Freckles and foundation

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

I generally only wear eye make up and lipstick, but do sometimes think that I would like a daily wear something for my skin. The problem is I have a lot of freckles over my cheekbones (more freckle than skin) and anything light coverage seems to just make my face look dirty because of them.

I have in the past worn foundation with good coverage for special occasions, but for day to day I want to look natural but even out the skin tone (I have quite a lot of variation in skin tone as well as the freckles). I don't mind the freckles showing through, but don't want them looking a dirty grey. Oh and I'm 47 with some crows feet.

Does anyone have any miracle products that might work? I live a long way from anywhere with decent make-up counters (Boots, Superdrug, Clinique, Clarins, Benefit locally) but I do get to House of Fraser occasionally. I hate trying stuff on in Boots etc, very hard to get a good feel for what suits from the smudgy testers and bad lighting.

[ShebaQueen]

I'm watching with interest as I have the same problem, I've tried mineral foundation and although it felt nice, it looked a bit patchy.

I think a lot of people recommend Estee Lauder Double Wear, I've never tried it, but I understand it's full coverage.

Hopefully someone else will come along shortly with some other recommendations.

[BOFster]

Does this help? I don't know, as I don't have freckles, but I think they're beautiful and I can totally see that you wouldn't want them to be greyed out.

[TryingNotToLaugh]

I have a squillion freckles. I can't wear foundation as it just looks wrong. At the moment I wear origins vitazing which I've had some nice comments about. I chop n change quite a bit, but always a tinted moisturiser type thing rather than anything opaque.

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

Thank you, that's a useful article BOFster, I only ever use pink blusher so at least I'm getting something right (not that I use it very often). I've been using a cream to powder compact from th Body Shop just on the skin at the sides of my nose which is quite pink, it evens that part out but if I use it over the whole face I feel a bit old lady powdery when I'd rather be dewy and freshfaced (might be a bit optimistic TBH).

I don't seem to see tinted moisturisers so much nowadays, seems to be BB creams everywhere, I did try the Garnier one but it seemed a little cakey.

[squoosh]

What about Nars Tinted Mosituriser?

I hate when beauty counters try to match a foundation to the freckle rather than the skin under the freckle.

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

I think I need to get myself into the nearest city to some proper beauty counters, never seen Nars round here.

[Scrumbled]

It is worth taking a trip to the counters, that way you can try different shades.

I'm freckled and Clarins Skin illusion works for me in winter. It provides a very light coverage which is easy to apply. I say winter because I had a trial in winter and it's too pale for me in full summer, as my base skin goes several shades deeper, freckles darker and more numerous.

Before discovering that one I tended too avoid foundation and tried lots of BB and tinted moisturizers. Most of these were the wrong shade to, too orange or too pink. This summer I've found that a L'Oreal BB cream has been right for me when I have to dress up for work.

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

Yes, it's definitely easier in winter skin. My cheekbones are almost entirely freckle in summer, I saw a photo someone had taken of me side on with poor lighting the other day and it looked as though I had a dirty streak on my face. There's a Clarins counter in a small dept store close to where I work, I might pop in and ask about the Skin Illusion.

[flippinada]

I have this issue too, my freckles hang around all year although they're more numerous in summer. I used to hate them when I was younger but like them now.

I find clinique cc cream is very good for an everyday base. Bit more coverage than a tinted moisturiser but still natural looking.

[flippinada]

squoosh snap. Pet hate of mine. I always ask them to match to a non freckly bit.

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

I'm pretty sure there's Clinique in the local store too, will have to pop in this week :)

[flippinada]

If you're going to a counter, their Even Better foundation is also very good - they have a really good shade range and it's cheaper than the cc cream. Might be worth a shot (I don't work for them, honest ) .

[mum786]

I like looking at people with freckles and ginger or red hair. Really pretty.

[MarshaBrady]

Freckles are great, but yes go for something lighter like a tinted moisturiser.

[Leviticus]

Botanics BB cream from Boots looks good on me - even skin tone with freckles still showing.

[ThisBitchIsResting]

I don't have freckles but like light coverage and I wear a primer with SPF, then Bourjois healthy mix serum on top. It's very light, little more than a tinted moisturiser and lovely pale shades. One squeeze of pump gives very sheer coverage, I use 1.5 squeezes

[bettereveryday]

i have freckles but havent got the red or ginger hair- mor elike dark blonde/light brown..but lately ive noitced they are all over my face now and they of course more visible in the summer. Im using chanel tinted moitturiser from Beige series just to even out the rest of my face ( i guess the space between freckles) and I love it...I didnt think about winter coverage yet but I guess Ill have to find soemthign to maybe much the freckles???

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

No red hair here either, deep, dark brown. I'm not freckly all over, just my face, my skin tone is pale olive.

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

Update - went to the local department store and found that not only was there Clarins and Clinique but they also have Lancome, Chanel and Estee Lauder. So, I went to the Chanel and Lancome counters last week. Chanel didn't have anything the right colour, but I really liked Lancome Miracle Air de Tent, I've got a sample of that. Didn't have time to do the rest of the counters, also my skin's sensitive so I didn't want too many different products on and off in one day. Will go back today if I have time after work and try the other counters.

However it has occurred to me that this isn't really the best time of year to buy these products as my freckles and skin colour will rapidly go pale over the next couple of months and they are expensive, so I might leave it a while and go back for a winter product and try again in spring for freckle-friendliness. Thank you all for your suggestions, and I will look for Nars next time I venture into civilisation.

[cleanmachine]

I have the same problem. I used to hate my freckles as I thought they made my skin look marked. However, my dh absolutely loves them and so do my kids. I love them myself now. I'm olive skinned so they look quite unusual and I've often been complimented on them! I definitely think having freckles has become trendier.

I'm not a big foundation wearer but used to use it to cover up. Now I don't. I just moisturise as I find even tinted moisturisers make the freckles look patchy.

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

That's how I've always been Clean - happy with the freckles and never used foundation regularly. It's really just that my skin is starting to look a bit aged now and the skin tone (notwithstanding freckles) is really uneven, that's what I want to eliminate. The Lancome foundation did a good job of evening things up without blotting out the freckles.

[Sparkletastic]

I'm a right freckle face - brunette, pale skin tone, tend to oily, pores like handbags if I'm not careful. Agree with tinted moisturiser as way to go - I swear by Laura Mercier for day, bourgeois Healthy Mix for nights.

[BustleInYourHedgerow]

I use skin79 bb cream on mine for day to day. Its Korean bb cream and it's fab stuff. The Orange one has spf 50 which is fab. The freckles show through but they don't look dirty. I get mine from singsinggirl on eBay, there are fakes out there but she is trustworthy.

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

I now have samples of Clarins Skin Illusion and Clinique CC. :)

[Carpaccio]

I have freckles more or less all over my face, mainly from cheekbones to jawbone and on my nose, less on forehead and chin.

I use a yellow-toned light-medium coverage foundation in a tone that matches my skin (not the freckles). I don't like covering up my freckles as I quite like them, but the foundations I use do seem to even out my skin tone and some freckles are less visible, but that's about it.

I really like Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser (I use the oil free version as I have oily skin), Mac Face and Body foundation, Diorskin Nude and Estee Lauder Double Wear Light. Which one I wear depends on my mood. I use a Real Techniques Buffing Brush or Expert Face Brush - it really makes a massive difference in my opinion.

There are some foundations, especially fuller coverage ones that can make the freckles look like grey dirty on my face. Clarins Everlasting is especially bad at this for me at least.