I work in a beauty supply store where we sell makeup, hair care products, etc. We got these little “freckle pens” in recently.

When I was younger I would always get a few freckles in the summer from playing outside in the sun all day. Now that I am older, I try to take better care of my skin. I use sunscreen and try to limit my exposure.

I miss my freckles, so I decided to try the pen. I picked out the lightest shade so they would look natural. It worked wonderfully and now I use it almost every day.

I met up with one of my friends for lunch yesterday and she looked at me funny and asked “have you always had freckles?” I told her about the freckle pen and she told me that “it doesn’t sit right with her soul” that she was bullied as a child for having freckles and now people wear them as a fashion statement. I told her I that I just thought they were cute and she said that it felt like “cultural appropriation.”

I don’t think I’m in the wrong here. Obviously it sucks that she was bullied but I don’t think using a freckle pen is the same thing as cultural appropriation.

EDIT: For those asking the pen I used is the freckle pen by lime crime. I got the shade amber, but they have a couple darker shades too. (And a magenta shade too) NOT WATERPROOF

As for the friend I’m probably just not gonna use the pen anymore when we hang out. I only see her once every few weeks anyways! Not really worth imo