Color Correcting Is the New Contouring: A Top Makeup Artist on How to Do It Right

We’ve seen our fair share of contouring (or should we say Kontouring?) over the past year. Kim Kardashian West and her makeup artist, Mario Dedivanovic, precisely demonstrate, with the help of her app, the art of highlighting and shading her famously sculpted bone structure. At Hood By Air’s Spring 2016 show, models sported unblended dark and light makeup stripes on the runway. There has been clown contouring, strobe contouring, and even the slightly terrifying trend of male contouring. It’s safe to say that the world has had enough of misleading jawlines and deceptively high cheekbones.

Enter color correction, a technique that is by no means novel, but has recently resurfaced as the latest trend in the makeup game. Maybe you’ve seen the fast-motion Instagram videos of girls looking more like Zulu warriors than beauty bloggers, skillfully applying shades of green, purple, and red cream across their forehead and cheeks, or celebrities like Chrissy Teigen with lit-from-within undereye areas. But how to look like a supermodel after going full-blown Picasso on your face? Makeup artist Bobbi Brown says it’s possible, but only “with the right tools.”

“Color correcting is for anyone who struggles with uneven skin tone,” explains Brown, who recommends first and foremost analyzing the colors of your face. Skin tone varies by area, meaning your forehead may need a bit of brightening where your chin might need to dial down the rosiness. “Sometimes the right foundation will work to resolve the problem, but when it doesn’t, reach for the correctors.” Do you have gray shades under your eyes? Brown suggests applying a pinky hue before concealer to banish dark circles. Extra flush on your cheeks or nose? Pick up a yellow tone (or very light green) formula to counteract the redness. For deeper skin tones, the same equation is applicable; just go a shade darker, like a coral or peach hue instead of a light pink.

While a flawless complexion is the end goal, it’s important to add in warmth after correction with a hint of bronzer. “Your skin isn’t perfect,” says Brown, “and even after the correcting process, it should not look fake.”

Brown’s most valuable piece of advice? “Apply in natural light!” And while correction is a wonderful skill to have in your back pocket, she says it’s not totally necessary for a daily routine. Brown reserves the craft for her “not-so-pretty days,” those after a late night filled with drinking and dancing—“when you need a little extra help,” she says. Here’s to getting all the help we can get—and embracing our inner artist.

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