SPOT ON
Real, fake, tattooed, or glittered, the allure of freckles is stronger than ever. By Anne Lee.
“Glory be to God for dappled things,” said the Victorian poet Gerard Manley Hopkins, and that couldn’t be more apt today. After Meghan Markle bared her milk-chestnut freckles for the world to see at the wedding of the year, it didn’t come as a surprise when the beauty community followed suit ASAP and went as far as tattooing sprinkles of freckles on their faces. Freckling, as it’s called, has gone up in requests alongside Markle Mania, according to US-based tattoo artists Gabrielle Rainbow and Bethany Wolosky. “Cosmetic tattooing or permanent makeup is really on the rise, and with any trend, you have people who will want to take advantage of that,” says Rainbow. Freckles give the skin an instant sporty sun-kissed feel, as seen on supermodels such as Gisele Bündchen and Adwoa Aboah, both of whom have worn the smattering of speckles loud and proud—in real life and on shoots. For those born with freckles, optimise them by easing up on the foundation and opt for a tinted moisturiser or sheer foundation instead. Alternatively for the freckle-curious, simply dot and swivel with a pencil liner sporadically across the face with different shades, from beige brown to coloured metallics or glitter, with varying sizes dispersed randomly for a more realistic effect. Then, apply some blush and highlighter to draw attention to your cheeks. Consider this, the Snapchat freckle filter 2.0, #IRL.