Photo Credit: Philippa Willitts (Flickr).

Colour correcting make up seems to have been around for years but in recent months they’ve become really, really popular. BuzzFeed and Cosmopolitan are just two sites to have produced content on the subject in the last few months. But what’s the point of all this coloured concealer and what it is supposed to do? Let’s find out.

Most palettes available in high street stores like Boots or Superdrug will have four basic colours.

Peach: This is supposedly ideal for those dark shadows under your eyes or around your mouth. It’s usually best applied before your everyday concealer to make you look wide awake in your 9am lecture, even if you left part of yourself behind in Quack the night before. I would recommend the pink square in the Sleek Colour Corrector Palette, going for £7.99 at Superdrug.

Yellow: This colour essentially does the same as the peach, except the orange undertones in this add some warmth to the face, helping you look rosy and well put together while you’re battling against the bitter Lincoln wind. Superdrug also suggests pairing it with the green concealer, as the two colours meld together very well and give you an even coloured base to build on. MUA sell a fantastic yellow Pro Base Prime and Conceal Correcting Cream for £2.

Photo Credit: Caitlin Lyth

Green: As someone who has a rosy face generally, which flares up to lobster red when I get a break out, this is a must have for my make-up bag. I don’t know how it works, I heavily suspect magic, but it completely covers the red patches on my face and leaves me feeling I can leave the house with minimal make-up on, without the fear of looking like a traffic light by the time I get back. Although it’s slightly pricier than the other options, I wholeheartedly recommend the Loreal CC Cream for £9.99. Absolute game changer.

Lavender: If you suffer from some dodgy yellow undertones that give your skin a general discoloured look, then this is the one for you. Essentially, the yellow and purple are complete opposites, so if one of these colours is prominent on your skin you need the opposite colour to balance it out. Yet again, MUA do an excellent (and cheap, hooray) Pro Base Prime and Conceal Correcting Cream in Lilac for £2.

Although it might seem odd putting bright colours on your face and rubbing them in, the point is to give your face a fresh, even base before you apply the rest of your make up. Most brands sell some version of them now, and most logical thing to do would be to go for the brand that creates a regular concealer you trust.