With full-coverage make up beginning to make way for featherweight bases that celebrate skin, freckles are earning some well-deserved envy from those who’re less-blessed on the beauty spot front. As the ‘soft focus’ filters give way to more honest, un-photoshopped images, freckles are the breakout star of this new, long-awaited wave of beauty realism (hallelujah!).
Nothing spells ‘summer’ like checking the mirror and seeing your face now resembles a pointillist masterpiece (cute!). However, although people’s pigment behaves differently (some will have freckles whatever the weather), for many – these beautiful markings are signs of sun damage and therefore, a dermatological ‘no-no’.
With sunscreen a daily essential (who else’s alarm reads “Apply SPF!”?), freckles are becoming scarce – which only makes them all the more desirable. They hint at a life enjoyed somewhere that sandals and floaty sundresses are par for the course, suggesting a carefree existence spent sipping iced lattes (or sinking sangrias) in faraway lands where the light’s always right for a freckle-faced #selfie. Which means, as with everything – tanned skin, Angelina-esque lips and a full set of doe-worthy lashes – the beauty world’s opting to fake it…
All the pretty pros without the DNA-mutating impact of exposure to UV? We’ll raise our eyeliner pencils to that! Whether your skin’s nearly-bare or you love your foundation full-coverage, this technique helps to convince everyone that you #wokeuplikethis (make up GOALS).
So, why not pepper your complexion with a smattering of speckles? We advocate Anastasia Beverly Hills’ best-loved (ultra-fine) {Brow Wiz}, which comes in a spectrum of shades to facilitate ‘born this way’ beauty dots. Choose two, or even three colours depending on your skin tone – those who’re fair or red-headed can opt for the ‘Auburn’ and ‘Caramel’ shades, while those with darker skin can try the deeper shades of ‘Soft Brown’, ‘Dark Brown’ and ‘Chocolate’ – then make sure you fix everything with a mist (we rate {Resting Boss Face}).
Or, snap up Lime Crime’s purpose-made {Freckle Pen} – a flattering, long-wearing ‘ink’ that ensures you look beautifully sunkissed. Use a haphazard hand (it doesn’t pay to be too careful) to achieve the most believable, ‘just back from holiday’ effect, and use a delicate touch to decide where you want them, before going over a few here and there to achieve an array of shades, sizes and shapes. Remember, a freckle is rarely a circle, so don’t stress yourself about symmetry.
Et voila! Who needs sun? We’ve got freckles on tap!