How To Make The Most Of Your Crazy-Gorgeous Freckles

No offense to girls with crystal-clear, flawless visages, but we're all about the freckle faces. There's just something so approachable, uniquely beautiful, and yes, adorable about a girl who rocks her dots. But, as all you freckly femmes out there know too well, makeup can sometimes be a challenge: How do you zhush up your complexion and even things out without completely hiding those amazing freckles?

To help you navigate your way through this confusing cosmetics conundrum, we chatted with professional makeup artist Karlo Karlo, for tips on how to make the most of those adorable dots.

The best way to get your freckles to steal the spotlight is to skip the full-coverage foundation and instead reach for a tinted moisturizer, which will enhance their appearance. A good option is Skin Tint FX Moisturizing Treatment & Tint, which gives you a healthy glow while enhancing your natural skin tones. If you just can't say no to your favorite foundation, be sure to pick a shade that matches your skin, never your freckles. "Also, avoid medium coverage foundations," advises Karlo "They will leave your skin looking very uneven in terms of pigment and color."

One of the greatest advantages freckle-faced beauties hold over their bare-skinned counterparts is their beauty marks' ability to act as a natural concealer. Freckles make tiny blemishes that may pop up on occasion less noticeable because they blend in, as opposed to standing out. However, if you need to hide some undereye circles or larger marks, choose a concealer that blends in smoothly— picking a shade that's too light will make your skin look uneven.

As for blushes and highlighting, there's one golden rule to keep in mind: Avoid — at all costs — shades that match the color of your freckles. "Play with colors like corals and pinks on your cheeks," says Karlo "But keep away from shades of browns and coppers." Far from displaying your spots, these colors will blotch your skin's appearance. If contouring is more your style, choose a sheer highlighter like Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed, which reflects and refracts light for the perfect flattering finish without that heavy veil effect.

Lastly, as we reach the peak of the summer months, keep in mind that proper sun protection is essential. "Additional exposure to the sun will accentuate freckles," explains Karlo. "Which is why they tend to darken and multiply in the summer. If you want to keep new freckles at bay, go for a moisturizer with 55 SPF or higher."