Every now and then, I get an e-mail from someone who hates her freckles. Usually these dappled lasses want to cover them up, or find out how to make them disappear. This always baffles me, because I think freckles are beautiful! I saw this picture of America Ferrera and thought, "Wow, she makes freckles look really sophisticated."
If you have freckles, you've probably been conditioned to cover them up. But I think letting them show is a more contemporary and individualistic look. And it doesn't necessarily have to be a "cute" one, either; in this photo, America looks like a fresh-faced young woman, not a little girl. To find out more about freckles and to read makeup tips for freckled faces, read more
First of all, freckles are not a skin disorder. They're small spots of melanin that usually show up on fair complexions, though they can also appear on darker skin tones as well. Although having freckles is a genetic trait, sun exposure can cause the spots to darken or multiply. If you have freckles, wearing sunscreen every day is imperative, because people with freckles are more susceptible to the sun's rays. Additionally, if you aren't crazy about your freckles, a sunscreen of at least SPF 30 will help them from multiplying.
If you really, really hate your freckles—and I hope you don't!—there are some removal options. A dermatologist can prescribe topical lotions (such as Retin-A) that speed up the process of skin cell renewal, which will minimize the look of freckles. Intensed pulsed light (IPL) treatments, available at med spas, also work to even out skin tone, but they're expensive.
If you do love your freckles, here's how to work with them. In the past, makeup artists used heavy foundation and concealer to cover up freckles. Today, though, this looks dated. A more modern approach is to take a cue from America here, who's wearing a sheer foundation. This evens out her skin tone, but still lets a smattering of freckles show through. If you do have any spots that need to be covered, consider using a mineral foundation such as Neutrogena Mineral Sheers. Because mineral makeup reflects light, it keeps skin from looking flat and cakey like some heavier liquid and stick foundations can. Overall, work with—not against—the gorgeous freckles you've been given!
Playtex
Barbour
Juicy Couture
Wow. You almost made me want to have freckles ! I've always find them so charming.
1thank you~
2How could someone not love their freckles? I love mine! After all, "a face without freckles is like a night without stars!"
3She looks beautiful. I had freckles on my face as a young girl, but now since I am much better about sunscreen don't get them as often. Seeing this makes me want to go get out the sun.
4I used to hate my freckles but now I LOVE LOVE LOVE them! They make me unique and stand out!
Thanks for the make-up tips!
5thanks for the tips... althought i still HATE my freckles.
6I hate my freckles-I am going to get them removed as soon as I have the $$$
7I've always had a smattering of freckles across my cheeks and on my nose and I never really cared...my boyfriend loves them, lol, but that was one of those things I never bothered to worry about, because I figured I couldn't do anything to change them. I might start wearing more susncreen now though, because if they indicate that I'm more susceptible I should cover-up.
8I love my freckles. It drives me crazy to see magazines have them Photoshopped out of pictures.
9Bella this is great! I've always thought its funny that when I get my makeup done the artists cover up my freckles.
10I wish I had more freckles. Every time I see someone with a face full of them, I get so jealous!
11i'm a rare asian w/ freckles and most of the time, i don't mind them. i use bare minerals foundation and it does a pretty good job of covering up my freckes, but not so heavily that it looks dated. you could probably tell i had them if you looked closely. i always wear sunscreen though, so hopefully they won't multiply...need to get a higher spf though.
12I used to have freckles on my face, as a kid. After I started wearing make-up, they faded and never came back (must be the sunscreen). I still get freckles on my arms, etc. when I go in the sun. Right now they are massing together pretending to be a tan :-|
13I love my freckles! I never cover them up, they make me unique. I even have certain ones that are my favorites!
14I love my freckles. Everyone thinks it adoborable. Not many people seen a light skinned black with freckles.
15I hate my freckles. I don't wear foundation because it always looks so fake. I ALWAYS wear sunblock, it's a redhead thing.
16I've never even considered or given a thought to covering up my freckles.... who really cares that much?? If you cover them up, your face will most likely be cakey anyways.
17When I was in middle school, I was SO self-conscious about my freckles.. I hated them and tried to cover them with foundation. It was pretty silly, because they're not anything to be ashamed about and actually add to my uniqueness.
They have sort of grown on me though, and I like them now. I don't wear any makeup so you can see them in all their glory!
Sometimes, though I wish I had perfectly even skin tone with a nice tan, because with my skin type i dont really get that dark. I get some color, but it doesn't last that long, and I burn easily. (Damn Irish genes!)
Thanks for the tips though... I'm gonna have to get some of that mineral stuff.
18I, like most freckle wears, have a lot of trouble wearing any foundation or even tinted moisturizer because of them. Putting it on makes my skin look completely fake.
Nowadays I use the mineral sheers from Neutrogena. I don't really try to cover them up, just get a nice even complexion.
The one thing that I hate about freckles is when I am out in the sun (even with sunscreen) and I come back in and look in the mirror, it looks like someone has splattered me with mud. It doesn't last very long, they tone down a bit pretty quickly, but that muddy face look is so annoying.
Sadly though I am not anything unique with my freckles. I am typical light brown hair, blue eyed, pale skin German girl. Completely boring.
But that's OK.
19How can anyone hate freckles?! They're so cute and juvenile. I love mine.
20yea i used to be self conscious of my freckles too but now i love them! i with i had more! i love in the summer when i get them across my nose. i don't get as many the more sunblock conscious i am, which is too bad!
21Freckles are beautiful anywhere, not just your face. I'm covered head to toe! I HATED my freckles when I was younger, because I felt like the only person who had them. The older I get, the more I LOVE them. Not only are they unique, but they also reflect my heritage. I thought I'd heard all freckle sayings, but ALSW's is new to me. I like it!
22I hated my freckles as a kid, but I don't mind them anymore. I hardly ever wear foundation to cover them. Much more pressing problems now, I guess! LOL
23I have a ton of freckles, and I have always loved them! I never have felt the need to cover them, in fact people have always complimented my skin tone. I think they help diffuse my snow white translucent paleness. I just recently started to wear foundation - for reasons completely irrelevant to this post - and I use Bare Esscentuals Mineral Makeup. It provides a great canvas for my makeup, but still lets my skin and freckles show through!
24i heart my freckles, and i've never ever hated them. i remember reading some book in the fourth grade where a kid wanted to get rid of his/her freckles with a mixture involving lemons, and i was thinking, "freckles really aren't that bad."
my sister tans all the time in a tanning bed, and she just gets more and more freckles. that's part of the reason why i don't tan, because i don't think dark, dark freckles look good on the rest of the body. on the face, cute. but on your boobs? lindsay lohan. and that's just not classy.
i have freckles on my arms and shoulders, so i wear tons of sunscreen everyday in an effort to reduce them. i'm sad, though, that as i age and wear sunscreen on my face everyday, my freckles on my face start to disappear.
25i love my freckles, and have never covered them up. i must start using spf daily though- thanks for the tip!
26love freckles
27love freckles
28I have always had freckles and the weird thing is I never notice them until people tell me "I love your freackles!" I don't use foundation, just a little concealer or touche eclat, but overall they don't bother me
29I have freckles but only on my nose..and a massive amount. The only reason why I dislike them is because they look like blackheads..eww. I wish it spread out a bit more to my cheeks. But people do notice that they are freckles and not blackheads. It's only me that's self conscious about it.
30i like my freckles, i´ve gotten used to them overtime. I think the are cute.
31it's easy to like your freckles if you've got the little baby doll ones across your nose. some women have blotchier ones, or, like me, get them all over -- the ones across the jaw line especially can look like stubble! not cute.
32i have light freckles on my nose and a little across my cheeks but it isn't always too bad. my friends say i look the same without the base exsept there's not freckles and some say they like my freckles but freckles make me feel as if my face is coated in acne....i guess it could be worse though...
thx for the advice though--
33I like my freckles I want to make them more noticable. What make up or color clothes should I wear to make them stand out?
34i don't see any freckles on her.
35Are you kidding me!!! What freckles!! I get so tired of makeup artists and beauty consultants using pictures like this to showcase freckles. Yes, America is lovely but her freckles are those that most TRUE redheads would kill for. Next time, how about showing a redhead covered in freckles and offering advice for someone who really needs it.
36Post New Comment
Please share your opinion with our community, but make sure it is on topic and follows our Community Rules. We moderate comments and prohibit personal attacks, threats, spam, lewd images, or the promotion of your personal website.