Whether it's redness, dark circles, discolouration, or age spots that you're worried about, a colour corrector is essential for achieving a flawless complexion in a flash. Since this type of product is a makeup bag must-have, we've searched high and low for the best ones to buy online at Amazon, John Lewis, Boots, and ASOS.
Read our buying guide for tips on choosing the right colour corrector for your needs and skin tone, then check out our list of hand-picked beauty recommendations. NYX and Barry M have gorgeous multi-hued palettes, while Maybelline and YSL offer creamy liquid concealers in a range of shades - so there really is something for every face here! Moreover, we have partnered with Makeup Artist Marie Dancer for reviewing and fact-checking the article so that we can deliver the best information.
Quick List - Top Colour Correcting Products
L'Oréal
A Budget-Friendly Palette for 24 Hours Total Camouflage Coverage
As a professional make-up artist of ten years, Marie's job has taken her all over the UK working at top events, on TV shows and making up beautiful brides. For all her clients she loves emphasising their natural beauty by creating a flawless base that still looks like skin.
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As a professional makeup artist of ten years, Marie's job has taken her all over the UK, working at top events, on TV shows and making up beautiful brides. For all of her clients, she loves emphasising their natural beauty by creating a flawless base that still looks like skin.
Find out more about Marie and what are her favourite makeup products are through her Instagram! She even shares some industry tips on makeup application too. And if you're interested in getting your makeup done by Marie, you can contact her via her email found at the top of her page.
Think about what areas you need help with. Are you struggling to cover up dark under eyes? or perhaps suffering from breakouts or acne scars? If there are multiple areas of concern you'll be best opting for a palette to save on money and space in your make-up bag.
You can also mix the colours together - for example on fairer skin, if the peach tone is too deep, add in a touch of yellow to lighten it. If you struggle with large areas of discolouration you may prefer opting for a large pan of a single product if the palette is not refillable.
In contrast, some shoppers may be happy with just one product. If you have dark circles but never worry about rosacea, a single colour corrector should be sufficient and this means you can spend a little more on a luxury product if desired. Likewise, if you have acne but no other issues, one pot of corrector in the right colour should be more than enough. It's all about your personal skin issues and your budget!
Now you've thought a bit about whether a single colour corrector or a palette is your jam, let's zoom in closer and focus on which colours you'd like to neutralise. Each of us has a slightly different range of tones in our face, so there's no "one size fits all" product for your problem areas.
If you suffer from dark circles and have dark or medium tone Black or Asian skin, choose a red or dark orange colour corrector as this neutralises the dark shadows that can make you look tired. Dark shadows on paler skin can be neutralised using peach or pink products which still contain red pigments but are slightly lighter.
For redness, rosacea, or acne, we recommend a green colour corrector. This sits at the opposite end of the colour wheel, meaning it neutralises redness, making it much easier to hide beneath foundation. For exactly the same reason, those looking to mask yellowish discoloured patches should opt for purple hues - if you have a deeper skin tone, select a dark purple product, while a lilac one will work best on fairer skin.
Here are the best green concealers in the UK.
If you prefer a lightweight make-up base, check out our favourite tinted moisturisers for dry skin!
If you tend to apply makeup with your fingertips or a brush, then a palette, compact, or jar is best as you can easily build up product onto your skin. These containers will keep makeup protected from light and oxygen, so it should stay fresh for around a year. Bottles with a pump dispenser also provide a decent level of control, great if you want a set quantity each time. Plus, a single pump can go a surprisingly long way.
Budding MUAs who want to control every movement may prefer a tube with a built-in wand for accurate application. Removing the lid and placing it back on can pump oxygen into the bottle though, so this type of product will have a shorter shelf-life. A pen-style colour corrector could also be good instead, as this acts like a felt tip so is just as precise as a wand, but it won't dry out too quickly.
Finally, we love a fine-tipped tube as you can squeeze out as much or as little product as you want while keeping it safely stored inside with the lid screwed on tight - so it'll last for ages! Another perk is that you can choose how you'll apply it to your skin - clean fingertips, a makeup sponge, or a silky-bristled brush. Just remember, don’t place the applicator directly onto an active spot because you can spread bacteria around your face.
For all-day make-up perfection, explore our top 10 setting sprays!
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | NYX Colour Correcting Palette | ![]() | Six Colour Correcting Shades in One Handy Compact | |
2 | Charlotte Tilbury Magic Vanish Colour Corrector | ![]() | Neutralising Paste for Dark Circles | |
3 | L.A. Girl Pro Conceal | ![]() | Smooth Liquid Concealer in a Range of Blendable Shades | |
4 | L'Oréal Infallible Total Cover Concealer Palette | ![]() | A Budget-Friendly Palette for 24 Hours Total Camouflage Coverage | |
5 | Maybelline Master Camo Correcting Pen | ![]() | Practical Colour Correcting Pens for Application on the Go | |
6 | Stila One Step Correct | ![]() | A 3-In-1 Serum for an Even Complexion and Smooth Skin | |
7 | Dr Jart+ Cicapair™ Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment | ![]() | A Gentle, Medicated Formula With SPF 30 | |
8 | Urban Decay Stay Naked Pro Customizer Colour Corrector | ![]() | Vegan Liquid Concealer That's Ideal for Bold Makeup | |
9 | Rimmel London Insta Conceal and Correct | ![]() | Three Pastel Shades for Quick Touch-Ups | |
10 | Smashbox Colour Corrector Primer | ![]() | A Luxury Cream Corrector From a Designer Brand |
Surely the biggest advantage of our top-ranking product has to be the range of problem areas that you can treat with just one kit! Many of us have different skin issues on different days - that's why we just love NYX's mid-range colour correcting makeup set.
Conceal redness and acne, disguise dark shadows, brighten up the best bits of your face - you can do it all with this kit! The selection of six shades works with all skin colours, although we reckon you'll probably end up favouring one particular square of the palette more than others. Enhancing every single aspect of your face has never been easier thanks to this perfect, paste-based palette!
Take this product home if you want a simple statement colour corrector that suits your skin tone perfectly! Charlotte Tilbury presents a selection of neutralising pastes in shades of red, pink, peach, and orange that work wonderfully with a range of skin tones.
We adore the convenient mirrored compact, which contains plenty of thick, smooth paste that should last you absolutely ages. A small amount goes a long way, melting nicely into your skin and brightening your complexion. This is a worthwhile investment that'll magic away dark shadows and leave you looking gorgeous.
These colour corrector tubes come in a wide range of shades, including red for shadows and darkness on Black or Asian skin tones, two shades of yellow to awaken mid-toned skin, lavender for sallow cheeks, green for acne scars or pesky red patches, and peach for perking up lighter skin.
The fine tips make dispensing easy to control, so you won't waste precious product. Plus, the liquid is a good consistency - not too runny, but smooth enough to blend into your complexion and provide a firm base for your favourite foundation.
This is a pretty comprehensive creamy colour corrector kit that will deliver long lasting results. We love L'Oreal products because they always deliver what they promise, despite the low price. In this case, you get a palette with lightweight yet pigmented formulas that can brighten, correct, and neutralise areas on the skin that you wish to camouflage.
You get five creams: two corrector and three concealer shades in a sleek and convenient packaging that'll fit neatly into your handbags or even your pockets - perfect for travelling or those mid-afternoon touch-ups.
These fantastic pens are a must-have for every makeup bag. They're small, cheap, and effective - as Maybelline always promises to be! Choose from red, yellow, lavender, or green depending on the colour issue you need to correct and your natural skin colouring.
Twist the tip and a tiny amount of product will be dispensed onto the silky sponge, which is super easy to control. It's like drawing on yourself with a felt tip pen - just with more glamorous results! While the liquid formula may not have the staying power of a paste, it does do the job well considering the low price.
Sometimes products that promise a range of beautifying effects can end up disappointing us, but this multi-functional bottle of magic really does deliver! Primarily, it corrects the colour of your skin beneath your foundation, with a green tone to neutralise red patches, lavender for sallowness, and peach to smooth over age spots.
It also plumps up your skin, reduces fine lines, smooths over large pores, and hydrates your skin - not bad, eh? The handy standing bottle with a pump dispenser avoids wastage too, meaning this pricey product is actually brilliant value for money.
This clever little jar of green-tinged cream is designed to camouflage red patches. It blends brilliantly beneath concealer and foundation, plus it contains a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a protection factor of 30.
For anyone who tends to burn or whose skin naturally errs on the rosy side, this gentle formula will soothe any redness. It can really boost your confidence by acting as a secret layer beneath your regular makeup. While it's made with top-quality ingredients, this product is rather expensive - but we'd say it's worth it!
Stay Naked is a liquid colour corrector that's available in deep red or bright white. Choose the red if you have darker skin - a few spots beneath your eyes will help you to look wide awake. On the other hand, if you have pale skin then the white hue will brighten up any shadowy areas.
We really like the fact that the sleek wand is built into the lid; the little sponge is soft and perfect for neatly applying product to the areas of your face that you want to focus on. You may want to use fingertips or a separate sponge to blend though, as it's not good at covering larger areas.
This little kit is ideal for quick touch-ups on the go. For the affordable price, you get 3 colour discs: orange for under-eye circles, green to combat redness, and lilac to brighten up dull skin. As the shades are quite light, we'd say they're more suited to pale and medium skin tones. Apply with fingertips or a soft brush for a simple base that looks smooth under your concealer and foundation.
The main benefits here are the pact that you get a trio of hues that can tackle more than one issue, the palette is small enough to pop into your handbag, and the thick paste formula will stay in place all day. On the downside, the discs are quite shallow so they probably won't last you very long.
This peach-toned primer and colour-corrector is perfect for those days when you've barely had enough sleep, but need to look fresh and awake. It'll help to camouflage any dark spots or discolouration, while blurring pores and evening out the skin tone, fine lines, and wrinkles.
Use this as a primer to prep the skin before foundation or CC cream to let it work its magic! Packed with an antioxidant blend of peptides and vitamins, this baby will also protect your skin from environmental stressors. The reason this product is so low on our list, however, is that some users have said that it doesn't really do a good job in covering redness.
Written and researched by Annie Hopkins
No. 1: NYX|Colour Correcting Palette
No. 2: Charlotte Tilbury|Magic Vanish Colour Corrector
No. 3: L.A. Girl|Pro Conceal
No. 4: L'Oréal |Infallible Total Cover Concealer Palette
No. 5: Maybelline|Master Camo Correcting Pen
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