An influencer is at the center of a social media storm after painting semi-permanent henna freckles on her face.
Elle James, 25, from Britain, has amassed 125,000 followers on Instagram by sharing video makeup tutorials and tips.
But her latest video, showcasing the ‘faux freckle’ trend, has sparked a debate, with people saying her extreme version of the trend is mocking people with facial pigmentation problems.
In a videouploaded to her account @ellejamesmakeup on May 2, the content creator demonstrated her step-by-step method for achieving natural-looking freckles.
This trend, which has become increasingly popular in the past year, involves using self-tanning or natural henna paint to paint a series of ‘freckles’ dots across the T-zone of the face. The idea is that the dots will eventually fade to a subtler, more natural look.
But Elle’s extreme version of the trend was compared to vitiligo and other skin pigment conditions.
Elle James, 25, from Britain, is a make-up artist with 125,000 followers on Instagram, but it’s her latest contribution to the ‘faux freckle’ trend that has really got the internet talking
Elle captioned the video: ‘What do we think?? PS I naturally have a lot of freckles, just not as dark as this.’
In the clip, the influencer is seen sporting faded henna freckles, before showing off how she “tops off” the look with fresh dye.
She produces a tube of dark brown henna and begins drawing clusters of dots across the bridge of her nose, cheeks, eyelids, forehead and chin.
After Elle is satisfied with the final application, she lets the dye sit for five minutes.
She then wipes off the excess product with a damp cotton pad, leaving noticeable spots that should fade over the next few days for a more natural look.
Despite her enthusiasm, more than 4,900 comments poured in, with many criticizing the method and concept behind it, while others remained offended as they felt the trend trivialized natural freckles and the experiences of those who have them.
One wrote: ‘It looks like a bad condition,’ while another said: ‘This doesn’t look like cute freckles. It seems that the help of a dermatologist is needed. Where does this trend come from?! Real freckles don’t look like that.’
A third wrote: ‘This is insulting to anyone who actually has facial pigmentation problems. For them it is not a trend.
‘Not to mention whether this young woman is willing to accept the increased risk of SKIN CANCER, which is actually a reality for real freckles. SUCH A PITY.’
Elle produces a tube of dark brown henna and begins drawing clusters of dots across the bridge of her nose, cheeks, eyelids, forehead and chin.
After she’s happy with the final application, Elle lets the dye sit for five minutes before wiping away the excess with a damp cotton pad.
Distinctive specks are left behind that are meant to fade over the next few days for a more natural look
Despite her enthusiasm, more than 4,900 responses poured in, many of which criticized the method and concept behind it
One baffled individual commented: ‘I will never understand why people do this. I’ve been covering mine all my life!’
Another advised the influencer: ‘Why? It looks unrealistic and ridiculous… you don’t need this! Be confident in your own skin.’
One account, which appeared to be an aesthetics company, suggested: ‘I think less would give a more natural result.’
It comes after a new test analyzes your genetic makeup to tell you exactly which traits you inherited from each parent.
Family history site Ancestry has launched a kit that can reveal which parent influenced certain physical and behavioral traits, including whether you are an introvert or extrovert, or who gave you your freckles.