thinking of trying faux freckles?
Jenna Mast
When an ad for PsuedoLabs showed up on my facebook feed, I thought “wtf, who would want faux freckles?!” and scrolled right by it. The next time I opened my Facebook app, sure enough there was another advertisement for PsuedoLabs’ hero product, PHreckles- a makeup made to mimic natural looking freckles. Unsure as to why/how I could be targeted for such a strange product, I decided to check it out. About an hour later, I had clicked through every photo on their instagram and placed my order.
Their website had only three options available: shades 1, 2, and 3, along with a helpful shade finder. Being that I normally opt for medium shades of foundation, I knew shade 2 would be my best bet, as shade 1 would likely be too subtle and shade 3 could be too jarring. Afterall, I wanted it to look subtle and enhance my look rather than be my look.
After what felt like forever (~1 week during the pandemic), my PHreckles arrived. PHreckles is a vegan waterproof makeup that claims to melt into the skin, resulting in a believable look. I opened the white leather sleeve it came packaged in and saw what looked like a small brown tube of lip gloss accompanied by a white, plastic toothpick. When I opened the “lipgloss” it had a mascara-like wand to apply the freckles. I had no idea what to expect as I splattered the product all over my mirror/hands/counters/face.
Using the toothpick to flick the bristles of the brown makeup brush towards my face for a natural look definitely took more than a little bit of practice before I felt confident with the application. Pro tip: test it out on bare skin until you’re comfortable with the method, it’s easier to remove if you add too much. After several days of use, I still cannot believe how natural these look and love how they really add a sun kissed glow without exposing your skin to harmful UV rays.
The website boasts that the product stays on the skin for 6-8 hours and is clinically proven to be water resistant up to 80 minutes. I didn’t jump in the ocean with this, but I did walk across the Brooklyn bridge in a fabric mask on a 90 degree day while wearing my PHreckles and they didn’t smudge with my sweat at all! However, if you are applying this on top of a foundation, I would only trust this to be as long lasting as the foundation it is applied on top of. I like using a bit of blush and bronzer on my bare skin and then layering PHreckles on top, but I’ve also used it directly on top of my foundation.
One 4.3ml bottle aims to last 4-6 months at $38. The amount of product for the price is great, but I do not think I will be able to finish this product in 6 months. If you’re not sure if this product is for you, check out their instagram (@psuedolabs) and swoon over their gorgeous posts before clicking onto their website to find your perfect shade.