Makeup Artist Series: Color Correction & Shade Matching

Hi Bellas,

It's been a while since I've done a segment in the MUA Series.  After meeting many of you during IMATS and the MUA you always say that I inspired you in your careers especially through my teaching videos.  As you all know, I host monthly makeup meetups where it's pretty much free education/networking/inspiration amongst fellow MUA/Junkies.  I thought I'd do a recap on the class since this is a topic I get a lot of questions about.

Check out the video!

Color Correction

In the video I discussed the basics of Color Correction - or essentially attempting to cover or neutralize any discoloration on the face and body.  Here are some basic points to remember:

• On the color wheel, colors that are opposites of each other are complementary and pop when worn together.  For example, red and green are popular as Christmas colors.  However, when placed on top of each other, these colors neutralize one another.  For example - place a green corrector on top of rosacea, then it neutralizes the redness.
• Try diluting your corrector creams by mixing in with your concealer or even primer.
• Popular color correction
• Salmon/orange to correct undereye circles or dark discoloration
• Red to conceal green tattoo lines
• Green to conceal redness
• Purple to correct a sallow complexion or add a bronzey finish
• Yellow - great for brightening under the eye.

Here are some of my favorites color correctors:

The Smashbox green primer is great at reducing redness before foundation application.  The green disappears when you apply it to the skin.  Try making your own by mixing a green corrector with your primer.

I love using the Ben Nye Neutralizer Crayon in Medium/Tattoo Cover as my holy grail corrector for dark undereye circles.  Simply draw it on your darkest areas and then blend with your finger - easy!  It's got a nice texture that is creamy enough to apply but dry enough so that it doesn't crease under the eye.  I love adding yellow on top of my correctors to give that bright Kim K highlight.  This banana concealer from Palladio is an affordable option.  The same concept applies to putting a yellow powder to set your concealer to brighten - i.e. the famous Ben Nye Banana Powder.

Color Matching

Color matching is one of the trickiest concept to master as a makeup artist or even on your own complexion.  Here are a few tips:

• Instead of matching to your jaw, match your foundation to the chest.  Oftentimes women have lighter or darker faces than the rest of their bodies.  For example, many women self-tan their bodies and not their faces.  You want to match your face to your body.
• Many times women of color will have more than one shade/tone to their face - The outer perimeter is darker and the middle is brighter.  Use more than one shade of foundation to correctly match.
• I recommend a palette like the Graftobian Warm Super Cream Palette below.  A quick way to color match is to hold the palette up to the skin then swatch a shade you think matches - I usually do this on the cheek as the jaw is generally darker than the rest of the face.  If the shade is to light, go to the right and pick a darker shade; if it's too dark, then go to the left and pick a lighter shade.  You can also use this palette to highlight and contour by going to the left of the correct foundation shade two shades for a highlight and to the right 2/3 shades for a darker contour.

To join my free Atlanta Makeup Meetup group where we learn topics like this and more, go to www.meetup.com/Atlanta-Makeup-Meetup

Giveaway time!

I'm giving away the popular corrector palettes I mentioned in my video - The Eve Pearl Salmon Concealer Palette and the Graftobian Corrector Palette - along with a Graftobian Glamour Grip Sponge for each. 

 Here's how to win!

• Follow me on Instagram.  Like this post and comment on why you'd like to win!
• I'll pick two winners.
• Open internationally

Good luck!  If you have any other topics you'd like me to cover in this Makeup Artist Series, let me know in the comments below!