6 best freckle pens to achieve Hailey Bieber’s ‘strawberry’ make-up look

You can get quite precise with the fine-tipped applicator, whether you want to draw on a cluster or apply delicate single spots here and there. Simply dot and if you’re fair like our tester, tap out with your fingertip after a few seconds to soften and blend. Leave on slightly longer for a bolder, darker effect. Fuss-free and effortless to use, this mimicked a soft but most importantly realistic freckled finish that has all-day staying power too.

On first use, we thought this was going to be a tricky product to get the hang of, as the watery consistency makes it almost impossible not to draw on freckles with different strengths of pigment. Yet, we found this actually adds to the illusion of a realistic scattering of freckles that aren’t all the same colour naturally anyway. There’s a light or deep shade to pick from, we tried the one designed for fair skin where the key is to blend after just a few seconds to get a sheer, sun-kissed and very natural barely there finish.

Just as the name suggests, this is the original faux freckle pen that started the trend. It’s tiny compared with the rest, which, in our opinion, is its downfall, too. Otherwise, it would go straight to the top of this round-up.

That being said, it might be small but it is also mighty. It’s a universal shade that the longer you leave on, the darker your freckles will go, although it’s still not suitable for darker skin tones – you’ll need to opt for the freck noir (£25, Beautybay.com). Expect it to be easy to use, mimicking buildable brown spots with a staying power that lasts until make-up take-off. It’s still hard to beat.

Once you get past the fact that this looks just like a permanent felt-tip marker pen, you realise how effortless the thick nib makes application. The key with this one is to directly tap and blend, not giving it any time to dry and you’ll create the most believable finish. Unfortunately, there’s only one shade that’ll work for fair to medium skin tones and isn’t suitable for darker complexions.

Reach for the “amber” shade of this freckle pen for sheer-toned freckles that will look soft and blend and blur naturally on to even the fairest complexion. There’s also a “cocoa” shade that draws on medium-toned beauty marks. The felt-tip pen makes light work of creating the finest freckles with a light hand, as well as more rounded pigment spots with more pressure – creating a natural asymmetrical real-looking finish.

Turn to Barry M for the darkest faux freckles we put to the test, with two shades to choose from in its budget make-up collection. The first will suit those addicted to their fake tan and the second will work well on medium to deeper skin tones.

The tint is water-like, so the key to nailing a flawless finish with this one is to let it dry and then seal with a translucent powder or setting spray. Still, a great option when you consider the price.