Remember the YouTube video in which blogger Deepica Mutyala takes a red lipstick to her undereye circles? (If not, check it out below.) While makeup artists have employed similar tricks for years, Mutyala's tutorial made the technique seem totally doable in everyday life. And thanks to Becca Cosmetics, it’s about to get even easier. Today, the brand is launching a collection of color-correcting creams — including Papaya, a bright orange-based red designed to cancel out deep-blue and purple tones (and directly inspired by the lipstick trick).
So, what makes this balm better than the tube of lipstick you’ve already got in your bag? Well, for one thing, it’s much, much safer. Because lip products come with a different set of guidelines than those designed for eyes, they can cause irritation (or, worse, infection) when smeared around the sensitive eye area. Another reason to invest in a balm over a lipstick? It’ll last twice as long — since lip products are often packed with oils and butters that are designed to keep your lips soft, but can turn your concealer into a Slip'N Slide. (Important to mention: The balm is much redder than the above photo translates — think blood orange.)
To put the cream to the test, we enlisted the help of Refinery29's Director of Product Marketing Benish Shah, who'd been on the hunt for a product exactly like this one. "I'm Pakistani/South Asian, so finding a color-corrector isn't an easy task," Shah says. "And there is no way I can go with only concealer — my undereye circles are too dark (yay, genetics and asthma!)." Shah has dabbled with the lipstick trick (she describes it as a "fail"). She currently uses a peach corrector, and was excited to try this version instead.
While the sheer, slightly tacky texture took some getting used to, Shah was impressed. "It went on easily and rather sheer, so I had to build it on through two to three layers," she says. She followed up by carefully tapping concealer over it with a brush, saying, "It definitely works well, but requires patience." The result? Brighter undereyes with a smooth, natural look that even Shah's husband noticed. Will she be using it again? "Yes," she says without hesitation.
Undereye circles aren’t the only issue Becca is setting out to fix. The correctors also come in shades of violet, to help with dullness; peach, for hyperpigmentation and less severe undereye circles; and green, to counteract redness. With other brands like Lancôme launching similar products this year, we're calling 2016 the year of color-correcting. (Buh-bye, contouring.)
Becca Backlight Colour Corrector in Papaya, $30, available at Sephora.
Becca Backlight Colour Corrector in Papaya, $30, available at Sephora.