Once upon a time, freckles were considered such aberrations that women would do anything to get rid of, or at least conceal, them.
Talk about an about-face: Now, freckles are downright desirable.
Topshop and other beauty purveyors sell “freckle pencils,” while Kickstarter-funded company Freck Yourself offers stencil-like adhesives that will leave your skin all sun-kissed and speckled. But hardcore freckle fetishists can go a step further: They can get these spots tattooed on their faces.
Semipermanent freckle tattoos use pigment in lieu of ink, can last up to three years and cost about $250, according to the site NewBeauty.
“I’d say for freckles, it’s clients who naturally will get some in the summertime with sun exposure, but want them yearlong,” Montreal-based tattoo artist Gabrielle Rainbow tells the beauty publication. Rainbow first experimented with faux freckles after seeing her best friend struggling with painting on a smattering of specks on her face each morning.
“I really don’t recommend tattooing your own face,” Rainbow tells NewBeauty. “But once I saw that it worked out, and I liked the effect, I decided to do hers.”
Faux freckles are just the latest beauty trend celebrating so-called “imperfections.” Two years ago, designers and fashion editors went gaga over braces, outfitting their runway models teeth with orthodontia or putting metal-mouthed adolescents on their fancy magazine covers.
Meanwhile, unruly eyebrows a la Frida Kahlo and thick glasses — a fixture at the always-hot Gucci shows — have become must-have accessories. Two days ago, model India Rose Instagrammed a photo of herself backstage at Maison Margiela’s couture presentation, with the caption, “All I want this season is a show that gives me freckles again.”
But while drawing spots on one’s face is one thing, getting them tattooed is quite another. For one, a needle can puncture the skin too deeply, or the tattoo artist can use inks that may cause infections.
“Because this is your face, it’s important that you do your research and find artists who aren’t afraid to show their portfolio and healed work,” Rainbow tells NewBeauty. “Even if this is ‘semipermanent,’ there are risks.”