand-in-hand, depending on your skin concerns. If you must use correctors in other colors, avoid powder types at all costs as they are nowhere near forgiving, and only bring more attention to the area you were actually trying to conceal.

Source: "Face to Face: The Healing Power of Makeup" by Bianca Valerio is exclusively available for P795 at National Book Store and Powerbooks. Royalties to the author from the sales of this book will be donated to the Philippine National Red Cross. (FREEMAN)