The Best Color-Correcting Products On The Market

At this point, CC creams are about as identifiable and commonly used as tinted moisturizers. The alliterative term is short for color-correcting cream and, until pretty recently, the image you conjured up when you thought of them was most likely a nude product (similar to the color of your skin tone) with some SPF mixed in. But recently, brands have been putting a new spin on the trend and coming out with Easter-egg hued iterations.

How do these brightly shaded, somewhat intimidating versions work, exactly? Dell Ashley, the director of makeup artistry at Yves Saint Laurent, says the general rule is: The purple and blue shades are used to conceal yellow or sallow areas of the skin, green tones help to neutralize redness, and apricot or red hues work wonders in helping to conceal dark circles.

One word of advice Ashley has for those looking to get involved: Don't go too crazy. "I think that the correcting phenomenon is great, but just remember not to overdo it," he advises. "This technique is used to neutralize the skin and should be undetectable when you are finished."

Makeup artist Hung Vanngo emphasizes this point, adding that you still want the skin to look natural. "I find when you use too much, the skin doesn't look real anymore... I use a little where I need it, then I use a light foundation and concealer on top — it does the job without going hardcore on the face," he says. "You don't need to use a bunch of different colors; it looks scary in real life. We want people to look somewhat real, without masking the face."

Now that you have the basics down, click through to check out some exciting formulas. Pencils, chubby sticks, liquid drops; the options are endless — and super-vibrant.