Emily Ratajkowski’s Freckles Look Almost Filtered

Are they AI-faux or real-faux?

Emily Ratajkowski
(Image credit: Getty Images)

In a world positively brimming with AI face filters, you can quickly get any beauty look you want. Lip filler? Easy. Skinny brows? You don't even have to ask! And while social media platforms have worked to make sure these filters are labeled, it’s sometimes hard to tell. Emily Ratajkowski's latest selfie offers the perfect example. While I know the model's freckles aren't entirely real, are they physically there in real life?

On Wednesday, January 10, the 32-year-old posted a selfie to her Instagram story. In the snap, it appears she's lying down somewhere cozy, partially covered with a blanket. Her face, on the other hand, is covered in something entirely different: A whole constellation of cute brown freckles that reach across her cheeks and nose, up her forehead and down below her nose.

Emily Ratajkowski

(Image credit: @emrata on Instagram)

While the Instagram post doesn't say a filter was applied, I have a sneaking suspicion the marks aren't entirely real, or even created with makeup. (Although it is also worth noting that makeup artists are so talented their work can pass as filter.) On the same day the selfie was posted, Ratajkowski was actually spotted in real life, out and about in New York City with no freckles to be found.

Does it really matter how the freckles came to be? Not necessarily, although the My Body author—with her thick brows, long lashes, and peachy-nude lips—does look extremely cute. I'm only interested because I love a beauty tip: In real life, online, anywhere. I want those freckles for myself.

Freelance Writer

Sophia Vilensky is a freelance beauty writer at Marie Claire, where she writes about the latest and greatest skincare launches, hair colors, and Cardi B manicures. Her work can also be found at Byrdie, Bravo, and Us Weekly. You can find her on Instagram @sophiavilensky.