While Van Gogh and Degas were at odds over yellow--the former described the shade as "wonderful," the latter "horrible"--most beauty addicts with something to hide would agree with the Dutch master (the one who cut off his own ear). The secret to yellow's success? Take a look at any color wheel: It neutralizes purply tones (think broken blood vessels) and, for some reason, seems to counteract redness more effectively than green (and who really wants to slather green stuff on their face anyway?).

For that reason, lemony concealers and powders can be far better than their peachy counterparts at camouflaging imperfections on pale to medium skin. Plus, they're infinitely more forgiving (since the goal is to correct and brighten, you don't have to attempt, in vain, to find the perfect match). Although you could embark on a quest to find the perfect pair of yellow products, there's a simpler solution: Tarte's Yellow Mellow ($25; sephora.com)--a lemony cream-and-powder duo that banishes redness, blemishes, and undereye circles in one fell swoop.

In the packaging, the product looks anything but mellow, but don't let that fool you--once applied, it disappears completely into the skin. The concealer is a cinch to blend, so you don't have tug at your face to get it to spread, and it lasts surprisingly well all by itself. For added staying power, you can sweep the silky powder atop the concealer with the kit's retractable kabuki brush, or you can lightly dust the powder all over your face to larger-scale color correcting and shine reduction (for that, you'll need a bigger, fluffier brush).

Since Yellow Mellow contains aloe, chamomile, white-tea, and green-tea extracts, it not only improves the appearance of your complexion; it eases inflammation, combats oxidative damage, and even calms rosacea. That said, there are a few caveats: For those with darker skin tones, Yellow Mellow probably isn't the way to go (a friend with a Halle Berry-esque complexion tried the concealer, and it stuck out like a sore thumb), and the container's top is a little hard to handle (I suggest easing it open with the fleshy part of your hand or a household tool so it doesn't do a number on your nails). Beyond that, though, Yellow Mellow delivers a major payoff: a brighter, more flawless-looking canvas. Van Gogh would be proud. --Tara Mattarazzo