Maya Rudolph Says It's Time We Embrace This Beauty Trait

The actress and comedian on learning to love her unique "constellation" of freckles...

WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, MY FRECKLES... Made me think, “Oh my god, what’s wrong with me?” I didn’t know anyone with freckles. I remember my mom having cute little moles, but nothing like mine. I think the things we celebrate as adults are the things that make us feel singular when we’re kids. It’s funny—today, when I look in the mirror, I don’t see my freckles. I’m used to the constellation on my face.

THE TREND OF DRAWING ON FAKE FRECKLES SEEMS... So shocking to my 8-year-old self. It’s so interesting to see that natural skin and freckles have become trendy when for years directors asked me to cover mine. I’ve seen tons of pictures of me over the years with them airbrushed out—without anyone having ever asked me. I look at [those images] and go, “Why do I look so different? Oh, it’s because my face is as clear as a bell.”

“I think this was my favorite makeup look ever. It was sheer and natural. It felt like me.”

MY FRECKLES REALLY COME OUT... In the sun. I grew up in Los Angeles, so I’ve been in the sun my whole life. But I’m careful about it now, and I check my moles. I go through a lot of sunscreens, but I love SkinCeuticals.

ON MY KIDS' FACES, I SEE... That each has a different version of freckles, whether it’s a speckled bridge across their nose and cheeks or, with my oldest, more prominent beauty marks, like me.

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MY BEAUTY ICONS ARE... People like Alicia Keys and Alia Shawkat, who go out there looking like themselves, freckles and all. It makes me so happy that my kids have options to look at. My only option growing up was Lisa Bonet. Don’t get me wrong, I couldn’t have had a more beautiful option. But she was the only person where I could say, “Wow! She’s mixed like me. I want to look like her.” Thank God my kids have 20 Lisa Bonets to choose from!

Maya Rudolph can be seen in the film Life of the Party in May.

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