If you are a photographer or are interested in film or theater, disguises and changing your appearance are part of the game. However, you don’t need to purchase every costume at the store. Keep reading as we provide you with a step-by-step guide to creating fake freckles using only coffee.
Before You Begin
We recommend gathering all your tools and supplies before you get started so you won’t need to stop. For this project, you will need an old toothbrush, a pointed makeup brush, blush, a mild face cleaner, clean clothes, instant coffee, and water.
- Instant coffee
- Pointed makeup brush
- Blush
- Mild face cleanser
- Old toothbrush
- Old clothing
- Drop cloth
- Water
How to Make Fake Freckles Using Coffee
1. Clean Up
We recommend washing your face thoroughly with a mild cleanser to remove any oils, makeup, and dirt before you get started and let it dry completely before moving on to the next step.
2. Cover Up
Creating fake freckles can be quite messy and might even stain certain materials, so we recommend wearing old clothing and working in an area where you can place a drop cloth and other coverings to protect the walls and floor.
3. Make the Fake Freckle Juice
To make your fake freckle juice, you will need instant coffee. The brand doesn’t matter, so unless you enjoy drinking it, get the cheapest kind that you can find. Use just enough warm water to dissolve the coffee grounds while you stir it with a spoon.
4. Apply the Freckles
The best way to create natural-looking freckles is to use an old toothbrush. Dip the bristles into your freckle juice, and hold the toothbrush at about an arm’s length away. Use your other hand to pull back the head and let go so freckle juice will splash on your face.
5. Repeat
The farther away that you hold the toothbrush from your face, the more natural the freckles will appear. However, it will also make a bigger mess because much of the splatter will land elsewhere. You will also need to splatter your face several times to get a more natural freckle spread.
6. Use the Pointed Brush
Holding the toothbrush far from your face will give you randomly placed freckles that look natural. However, many people like to add freckles around the nose. Bringing the toothbrush in closer will only make larger freckles, so you must switch to a pointed makeup brush and add the freckles manually. This can be a challenging step, so don’t be surprised if it takes you a few tries to achieve a natural appearance.
7. Fade the Freckles
The freckles might appear too dark in many cases, especially when putting several in the nose area. Once the freckles dry, you can use blush or even a light concealer to help fade the freckles and make them look more natural.
8. Clean Up
While instant coffee can stain many surfaces, it’s easy to get off your face using warm soapy water and a mild face cleanser.
Things to Remember
- The most important thing to remember is the closer the toothbrush is to your face, the larger the freckles will be. Large freckles do not look as natural as small ones and can also drip, destroying the illusion that you are working hard to create.
- Having a friend splatter your face with freckle juice from a greater distance can make the freckles look more natural.
- Use as little water as possible to create the freckle juice.
Final Thoughts
Creating fake freckles with coffee is extremely easy if you have instant coffee and an old toothbrush. You can also enhance it with a pointed brush; the result can be quite realistic. The only downside is that it can make a big mess, so make sure you cover all surfaces before you get started or create the freckles outside to reduce cleanup. Also, remember that it can take several attempts with the pointy brush to create natural-looking freckles around the nose.
Featured Image Credit: Daniil Lebedev, Unsplash
