The beauty community on YouTube showed me a path to feeling good with acne. Whether it was for art or how to survive high school, they taught me how to use makeup to empower myself.
There are so many more powerful attributes to me than my looks. I had to stop chastising myself because acne is common.
Destiny is a food justice and vegan activist from the Bronx, New York. She currently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada
I used to cover up with foundation, but now I tell myself - “You look how look, and you don’t need to cover up. If someone doesn’t like it, that’s their problem, not yours.”
To empower and educate others, I talk about my experiences as a queer trans-femme and how they have influenced my life
I realized that people are still going to talk about me whether I meet their standards or not. At that point, I realized that I may as well live life how I want.
With time, I have accepted my acne.
Today, I still experience some anxiety, but I am working very hard on getting out of my comfort zone, and I hope that sharing my experience online like this is a step in the right direction.
I thought covering myself with loads of makeup would cover everything up, but you could still see all of the texture, and eventually, it didn’t seem worth it.