Meghan Markle Discusses Beauty Ad Rejections Due to Her Freckles
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Meghan Markle shared that her freckles prevented her from auditioning for beauty advertisements.
“Back when I was an actor auditioning for commercials, my agent couldn’t put me forward for beauty or skincare campaigns because of my freckles,” the Duchess of Sussex, 43, told her friend and guest Jamie Kern Lima during the Tuesday, April 29 episode of the Lemonada Media’s “Confessions of a Female Founder” podcast.
Meghan recalled being overlooked as her freckles were deemed unsuitable in the conventional beauty standards.
“There was no reflection of yourself in that space,” she noted, referring to the outdated perspectives of the beauty industry.
The royal praised Kern Lima, the founder of It Cosmetics, for her bold move to feature real women of varying ages, sizes, and skin tones as models.
“That concept was groundbreaking at the time. When you introduced it, it was so [unheard of],” Meghan expressed. “Today, it may seem standard, and people might say, ‘Of course,’ but it truly was revolutionary in the world of makeup and beauty back then.”
Kern Lima, 47, created her cosmetics line in 2008 after facing challenges with rosacea and hyperpigmentation. She revealed that she faced three years of rejections before finally succeeding in placing her brand in stores.
“I sent out samples everywhere, yet no one believed in the concept of a product designed for those with skin issues, showcasing real people of all ages and skin tones,” the entrepreneur shared. “They often told me, ‘Women only buy makeup from images that portray an unattainable ideal.’ Those two words, ‘unattainable,’ signified that it wasn’t realistic.”
Despite the challenges, Kern Lima remained steadfast in her aspirations. Today, It Cosmetics is available at retailers nationwide. When Meghan launched her brand, As Ever, she recounted that Kern Lima offered some tough-love advice that proved beneficial.
“When we had just become friends, I mentioned my business plans. You asked me, ‘So what’s your timeline?’ I replied, ‘Oh, a couple of months from now.’ You then said, ‘That’s too soon.’ I didn’t want to hear that, but you were correct,” Meghan recalled. “You planted the seed that allowed me to understand the value of taking my time until it felt right.”
Meghan acknowledged that while she initially resisted the advice, it was exactly what she needed to hear.
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