Midlife skincare fanatics will remember slathering on layers of concealer to hide embarrassing breakouts when they were teenagers.

But now Gen Z are so unbothered that they are drawing attention to their spots by wearing brightly coloured pimple patches.

It's now become cool to go out in public with a face full of medicated stickers in a trend driven by A-listers such as Justin Bieber, Nicola Peltz Beckham and Millie Bobby Brown.

Dozens of famous faces have been battling their breakouts in public with the fun-shaped products - which claim to draw out oil and help heal blemishes quickly - including Hailey Bieber, Florence Pugh, Willow Smith and Anne Hathaway.

On Saturday, Cruz Beckham took the fad one step further by wearing the accessory to Adam Peaty and Holly Ramsay's wedding at Bath Abbey.

Joining his parents, brother Romeo and sister Harper at the star-studded occasion, the youngest son of Sir David and Victoria Beckham was dressed to impress in a suit designed by his mother's eponymous brand, layered with a tweed coat.

But despite his impeccable style, Cruz had seemingly forgotten to remove the pimple patch which was stuck to his face - or the choice may well have been intentional, considering the many celebs who have started wearing them out of the house.

However, the trend has been labelled a 'public performance and status-chasing' and 'not a form of empowerment' by the Queen of Etiquette, Laura Windsor, who has been an expert on all things decorum and elegance for years.

Discussing A-listers and the everyday person wearing pimple patches in public or on social media, Laura, who has previously advised Netflix on Regency-era social graces for the hit series Bridgerton, told the Daily Mail it reveals a 'cultureless mindset'.

She said: '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 who has lost its bearings - where anything goes, anywhere and at any time with no respect for decorum, context or basic respect for others. 

'When people don’t know when something is appropriate, how public behaviour reflects one’s values or most importantly why standards even exist, then nothing is held sacred, and nothing is off limits. It doesn’t make society freer - it just makes it coarser.

'And let’s be honest - when has pore patches or pimple patches made anyone look attractive? They add nothing - in fact, they detract. 

'They draw attention to exactly what most people would rather conceal! It’s actually public grooming and grooming, by definition, should be done behind closed doors, along with brushing your teeth, shaving, and applying makeup. 

'Most people want to hide their spots, not broadcast them to the world! It’s not a form of empowerment - it’s a public performance and status-chasing.'

Starface pimple patches - the ones regularly worn by some celebs - work for many people by using hydrocolloid to draw out gunk and reduce redness overnight, protecting spots from picking.

Prominent figures who have leaned into the trend include Hailey Bieber, Florence Pugh, Anne Hathaway, Bella Hadid and Dua Lipa. 

Hailey first declared her love for the Starface pimple patch in a YouTube video of her skincare routine titled 'Getting Ready for Bed'.

In it, the model goes through all the stages of her beauty process before whipping out a strip of the quirky pimple patches.

She said: 'I really, really love the little Starface pimple stickers. They totally help heal a pimple way faster so if I'm breaking out I will always sleep with one of these on - and they look cute. And I'm never mad at a cute little situation.'

It is no surprise then that they have featured in various Instagram posts since, and her husband, Justin, has even started using them.

He has been spotted on numerous occasions sporting the skincare accessory and even took to social media to share his thoughts.

In a previous Instagram Story, he wrote: 'Got a facial and I think my face is purging, lucky for these Starface pimple patches.'

But the Biebers aren't the only famous faces who have fallen for the product, with actress Maisie Williams also sharing her own candid clip about the star-shaped stickers.

Speaking directly to the camera, the Game of Thrones star said: 'I literally just got the coolest thing.'

She holds up a Starface box and continued: 'It's called Starface and - I've done my makeup today because I have to take a video - but basically even if you have got a spot you put one of these stars on. 

'You can put it on to go to sleep or you can put it on in the day time and just have it on your spot for no reason and no one can tell you that you can't have it.'

Williams then showed off an array of colours as well as a glow-in-the-dark collection, before concluding: 'It's for some people, and it might not be for others but it's definitely for me.'

Another member of the Hollywood elite who is a fan of pimple patches is actress Florence Pugh.

The Don't Worry Darling lead shared a snap wearing the stickers on social media alongside a caption that read: 'I should thank the spot stickers in my credits because I truly thank them daily.'

Last year, Anne Hathaway confidently showed off her natural beauty in a barefaced selfie uploaded to her main Instagram page - and she added an assortment of colourful, star-shaped pimple patches on her cheek and chin.

The Devil Wears Prada actress flashed a cheerful smile towards the camera while also sporting a pair of fashionable black shades.

A denim cap was placed on top of her head and partially covered her brunette locks that flowed down past her shoulders in light waves.

The actress paused for the quick snap while sitting inside a vehicle as natural light streamed through the windows.

In the caption of the post, Anne penned to her 34.7 million followers, 'stars, they're just like us,' followed by a yellow star emoji. 

The Princess Diaries actress has previously opened up about aging and beauty in the past. 

While talking to People in September 2023, the mother-of-two expressed to the outlet: 'Aging is just another word for living. And what you do with it from there is personal and up to you.

'I feel great - I feel better than I did in my twenties because I'm taking much better care of myself.' 

During an interview with Vogue in August 2023, she recalled the moment that she became interested in skincare. 

She recalled working with a fellow actress while in her 20s and 'observed how she took her makeup off at the end of each day. And it was a layered process'. 

'Cleansing her skin was a layered process, and something clicked for me. And I started to treat my skin more delicately with more consideration, more thought. And the result was pretty profound to me.' 

Anne added: 'And it's funny, because I found that the longer I've made skin care a priority, the less makeup I wear.

'There's nothing wrong with makeup, and in fact, I wear it quite a lot for my job. But I find that in my life, I'm really happy just being in my skin,' the star revealed.