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Ever wondered what puts the “art” in makeup artistry? The understanding and manipulation of colours to create the image that you want!

One of the most powerful makeup techniques that is less ventured by makeup newbies is colour correction. Taking reference from the colour wheel, this technique allows us to correct redness, dull, bluish tones, and sallowness – colours that you don’t want to see on your skin.

We may be tempted to simply use concealer to hide blemishes and imperfections, but the best, most natural-looking way to make them disappear is to use opposing colours to counteract them.

It’s not complicated at all if you know the tricks of the trade

Don’t be daunted by colour correction! There are easy tips and tricks that you can pick up and use it on yourself the next time you do your makeup. The result you can achieve is definitely worthwhile!

To teach us how to do it right, we ask celebrity makeup artist Clarence Lee, whose star-studded clientele includes Zhang Ziyi and Stefanie Sun, to show us how in the following easy-to-follow tutorials.

Demonstrating on Celine, Clarence shows us how to correct dark eye circles and redness, and help make her fair complexion look brighter and healthier.

And on Rachel who has sun-kissed skin, Clarence uses colour correction techniques to make her skin look more energised and for her complexion to exude a rosy glow.

No concealer or complicated application techniques were involved in their makeover. Surprised? Read on and take some notes!

1. How to correct dark eye circles and brighten eye contours

Dark eye circles are pesky and piling on concealer on top of them sometimes make them look more pronounced because of the cakiness from the amount of concealer we apply.

For brighter-looking eye contours, Clarence recommends a peach-toned colour corrector. Apply as much as needed on desired areas, then gently blend it out with your finger.

To brighten the eye contours further, Clarence tells us that we can apply a yellow shade at the area between the eyes and cheeks to form a “U”.

What you need:

If dark eye circles and tired-looking eyes are your concerns, go for the ETUDE HOUSE Play 101 Stick Color Contour Duo in #1 (Amber Peach and Cream Yellow). Clarence recommends Amber Peach to correct dark eye circles, and the Cream Yellow to brighten up the appearance of eyes.

2. How to eliminate redness on skin

Most of us see some redness around our nose and lips, and perhaps as random patches around our face. This common problem may be difficult to cover completely with foundation or concealer, but can be easily solved with the help of colour correctors.

Clarence explains that green is directly opposite red on the colour wheel, making it the perfect shade to use to neutralise the appearance of redness.

Use a green colour corrector on areas that you see redness, and then blend it out gently with a brush or your finger for a flawless-looking finish.


To lift the overall radiance of your complexion, especially if you already have a fair skin tone, Clarence recommends to skip the highlighter and go for a blue colour corrector to achieve a natural-looking glow.

Simply apply the blue colour corrector on areas that you’d like to highlight, such as your nose, the high points of your cheeks, and forehead.

What you need: 

Is brighter-looking complexion a key goal in your makeup routine? Clarence recommends The ETUDE HOUSE Play 101 Stick Color Contour Duo in #2 (Mint Green and Blue) is as a must-have in your beauty stash.

Additional tip from Clarence:

If you generally have good complexion and would like to find a product that can help give overall radiance to your skin, consider the ETUDE HOUSE Any Cushion in Lavender. This is especially useful if you want to make your complexion look less sallow and appear healthier.

3. How to add radiance to your face if you have tanned skin

If you have bronzed or tanned skin, Clarence suggests that you avoid blue and green colour correctors, which can make your complexion appear ashy. Pink and purple shades will be your best friends in colour correction. They’re great for adding a healthy-looking glow to your tanned complexion.

Apply pink colour corrector to your cheeks to correct dullness in your complexion.

Remember to blend carefully to create a natural look.

Then, use purple on the areas of your face where you see dullness. This is usually found at the corners of lips, along laugh lines, at the forehead, and chin.

What you need:

Those who have tanned complexion will find the ETUDE HOUSE Play 101 Stick Color Contour Duo in #3 (Lavender and Baby Pink) a makeup essential to help create more radiant-looking complexion.

Additional tip from Clarence: 

If you have tanned complexion and would like to brighten your overall complexion, consider using the ETUDE HOUSE Any Cushion Colour Corrector in Illuminate all over your face. Use a tapping motion (instead of gliding) for a natural-looking glow.

4. How to make tired-looking skin look more awake

If dark eye circles is not a huge concern but you still find yourself looking tired, a yellow colour corrector may do the trick. Clarence recommends using it lightly on the under eye area to brighten the eye contours, and apply it on the brow bone area with a heavier hand.

These techniques will help energise the look of your skin and give a lifted effect to your overall appearance.

Now you’re an expert too!

Armed with these tips and the recommended tools to help you, you’re now a colour correcting expert too! Bookmark this article so you can refer to it and up your makeup game.

ETUDE HOUSE Play 101 Stick Color Contour Duo retails at SGD24 and is available in three variants.

ETUDE HOUSE Any Cushion Colour Corrector retails at SGD32 and is available in four variants.

All products that Clarence used are available at all ETUDE HOUSE boutiques.

This article is brought to you by ETUDE HOUSE.