Long Live Summer Freckles!
Wear makeup that shows off those summer freckles. (Photo: Ben Ritter / Makeup: Bobbi Brown)
I spent a lot of my childhood summers complaining about my freckles. I wasn’t covered in them, but after an afternoon in the sun, they would spread across my nose and cheeks and live there for the entire beach season. I cringed every time someone said to me, “Look how cute those freckles are!” I didn’t want to be some cute freckle-covered kid, I wanted to be a grownup with flawless, porcelain skin! (I’ll admit, I was a little dramatic.) I daydreamed about a product that would completely erase them and about being old enough to wear makeup that would completely cover them up.
Thankfully, times have changed and I’ve finally learned to embrace my freckles — especially in the summer. I slather a good deal of SPF on my face everyday (I’m a good beauty editor!), so when they do show up, they help to serve as a sign that I have been somewhere other than in front of my computer. And when they start to fade come mid-fall, I admit that I miss them. So when I am wearing makeup in the summer, I don’t want it to hide my sun-kissed skin. I asked makeup artist Lisa Aharon for her top tips for showing off freckles while still wearing makeup — and how to play them up long after the summer is over. Read on for her tips!
Make moisturizer #1
“Make sure that your skin is clean and use a good amount of moisturizer underneath your makeup — no matter what texture foundation you decide to work with. This will ensure an even skin base for easy application and provide you with SPF if you desire.”
Try: La Mer The Cleansing Lotion ($85) and Aesop Mandarin Facial Hydrating Cream ($49)
Keep it light
“Keep your foundation light, light, light! Even better, stick with tinted moisturizer through October. Apply it over your favorite skin cream with either your fingertips or a foundation brush, and buff it into the skin until it seemingly disappears. Make sure to get your jawline and fade it down to your neck.”
Try: Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint ($26) with Tom Ford’s Foundation Brush ($72)
Enhance your natural flush
“Choose a blush or bronzer that mimics the color of a natural flush or tan for your skin. When using bronzer, a shade or two darker will do, but skip anything with sparkles or shimmer. If you give your cheeks a pinch, you’ll be able to tell what a natural pink means for you.”
Try: Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel ($48) and Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge for Lips & Cheeks ($29) (Disclaimer: Bobbi Brown is the Editor-in-Chief of Yahoo Beauty)
Go sheer
“Keeping the bronzer or blush sheer is key. Gel and cream formulas make this easy, but if you have oilier skin, stick with a powder. When using creams and gels, your fingertips are your best friends — just make sure that they are clean! With powder, using a big fluffy brush will help you blend. Anything stiff will tend to stick to the foundation and look spotty.”
Try: Kevyn Aucoin Pure Powder Glow ($37) with Laura Mercier’s Face Brush ($35)
Map out your face
“When it comes to bronzer, placement can be confusing. Think of the natural high points where the sun hits your face: the tops of your cheeks, middle of your forehead, and the bridge of your nose. This will also create dimension and looks great over those cute little freckles that appear in the same spots!”
Related:
