Ahh freckles, those lovely speckles that make their way across our face come the first day of sunshine each spring. I’ve always been a freckle-face, I think my mum summed it up quite nicely when she said, “sweetheart, I don’t think you tan at all, your freckles just connect themselves.” Silly childhood worries and nicknames aside, our freckles have stood their ground staking claim on our face into adulthood.

For many freckles are an annoyance and they turn to things like skin bleaching, expensive laser treatments, strange concoctions (lemon juice and onion anyone?) or covering them up with heavy foundation. My best tip for freckles? Embrace them. 

Here are some makeup tips for how to work with your freckles and let your best skin shine through:

Sunscreen: Wearing sunscreen every day is very important, especially if you have fair skin and freckles making you more vulnerable to the sun’s rays and damage. A sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30, like Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch SPF 55, will help keep freckles from darkening and keep new ones from appearing on your face.

Foundation: If you have freckles you’ve probably been accustomed to wearing a heavy foundation to cover them up. Using full-coverage foundation to cover freckles can be too much leaving your face looking dated, cake-y and unnatural. Those with freckles should opt for a sheer foundation that evens out skin tone but still lets freckles shine through. A tinted moisturizer like Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer works perfectly by adding just the sheerest coverage and a hint of color to even skin tone.

Another great option for sheer coverage would be a mineral foundation. Mineral foundation keeps skin from looking cake-y and light-reflecting particles draw attention away from your freckles. I really love Bare Minerals, the coverage is build-able meaning you can add as little or as much coverage as you need and you can’t even feel it once its on your face.

Blush/Bronzer: Freckles can add warmth to skin tone so while you might otherwise be a cool-toned girl, warmer colors might look better on your face. When it comes to blush/bronzer go for neutral or peachy shades and don't cake them over your freckles, you just want a subtle glow that still allows your freckles to shine through. I love Nars The Multiple in Orgasm, it works well for most skin tones and has a nice sheen which helps to achieve that perfect glow.

One last thing, stay away from products with obvious glitter or shimmer. While a nice light-reflecting sheen can be great for a dewy glow, I find that while having freckles sprinkled about, anything else speckled on the face can be too much only emphasizing the freckles and making them stand out more. So definitely stay away from obvious glitter and sparkles.

I hope you enjoyed my freckle tips and don’t forget, celebrate those freckles as a face without freckles is like a sky without stars.