The $9 Amazon Product Behind TV’s Most Talked-About Freckles
The makeup artist of ‘Heated Rivalry’ shares her secret to designing the lovable facial feature.
Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Getty/HBO
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The makeup artist for Heated Rivalry has revealed the surprisingly affordable product she used in transforming its lead actor into 2026’s most lovable heartthrob.
Everyone got swept up by Heated Rivalry mania this holiday season. The Canadian gay hockey show that no one saw coming is an international sensation, shooting to the top of HBO Max’s most-streamed list while skyrocketing not one, but two brand-new stars to celebrity status.
Canadian actor Hudson Williams, 24, plays Shane Hollander, a hockey player secretly in love with league rival Ilya Rozanov, played by American actor Connor Storrie, 25. The show is filled with equal parts longing and lusting; a friend of mine described it as “an eight-year-long situationship.”
The unexpected breakout star of the show: Williams’s tiny yet impactful freckles, which were designed by Joan Chell, head of the show’s makeup department.
Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie in 'Heated Rivalry'
HBO
As the emotional heart of the series, the camera lingers on his face in every episode. You see his babygirl blush whenever he and Rozanov dirty text. And you see him pout as he types (and deletes) the infamous “We didn’t even kiss,” message post-hookup.
His on-screen paramour and viewers alike have lusted over Williams’s freckles.
Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander in Heated Rivalry.
Sabrina Lantos/HBO
“These women are so sexy and fun, but I am always thinking about this slow f---ing hockey player with beautiful freckles and a weak backhand,” Rozanov says in one episode.
Accounts on BookTok, the literary community on TikTok, have even taken the time to specifically highlight Rozanov’s love for Hollander’s freckles in dedicated fan edits.
Yet, in real life, Williams doesn’t have freckles.
'Heated Rivalry' actor Hudson Williams, without his faux freckles, at Chateau Marmont on December 11, 2025, in Los Angeles.
Amy Sussman/Getty Images
“We don’t talk enough about the fact that somewhere a makeup artist on that set painstakingly added all those freckles to Hudson’s face,” said another user on TikTok.
Williams's signature faux freckles in behind-the-scenes shots from 'Heated Rivalry.'
Joan Chell
Chell told the Looker that she actually used Maykoo’s $9 freckle stamp to create Williams’s sun-kissed look.
Maykoo Freckle Stamp
A waterproof, quick-dry faux freckle formula that comes with a stamper applicator.
“I just got them from Amazon,” she told the Looker. Chell used the lightest two colors: Light Brown ($9, Amazon) and Coffee ($9, Amazon) for Williams.
A behind-the-scenes photo of Hudson Williams's makeup on set.
Joan Chell
“The stamps were great because they stayed and had staying power,” Chell said. “When he would sweat, or if we had to add sweat, it would break them down a bit, so we’d have to retouch it afterwards. But other than that, I was really surprised how well the product [worked].”
Because the show is so physical, Chell would set Williams’s freckles with European Body Art’s Pro Seal ($14, Performance Makeup)—a professional film makeup and effects line.
For on-set touch-ups throughout the day, Chell would use Maykoo’s Waterproof Pen Set ($10, Amazon) in the corresponding shade. These are even cheaper, considering you get four pens in a set.
Maykoo Set of Four Freckle Pens
A set of four, waterproof, quick-dry faux freckle pens.
Should you want to recreate Williams’s freckles in real life, Chell says you’d probably be fine with a normal setting spray. The makeup artist also worked on Lola Tung’s freckles for the upcoming film, The Forbidden Fruits, where she used the same freckle tools, but set with the One/Size On ‘Til Dawn Setting Spray ($34, Sephora), “because [Tung] wasn’t playing hockey or anything like that.”
Chell used the Maykoo stamp included with the cheek ink, but preferred a softer silicone applicator ($7, Amazon) around the contours of the nose for more precision. “I can’t even remember [what brand it is], but you can get it on Amazon. You just punch in ‘silicone freckle stamps,’ and you’ll get something,” she said.
Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander in Heated Rivalry.
Sabrina Lantos/HBO
“I start with the darker [shade], and I do little spots here and there, either with the hard stamp, and then with the silicone stamp, and then I will dilute them a bit,” Chell told the Looker.
Chell recommends keeping isopropyl alcohol and some Q-tips around to help lighten any freckles that may come out too harshly. You may also want to test-stamp on a napkin or tissue to ensure it doesn’t come out too heavy.
Another shot of Hudson's faux freckles taken by makeup artist Joan Chell on set for continuity purposes.
Joan Chell
Part of the show’s runaway success seems to be the low-budget charm. Eagle-eyed viewers have clocked the same LED screen backdrop reused several times, certain scenes changing due to supposed budget constraints, and even inside jokes about the crew stepping in as background extras to save costs.