*Everything* You Need to Know About Peach Concealer
Main image – Floraldeco/Adobe
I’m of the firm belief that any good makeup look starts with a flawless base.
And for anyone looking to achieve a perfect complexion (without caking on the concealer), a colour-correcting product can act like a cheat code. Because these clever little creations use colour theory to help even out the skin tone and give your face a flawless finish.
As you may have seen on social media (colour correcting is everywhere right now), colour theory states that the best way to neutralise one shade is by mixing it with its opposite on the colour wheel (think the kind we used to drawn in Kindergarten). This means, for example, that green tones can help cancel out red tones.
Where this gets interesting for us, though, is in terms of makeup products, using the wizardry of complementary colours to help do away with everything from dark undereye circles to acne scars and unwanted tones (I hear you, rosacea types).
I, like many of us, struggle with concealing our under-eye circles and skin discolouration. Whether it’s a sleepless night, one too many glasses of wine, or just the way my skin naturally is, a blue or purple under-eye area always makes me look a little more tired and run down than I’d like. And although a thick concealer can cover things up, it can also look obvious and cakey, especially as it wears over the course of the day.
Which is where a colour corrector comes in. Using a warm peach colour corrector can help to neutralise the purple or blueish tones of my dark circles without having to mask the whole area in a regular concealer.
However, when approaching the world of colour correcting, it can be easy to feel intimidated. Painting a bright peach product onto your face can feel pretty weird, I know – especially for beginners. But if you’re feeling concerned, you needn’t.
We’ve interviewed an expert makeup artist to tell us all we need to know about colour correcting – including how to best use peach concealers for a flawless complexion.
What are colour correctors?
First up, let’s go into exactly what you can expect from a colour corrector – and what they can achieve.
Colour correctors are any products designed to, you guessed it, correct colours in your makeup. They’re similar to concealers, but instead of being matched to your natural skin tone, they use colour theory to help neutralise skin imperfections.
They can seem a little intimidating at first, as they can look pretty unnatural in the pan or tube. This is because colour-correcting products are themselves bright colours, designed to neutralise their opposing shade on the colour wheel. They typically come in peach, orange, green, yellow, lavender, pink, and blue, with each shade offering a different effect on the skin.
Most makeup brands have a line of colour correctors, but the most famous probably belong to Smashbox x Becca, Nyx (and their amazing colour correcting palette) and Live Tinted (whose founder, Deepica Mutyala, shot to fame in 2015 for a viral video demonstrating how to completely cancel out hyperpigmentation with just a lipstick).
Image – Live Tinted
What is peach concealer used for?
As peach is opposite to blue-purple on the colour wheel, peach concealers colour correctors are used to neutralise the blue-purple tones of prominent under-eye circles.
Prestigious makeup artist Azesha Ramcharan, who regularly works with The Juilliard School in New York, explains, “Peach concealer is used to camouflage dark spots and discolouration that is blue or purple based.” This can include both under-eyes, plus any more purple-toned dark spots and discolouration.
“Depending on how pigmented the concealer is it can even be used to cover some tattoos,” Azesha affirms.
Where should I use it?
That really depends on where you want to colour correct. Take a good look at your face without makeup and take notice of any areas where blue or purple tones are more prominent than you’d like.
Azesha puts it simply, “Peach concealer can be used anywhere there is blue/purple based discolouration, like the under eye area, or on dark spots and hyperpigmentation.”
Image – Jacoblund/Adobe
Is peach or orange colour corrector better?
Whether to opt for a peach or an orange colour corrector really comes down to your skin tone. Both peach and orange correctors have the colour theory properties to cancel out blue and purple tones, but peach is just a little lighter, thanks to the addition of white.
The paler you are, the paler you’ll want your peach-toned corrector to be. “If you have dark under-eye circles or hyperpigmentation, then a peach or orange corrector will be best to camouflage it,” Azesha confirms. “Peach works well on fair to medium skin tones and orange is better suited for tan to deep skin.”
Image – Floraldeco/Adobe
How do I use it to colour correct under my eyes?
As with any under-eye makeup, skin prep is key. “First apply moisturising eye cream,” Azesha advises. Once your skin is ready, and you’ve chosen a tone of peach or orange colour corrector that suits your skin, you can begin the application process.
“Add a peach or orange concealer with a creamy texture using a small brush,” Azesha recommends. “Use the concealer on the darkest part of the discolouration and blend out using a fluffy brush or tap with your ring finger to blend. You can then layer a concealer or foundation that matches your skin tone over the colour corrector to further blend into the skin if needed.”
Image – Mariarom/Adobe
How do I use it on dark spots?
While peach colour correctors are more commonly used for correcting dark under-eyes, they can also be useful in countering any purple-toned discolouration or blue tones in the rest of the skin, including dark spots. This requires a more targeted application, since the area you’re correcting will generally be smaller.
“Using a small firm brush cover the dark spot and then use a fluffy brush to blend the edges into the surrounding skin,” Azesha suggests.
It’s best to apply your colour corrector for dark spots underneath your concealer or foundation. Your foundation and concealer can then help to blend out the products further, making your base makeup look more natural overall.
Azesha agrees: “You can then add your foundation or a concealer that matches your skin tone to further conceal.”
Image – Face_reader/Adobe
What are other colour correctors used for?
Even if you don’t struggle with blue or purple tones in your skin, you can still reap the benefits of colour correction. As Azesha points out, there’s basically a product for every skin concern.
“Green and yellow colour correctors are used to correct redness. Lavender corrector is used to perk up sallowness or yellow tones in the skin. A pink corrector can be used much like peach to neutralise dark spots as well as brown sun spots. Blue correctors are used to correct orange tones, for example on skin that has been overly tanned using self-tanner,” she tells us.
Image – Viktoriya/Adobe
The takeaway
Using colour theory can be a brilliant way to achieve a flawless makeup base. By utilising the colour wheel, you can choose the tone of colour corrector you need to target your particular skin concern. Simply pinpoint the tone of your discolouration, then choose a colour corrector that’s opposite to it on the wheel.
While green colour correctors are perfect for cancelling out redness, and purple concealer can brighten up sallow skin, warmer orange or peach colour correctors are ideal for neutralising the blue and purple tones of under-eye circles. They can also be used on cool-toned dark spots and discolouration over the rest of the complexion.
Choose a peach or orange colour corrector based on your skin tone. The paler you are, the paler peach your corrector should be, while deeper skin tones are better opting for a more orange concealer.
And don’t forget to apply in a way that’s targeted to the area you’re trying to correct (with a makeup sponge or brush, depending on the area you have to cover), blend it thoroughly, and then apply your usual foundation and concealer over the top for a flawless base.
Meet the expert
Azesha Ramcharan is a makeup artist based in NY’s Hudson Valley region. Clients have included NBC, The Juilliard School, Hessel Museum of Art, Craftsy, VOZ, and Kate McCleod.
Get Glowing!
