Correcting pigmentation - with makeup

Okay so if you're a women of colour, it is likely that this will be a huge problem for you. You may be wondering why your face tends to look ashy in certain areas when in fact the foundation is the correct shade for your skin. Think of it like this, if there are different shades of colour on your face then how can one foundation shade be sufficient in evening out your skin tone. The biggest mistake people make is they apply lighter shades of concealer under their eyes with the aim of hiding dark circles and brightening at the same time. This is because they follow all the highlighting tutorials/pictorials without FIRST correcting. Once you've corrected the area to be the same colour as the rest of your face then the highlight will show up better and to its true colour (the same technique can be done on the lips).

You will need to apply a dark peachy/orangey shade to the pigmented areas to cancel out the blue/purples and yes this can look ridiculous at first. What I find is that if I apply foundation directly after correcting, it can often move the product and isn't as effective. Instead, I correct under my eyes and around my mouth and then do my eyebrows and eyeshadow, if I'll be wearing any that day. Doing my eyebrow routine before foundation also has also made a signifiant difference to the way that my brows look. It helps the colour to show up better and keeps my brows in place. I never realised that until I was looking for something to do whilst waiting for the corrector shade to set a little. Anyways, I then apply my foundation and go in with the Maybelline eraser in Nude under my eyes, which is a shade close to my skin tone only slightly lighter, gives a nice brightening effect and feels super lightweight. This next step is optional but I love the Kim K highlighted look so I then go in with Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in shade 20. I know you're probably thinking by now, damn thats a lot of product and you're right it is but the key is to blend, blend, blend (most important beauty secret for any makeup application) & the Beauty Blender will be your new best friend. Also, I find that applying a primer often helps to not only even out the skin tone ever so slightly but also allows the products to go on smoother. Make sure to also use a hydrating eye cream under the eyes to ensure that the under eye is hydrated and to avoid any cakeyness.

Now that that's out the way, let's discuss some products that can be used to correct and where they can be purchased from. What I use is the Kevin Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer in shade 13. I was contemplating on whether or not to purchase the shade that matched my skin tone or shade 13 as a corrector shade but because its super pigmented with extremely good coverage I thought I'd try it as a corrector. The dark areas around my mouth were really bothering me especially when I wore red lippy so I thought it was worth the splurge. There are however cheaper and effective alternatives (mind you, the KASSE pot will last you a lifetime).

Can be purchased from:

• Space NK
• Cult Beauty

Dupes:

• Definitely check out MAC to see which one works best for you as they have a few correcting products. MAC Conceal & Correct Duo - I've seen people rave about this, it looks pretty good and is a 2 in 1 is always handy when storing or travelling. Buy here
• Bobbi Brown Peach corrector - I own this and works perfectly fine. Buy here
• Lush Colour Supplement in Dark Yellow - You may be able to get away with using this as a corrector depending on your skin tone. Regardless, it is a great and affordable concealer so defo one worth trying. 
• Nyx Dark Circle Eraser - Super inexpensive so if this suits your budget give it a try. Can be purchased here

But remember makeup is a temporary fix, the key to correcting is prevention.