Spend time trying to hide an aging skin argh only to find that makeup just isn’t helping? Try the pro secret to neutralizing imperfections by prepping skin with a color-correcting primer before applying makeup. Read on for your anti-aging makeup color to flawless skin!

Sallow skin? Try purple.

If your once-radiant skin has turned a pale yellow tone, swiping on blush may not be enough to restore it.

Instead, simply rub a small amount of a purple primer on the face with your fingers, then apply makeup on top. “The violet color, opposite of yellow on the color wheel, counteracts any sallowness, restoring a youthful glow, fast,” says celebrity makeup artist Amy Zdunowski-Roeder.

Buy: Neutrogena Cosmetics Prep + Correct Primer in Brightening (Buy at CVS, $16.49). It contains seaweed extract, which increases blood flow for a healthier flush over time.

Red, splotchy skin? Opt for green.

Whether from breakouts, rosacea flare-ups, or broken capillaries, redness can peek through foundation and sap our confidence. What can help? “Green is opposite red on the color wheel, so applying a green primer will instantly cancel out ruddiness,” says Zdunowski-Roeder. But since applying the primer on non-inflamed areas can leave behind a green cast, she suggests using one in a stick form like Cover FX Correct Click Redness (Buy at CoverFX.com, $18) so you only use it where needed. Plus, it contains anti-inflammatory chamomile extract to calm irritated skin, reducing redness.

To do: Dab onto red spots and blend out with a makeup sponge before applying foundation.

Dark circles? Choose orange.

Wonder why your under-eye concealer doesn’t actually conceal those dark, blue-toned shadows? You may be using the wrong shade. To make them vanish, Zdunowski-Roeder suggests covering them with a primer the shade of their color wheel opposite — orange (for medium to dark skin tones) or peach (for fair to light skin tones). Also smart: A primer infused with vitamin B-3, like LA Girl Pro Prep HD Color Correcting Face Primer (Buy at CVS, 6.99) helps “plump” thin, transparent skin so shadows are less obvious.

To do: Dot primer under the eyes in an upside-down triangle, then blend out with a makeup sponge (this further helps shadows recede). Next, top with a light layer of concealer; blend.

This article originally appeared in our print magazine, First For Women.

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