How to Do Makeup on Freckled Skin

Makeup should be used to complement freckles, not hide them.

Many women have freckles on their faces, and although they used to be considered a flaw, today they are seen as a beautiful feature. Makeup experts do not advocate trying to cover up freckles, because doing so requires heavy concealer or foundation that makes the face look unnatural and overly made up. The method for choosing the right shades of makeup for a freckled complexion is different from selecting colors for a uniform skin tone.

Things You'll Need

• Sheer foundation
• Concealer (optional)
• Blush or bronzer
• Mascara
• Eyeliner
• Eye shadow
• Lipstick or gloss

Instructions

1. Apply a sheer or lightweight foundation that matches the shade of your skin beneath the freckles. A sheer formula will even your skin tone and possibly lighten your freckles somewhat, but it should appear natural and give you a "barely there" makeup look. Feel free to use a concealer for under-eyes and spot/blemish corrections.

2. Apply a blush or bronzer to the cheekbones and lightly anywhere the sunlight would naturally color your skin. Choosing a color for a freckled complexion can be somewhat counterintuitive, though. Women with freckles commonly have a cool skin tone. Women with a cool skin tone should use blush shades with pink or rosy undertones. A woman with freckles should steer clear of pinks and go for warm skin tone makeup with shades of peach, bronze or brown.

3. Apply eye makeup; eyeliner first, then shadow and finally mascara. Choose eye shades that best accentuate your eye color. Liner should be brown or black. The only real eye shadow rule for freckled women is to use a shade different than the color of their freckles (usually brown). Follow standard cool and warm skin tone rules when choosing eye shadow color. Finally, apply brown or black mascara.

4. Choose a lip color consistent with a warm skin tone, even if your freckled skin is a cool tone. Feel free to follow any trends, but stick to shades with a brown, peach or plum tone. For a natural look, a nude gloss accentuates your own lip color. Avoid shades with pink or rosy undertones.

Tips & Warnings

• Choose a foundation with at least an SPF of 15 to help protect delicate facial skin from being damaged by the sun's rays.

References

• Become Gorgeous.com: Best Make Up Tips for Freckles
• LOVELYish: Do you have a warm or cool skin tone?