- The beauty trend of adding fake freckles has long existed, but it's becoming super popular on TikTok.
- Viewers who have natural freckles, and said they were bullied because of them, are wincing at the viral trend.
If you have freckles, chances are you may have grown up with a complicated relationship with them. There are numerous threads online written by people who said they've been bullied for their natural skin feature, and called phrases like "freckle face," "pizza face," and "connect the dots."
Yet, most people with freckles grow to embrace them later in life, and their appeal seems to cycle in and out of fashion. Fake freckle products have even been introduced that allow people without freckles to dot their faces for effect. Lately, with the rise of TikTok Shop, which incentivizes influencers to push their favorite products on viewers for a commission, the trend has seen a huge resurgence on the app.
It's also sparking a curious discourse among the freckled community. Some are bemused by these videos and viral products, saying they used to go to great lengths to cover them up because they didn't like how they looked.
@kay_caputo My go-to hack for saving a natural makeup look #natural #makeup #nomakeupmakuep #overboard #freckles ♬ original sound - Kayla Caputo
One of the most popular recent fake freckle videos features the TikToker Kayla Caputo, who has 116,000 followers. In her clip from Wednesday, which has been viewed over 2.4 million times, she recommended people add fake freckles as a remedy for putting on too much makeup so that they can achieve a more "natural" look. She showed how she dapples the pen on her cheek and nose areas and blends the fake freckles in.
The top comments were all by people who said they were profoundly "confused" and by this new trend.
"I've always had freckles and I was always told, 'freckles aren't pretty,' this trend confuses me," one person wrote. "I have this exact type of freckle pattern on my face naturally and I used to always get full coverage foundation to hide them," another added.
Some people who said they have natural freckles were vehemently annoyed.
"I hate this trend! I got made fun of my whole life for my freckles. Now here we are stamping them!" a user wrote.
Still, many responses found the trend delightful — both from freckled people and those who were eager to buy the product and try it.
"As someone who got bullied my whole childhood for having freckles this trend EATS," one user wrote. "I've been waiting for them to be the thing."
"I was made fun of for my freckles as a kid, this makes me happy to see," said another.
@sarahebaus Jump scare at the end hahaha and OMG they are $10 I FEEL SO CUTE #frecklesgirl #fauxfreckles #fakefreckles ♬ original sound - sarahebaus
Earlier this month, a popular video by the creator Sarah Baus (@sarahebaus) introduced another fake freckle product that's also gone viral. She showed viewers a unique cushion contraption with pins attached to it that sprinkles her face with a pattern instantly. The TikToker described herself in the video as the "queen of freckles." Her video has been viewed 154,000 times and is also labeled "eligible for commission" under TikTok Shop.
Just like with Caputo's clip, the comments were flooded with the same discourse — as some are bewildered by the beauty trend, and others say it's made them love their natural features more.
"As a kid I hated my freckles, but as an adult I love them! I totally get your excitement lol," one user wrote. Another person said they always tried to cover their freckles up with lemon juice but they now understand the appeal.
One commenter even noted that ake freckles have become so popular lately, thanks to TikTok, they've been constantly asked whether their real freckles are authentic.