For generations, the teenage skincare ritual involved layers of concealer to hide unsightly breakouts. Today, a new generation is flipping the script, deliberately drawing attention to their spots with brightly coloured pimple patches. What was once a private treatment has become a very public statement, driven by A-list celebrities and embraced by Gen Z.
The Celebrity Stamp of Approval
This trend reached a new level of visibility on Saturday when Cruz Beckham, the youngest son of David and Victoria Beckham, attended the high-profile wedding of swimmer Adam Peaty and Holly Ramsay at Bath Abbey. Dressed impeccably in a suit from his mother's brand and a tweed coat, Cruz was nonetheless spotted with a pimple patch clearly visible on his face. Whether an intentional fashion choice or a simple oversight, his appearance placed him firmly among the growing list of celebrities normalising the public display of acne treatments.
He is far from alone. The trend has been wholeheartedly adopted by a constellation of stars including Justin Bieber, Hailey Bieber, Florence Pugh, Millie Bobby Brown, Nicola Peltz Beckham, Willow Smith, and Anne Hathaway. These fun-shaped, often star-adorned stickers, which typically use hydrocolloid to draw out impurities and reduce redness, have become a common sight on red carpets and social media feeds.
Etiquette Expert Condemns "Cultureless" Trend
Not everyone views this shift as a positive form of self-expression. Laura Windsor, a renowned etiquette expert known as the 'Queen of Etiquette' who has advised Netflix on Bridgerton, has sharply criticised the practice. She labels it a "public performance and status-chasing" rather than a genuine form of empowerment.
"When people think it’s OK to step outside with pore strips and pimple patches plastered across their faces, it’s not 'self-care'; it reveals a cultureless mindset," Windsor told the Daily Mail. She argues it shows a disregard for decorum and context, blurring the lines between private grooming and public appearance. "It’s actually public grooming... Most people want to hide their spots, not broadcast them to the world!"
Stars Champion the "Cute" Skincare Accessory
Despite the criticism, celebrities continue to champion the patches as both effective and stylish. Hailey Bieber has publicly declared her love for Starface pimple patches, stating they "heal a pimple way faster" and "look cute." Her husband, Justin, has been photographed wearing them multiple times, even sharing on Instagram that he relied on them after a facial caused his skin to "purge."
Actress Maisie Williams enthusiastically shared the product with her followers, celebrating the freedom to wear them "for no reason." Meanwhile, Anne Hathaway posted a bare-faced selfie adorned with colourful star patches, captioning it "stars, they're just like us." She has spoken about her evolving approach to skincare, noting that prioritising it has led her to wear less makeup in her daily life.
The debate, framed by Cruz Beckham's wedding appearance, encapsulates a generational clash over beauty standards, privacy, and self-presentation. Where one side sees a confident rejection of perfectionism, the other sees a coarsening of public decorum. As the stickers remain stuck on famous faces, the conversation about what is appropriate to share with the world shows no sign of fading.
