Refinery29 - Power Faces: Merlot

REFINERY29 - POWER FACES - MERLOT

For some, a lipstick is just a lipstick. But for others, it's a source of strength, creativity, and expression. In our series Power Faces, we'll explore the relationship between strong people and the makeup they choose to wear — or not. Our latest subject is 24-year-old non-binary artist, model, and musician Merlot. This story was told to Rachel Lubitz and edited for length and clarity.

I struggled with acne a lot, and it came at a really bad time. I was living in Bradenton, Florida, and it was the acne on top of the queerness and being in a small town with nobody that looked like me. I did Accutane going into my junior year in high school. It worked instantly, but you can't have direct contact with the sun, so I was walking around my high school with a black umbrella. I was a target for bullies.

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