Faux freckles might be having a moment, but unlike a seasonal lipstick or nail-polish shade everyone’s wearing, the dark-brown beauty marks aren’t a trend but a fact of life. Some of us get freckles by the luck of the gene pool; others see theirs pop up in the summer — and many people don’t have a single dot to speak of. We’re all different, but if you’re born without and want to give the illusion of having sun-kissed spots just for fun, it’s pretty easy to create them with a little extra mirror time in the morning.
From a fine-tipped pen specifically designed for dotting freckles to a pencil eyeliner and brow pen that work double-time as a beauty markers, there are a few pro products that can be used to create natural-looking faux freckles on the skin. Find them ahead, plus the secondary steps to making your new beauty marks stay soft, smudge-free, and flawless all day long.
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Freck Beauty OG Freckle Pen
If you’re looking for a tool made specifically for the creation of faux spots, your best bet is this one from Freck Beauty. It’s in a league of its own when compared to other DIY options because it’s been designed to be super-realistic, with pigment that’s soft and buildable over foundation or on bare skin.
Freck Beauty Freck Beauty OG Freckle Pen, $22, available at Urban Outfitters
Make Beauty Brow Pen
Makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes says she likes to use a Make Beauty Brow Pen in the shade Collective, holding the pen gently and dotting the fine-tipped brush over the skin where you’d naturally find freckles.
Make Beauty Brow Pen in Collected, $20, available at Net-A-Porter
Marc Jacobs Beauty Matte Highliner Gel Eye Crayon Eyeliner
Because the beauty of freckles is that they’re asymmetrical and not uniform in size and shape, Hughes recommends following the brow pen with an eyeliner in a softer brown tone. When you mix products and shades, it creates dimension and makes the freckles appear more natural.
Marc Jacobs Beauty Highliner Gel Eye Crayon Eyeliner, $25, available at Sephora
Marc Jacobs Beauty Dew Drops Coconut Gel Highlighter
However you choose to get your spots, once the pigment is fully dry, pros recommend dabbing just a touch of dewy highlighter over the top to enhance them and give a natural summer-fresh sheen.
Marc Jacobs Beauty Dew Drops Coconut Gel Highlighter, $45, available at Sephora
Beautyblender
To finish, pat the pigment with a Beautyblender, which will soften the spots and ensure they stay put all day.
Beautyblender the original beautyblender®, $20, available at Sephora
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Source: Refinery29 – Megan Decker