Summer Trend - Freckles 3 way

Welcome to the circus, if you didn’t know you were already there 🙃. I honestly can’t count the number of times I said I’d publish this article, yet here we are, about a year after this trend has started well… trending.

Thing is, Summer is just around the corner, and as I’d like yall to remain sunsafe (feels like I’ve said this before), I wanted to provide an alternative to cute sun spots some (lucky) ones of us get on their faces once the sun comes out to play. 

So FINALLY for you today, here are faux-freckles - and 3 ways you can easily achieve them!

Faux-Freckle Technique #1 : The Brow(n) Pencil 

First technique available to most of us : using a matte brown pencil OR a brown one to create tiny little random marks on our faces. Start by getting your pencil sharp, I mean REAL sharp. It’s the key to not losing your mind over this one. Alternatively, choose a brow pencil with a micro-tip. Then, let your hands go wild! Key is to not think about it too much - focus your marks on cheeks and nose for a more realistic effect, but go as hard as you like with the rest!

I noticed that this tip works best on “hard” zones of the face like nose and forehead. It can be hard getting the pencil to leave a mark on cheeks or under the eyes and you might have to pull on the skin a bit to make it work. Also, I like to use a pencil that is very soft. Since you’re only making a small mark, it’s difficult to make a harder pencil work. You can help soften any pencil you have by warming it up on the back of your hand.

Pros : Don’t need to buy new makeup, so relatively cheap. Regular waxy pencils are usually water resistant.

Cons : Hard to get precise. Can be hard to apply without pulling the skin.

I created these marks with Urban Decay 24/7 liner in shade Demolition.

Faux-Freckle Technique #2 : The Wild Wild One

The second technique requires more products and is definitely messier, but it’s oh-so-fast and it’s completely carefree.

Choice of the product is critical here : you will need a cake - or water activated product (read : a hard “chalky” pan of product that needs water to turn into a thick or thinner paste). They are definitely rarer to come across on the market but they can still be found! My favourite low-cost one is from Ben Nye, and is usually found in professional makeup or costume stores. I got mine here. 

Use a bit of water directly on the pan, and use a spoolie (the usually useless end of a brow pencil) to mix it up. Once you have enough on your brush, bring it close to your face and start using your finger to flick the spoolie and disperse the freckles. Careful! This step is messy and might require you to change beforehand. Make sure nothing around you is susceptible to stain. Flick your finger closer or further from your face for more concentrated or spaced freckles. Ta-Da! Instant 🐆

Pros : Literally takes one second. No risk of over-thinking it.

Cons : Definitely messy. Requires specific products. Cake products also aren’t waterproof. 

Brown marks on my face courtesy of Ben Nye MagiCake. Red mark on my chest courtesy of stress.

Faux-Freckle Technique #3 : The Professional

Finally, if there’s a possibility that we’ll wanna recreate freckles often, we can opt for a specially designed product. Best of my knowing, only one of those is currently available on the market : the Original, by Freck, available at Sephora. It’s tiny little pointed brush allows for extreme precision. You can create marks of basically any shape and size. The ink texture also allows you to blot them so they perfectly mesh with the skin. Place just about any amount, anywhere you’d like without a risk!

Pros : The perfect pointy tip, allowing for best precision. The ink texture, allowing for seamless blend.

Cons : Cost, especially considering its tiny format. 

I created these tiny spots with the OG freckle product - Freck.

Bonus Technique : The Rainbow

Cake products can actually be found in a variety of colours, especially marketed as eyeliners or body paints. Choose any colour of your liking (or even a few of them) and use the same technique to flicker coloured marks all across!