Hiding redness can be a tricky process, whether you're dealing with inflamed breakouts or irritation. You have to be careful because if you apply too much product, your makeup can look like a cakey, unnatural mess. If you apply too little, it won't disguise the redness at all. You also want to make sure that the products match your skin tone and that you blend correctly so your makeup looks seamless and effortless.
One hero product that can really neutralize redness is a green concealer. Yes, green as in the color. And no, you won't look like the Wicked Witch of the West. (No matter how much you loved the Wicked movie.)
"A lot of people get intimidated by color correctors, but learning how to apply it the right way can really change your makeup game," says makeup artist Karina Milan. Below, find expert tips to do just that, plus our favorite green concealers on the market. These 12 options will make your pimple go poof—promise.
The Best Green Concealers, Listed
- Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment SPF 30
- Exa High Fidelity Balancing Color Corrector
- Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Color Corrector
- Nyx Professional Makeup HD Studio Photogenic Concealer Wand in Green
- Smashbox Photo Finish Correct Anti-Redness Primer
- Erborian CC Red Correct Green Color Corrector SPF 25
- L.A. Girl HD Pro Corrector Concealer
- Caudalie Vinopure Color Correcting Spot Solution
- Maybelline Cover Stick Concealer in Green
- e.l.f. cosmetics Camo Color Corrector
- Givenchy Prisme Libre Skin-Caring Corrector
- Typology Paris Color Corrector for Redness
What is green concealer?
Let's talk about color theory for a moment. On the color wheel, green sits opposite red, which means the colors can easily cancel each other out. Orange lives across from blue, which is why many under-eye concealers have a peach, pink, or even fully red undertone to neutralize blue-purple shadows. Green concealer, on the other hand, is best used when dealing with rosacea or red breakouts, advises makeup artist Tobi Henney.
"Although foundation can often help us even out our overall skin complexion, there are often tricky areas that don't seem to get covered. That's because different undertones and colors in the skin require a complementary color to camouflage them," adds Milan. "The goal of a green concealer is to cancel out any pink or red tones in the skin that might seep through foundation."
The 14 Best Green Concealers of 2024
1. Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment SPF 30
Pros: Great for allover redness and irritation
Cons: Not the best for precise applications (like individual pimples)
Applicator type: Jar
If you are dealing with a lot of redness overall, Milan recommends using products from Dr. Jart's Cicapair line, such as this Color Correcting Treatment, which are formulated to calm the skin and have a very light green tint to help even the skin tone.
Customer review: "This removes 80% or more of redness! It is amazing and blends well with my make up."
2. Exa High Fidelity Balancing Color Corrector
Pros: Lasts a while, contains kaolin to absorb excess oil from breakouts, wears effortlessly under foundation
Cons: Has a thicker consistency than other options
Applicator type: Doe-foot wand
Who What Wear senior beauty editor Jamie Schneider considers this her number one pick. "It's lasted me well over a year since a little dot goes a very long way," she says. "I of course love the peach-tinted version for my dark circles, but do not sleep on this green version. Any breakouts I have become so much easier to cover."
Customer review: "Love it. It is friendly on my skin and they use a gray base instead of a white base with the green. I find that works better because I don't want to lighten a tint/concealer."
3. Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Color Corrector
Pros: Super-precise applicator, great for disguising tiny red spots
Cons: Not the best for larger patches of irritation
Applicator type: Fine-tipped brush
If you have teeny-tiny red spots (be it from acne, rosacea, or broken capillaries), this precise applicator from Tarte is made for you. We also love the diamond powder to help blur pores.
Customer review: "The formula has a lot of coverage to it, and I really appreciate the way that it dries down to a natural matte finish. The skin care and priming steps that you choose before hand will more or less dictate the final finish of this product. Does a great job at neutralizing redness. My favorite aspect of this product, and my experience with it, has been the extremely precise brush tip applicator! I feel like it’s a game changer when trying to cover up blemishes with minimal product, because a very small amount goes along way with this."
4. Nyx Professional Makeup HD Studio Photogenic Concealer Wand in Green
Pros: Easy to blend, never cakes underneath foundation
Cons: Very full coverage, so it's better for breakouts than overall redness
Applicator type: Doe-foot wand
This lightweight concealer works on all skin types. It provides medium to heavy coverage, and it's so easy to blend.
Customer review: "I am an aspiring makeup artist, [and] I have natural blotchy redness on my forehead and nose that I thought could never be covered fully until this product. I WILL NEVER USE ANY OTHER GREEN CONCEALER BESIDES THIS ONE AGAIN. Its the most pigmented one [...] It applies full coverage but blends beautifully."
5. Smashbox Photo Finish Correct Anti-Redness Primer
Pros: Great for those dealing with patches of irritation, blurs pores
Cons: May be a little too warm-toned for some
Applicator type: Tube
This green primer not only neutralizes redness but also contains algae, rose, and mushroom extracts to soothe the skin and reduce the appearance of irritation.
Customer review: "This primer really does live up to the claims. Each time I use this primer, the few areas of redness are completely gone. Foundation and all makeup products wear very nicely on top. I would compare the consistency to a moisturizer. It's not heavy. Non drying. Will definitely purchase the full size."
6. Erborian CC Red Correct Green Color Corrector SPF 25
Pros: Great to mix with foundation or tinted moisturizer, contains SPF, also has pore-blurring effects
Cons: Contains fragrance, so not the best for sensitive skin
Applicator type: Precise tube
"Okay, wow, this soothing color corrector is transformative," notes Schneider. "Similar to the Dr. Jart confection above, it's meant to target allover skin redness and even tone, but this one further calms the skin with Centella asiatica (aka cica). The added SPF 25 also never hurts to protect against future inflammation!"
Customer review: "Can not praise this product enough! I wear it alone to reduce the pink in my skin and it blurs imperfections. Love this as a primer and it holds up in hot weather."
7. L.A. Girl HD Pro Corrector Concealer
Pros: Has a brush attachment for easy blending, doesn't cake under makeup
Cons: Better for drier skin types
Applicator type: Precise tube and attached brush tip
L.A. Girl's green concealer features a built-in brush tip for easy application. The formula is creamy, lightweight, long-wearing, and crease-resistant.
Customer review: "I use the green concealer to help balance the redness from rosacea. It works great, at the fraction of the price of other products. I like the way you squeeze the tube, which makes the product go to the brush, which is so easy to apply evenly."
8. Caudalie Vinopure Color Correcting Spot Solution
Pros: Treats pimples in addition to neutralizing redness, calms inflammation with tea tree
Cons: More of a spot treatment than a concealer (doesn't provide as much coverage)
Applicator type: Precise tube
"If I have a particularly angry pimple, one dot of this green-tinged spot solution does just the trick," says Schneider. "It's not a concealer, per se, but the green hue does help dial down inflammation and make breakouts appear much smaller. Plus, it simultaneously treats said breakout with salicylic acid, niacinamide, and tea tree oil."
Customer review: "I have been using Caudalie spot treatment for 5 days and it has worked really great. As soon as you put it on a pimple, it takes the redness away. The next day, the pimple shrinks. I am hopeful that the pimple will be totally gone soon. It smells good, does not sting, does not dry my skin, does not cause me new pimples, and a little goes a long way."
9. Maybelline Cover Stick Concealer in Green
Pros: Smooth glide, impressively long wear
Cons: Stick formats are not the most hygienic for pimples
Applicator type: Stick
Maybelline's stick concealer is easy to use on any red spots. The formula is waterproof, so it will last a long time.
Customer review: "I have rosacea and this concealer really helps with coverage. It's not perfect for my severe condition but will work perfectly to cover a pimple."
10. e.l.f. cosmetics Camo Color Corrector
Pros: Disguises redness and soothes angry skin, super lightweight and layers well under makeup
Cons: More sheer than other options
Applicator type: Doe-foot wand
This color-correcting stick just glides and sinks into the skin so easily, so you can say goodbye to redness. It's also infused with hyaluronic acid and soothing rose water flower for hydrating benefits.
Customer review: "I used this and it works really well! I had some redness around my nose and jawline area and it really made me feel off about my makeup. When I used this it did miracles! I love e.l.f! I would have rated 5 but I wish there was a little bit more pigment as I had to ‘double-dip’ to get it to be good under my makeup. Other than that SO GOOD."
11. Givenchy Prisme Libre Skin-Caring Corrector
Pros: Super hydrating, creamy and lightweight
Cons: Expensive
Applicator type: Doe-foot wand
This Givenchy number is probably one of the most hydrating green concealers in the game with 95% natural-origin ingredients and 90% skincare ingredients. Glycerin is definitely the main character, which attracts water into the skin. It has a lightweight, breathable consistency that doesn't make you feel like you're globbing on product.
Customer review: "Using the green one, 10 out of freaking 10. Smooths skin and restores it to one color!!!! It's so good, definitely my new staple! I barely apply a few dots of foundation or concealer on the rest of my face now."
12. Typology Paris Color Corrector for Redness
Pros: Great for dry, winter-chapped skin
Cons: Has a thinner consistency, so it might not cover super-inflamed breakouts
Applicator type: Doe-foot wand
This 97% naturally derived concealer is so good that it often goes out of stock (so I'd snag it while you can!). It contains niacinamide and green seaweed to fend off inflammation and dryness, which often leads to red patches and flakes. "It's a godsend for the winter months when the skin around my nose gets raw and red," says Schneider.
Customer review: "I have pretty clear, light to medium skin, but I often struggle with redness. The green corrector does a great job of balancing out that red tone without having to cover it. I don't need any other base makeup when I use this product."
How to Use Green Concealer
Put on the green color corrector before foundation. Makeup artist Jen Tioseco recommends applying a thin layer to the area and letting it dry. Then stipple the foundation over the area to avoid rubbing it off.
"Ensure you let it really dry before applying your foundation," Tioseco says. "Dusting a really thin layer of powder to set it prior will really help lock it in place and keep it from mixing into your foundation as well."
Mistakes to Avoid With Green Concealer
You don't want to apply the green concealer or primer all over your face, which is a common mistake Milan sees. "It's important to only apply the corrector on the areas that have a lot of redness. Otherwise, it'll make the areas that are not red look unbalanced," she says. That said, you wouldn't want to use it on your under-eyes either. If you have blue-green or purple shadows in the area, all you'll do is exacerbate those half-moons.
Editor-Approved Foundations & Concealers
Makeup artists and facialists love this foundation. It delivers medium coverage and leaves the skin looking flawless.
With over 120,000 ratings and 4.5 out of five stars on Amazon, this concealer really needs no introduction. The product hides blemishes, redness, and fine lines. It contains goji berries and haloxyl to brighten any dark under-eye circles, too.
For something that's long-lasting, try this waterproof foundation stick from Hourglass. The full-coverage formula will adjust to your body temperature so it can blend into your skin effortlessly.
E.l.f.'s full-coverage concealer lasts for—you guessed it—16 hours. The highly pigmented and thick formula leaves a matte finish and dries quickly.
This concealer pen delivers the glowiest finish, and contains good-for-the-skin ingredients like hyaluronic acid and vitamin E.
I love this complexion stick because it's like a cross between a foundation and a concealer. It provides just the right amount of coverage for me and is perfect for that no-makeup makeup look.
Nars's concealer is a popular favorite. It provides 16 hours of coverage and brightens, corrects, and perfects. Plus, it contains a botanical blend of magnolia-bark extract, grape-seed extract, and vitamin E to nourish the skin and reduce redness.
This article was published at an earlier date and has since been updated.
-
From Vacation Skin to Orchid Lips—3 White Lotus Beauty Trends That Will Define the SummerIn conversation with the show's lead makeup artist.
-
This Was the *Scorching* Heat–Proof Mascara Every Woman Wore on the Set of White LotusIt's underrated and editor approved.
-
Black Beauty Brands Set the Standard for Inclusive Shade Ranges—These Industry Experts Are Leading the ChargeIt's not marketing; it's mandatory.
-
I Never Thought This "Dated" Lip Color Could Look Cool Again—Here's Why It's So Back for 2025Martha Stewart and Julia Fox have convinced us.
-
It's Only January, But These 9 Makeup Trends Are Already Taking Over 2025Each one deserves a spot on your mood board.
-
This Celeb Makeup Artist Almost Exclusively Uses High-End Products—These 5 Drugstore Products Are the ExceptionFrom a lash-lengthening mascara to an iconic French pharmacy product.
-
I Needed Quick Holiday Party Makeup Inspo, so I Asked My Favorite Makeup Artist for GuidancePerfect for any lazy girl.
-
A Makeup Artist Just Helped Me ID the Best Products to Enhance My Two-Toned LipsI'm leveling up my lipstick game.
