• Meghan Markle opened up about some of the challenges she faced during the early days of her career during the most recent episode of her Confessions of a Female Founder podcast, which landed on Tuesday, April 29
• During a discussion with IT Cosmetics founder Jamie Kern Lima, Meghan said she wasn’t submitted for beauty or skincare commercials “because I had freckles”
• The duchess also spoke about being “typecast” because of her race

Meghan Markle is now one of the most recognized faces in the world, but back in her early modeling and acting days, she faced lots of rejection.

The Duchess of Sussex, 43, opened up about some of the roadblocks she faced as an unknown during the Tuesday, April 29 episode of her Confessions of a Female Founder podcast, a new series from Lemonada Media.

Speaking with IT Cosmetics founder Jamie Kern Lima about past beauty standards, Prince Harry’s wife said that when Kern Lima was starting her beauty business, she was auditioning for commercials.

“And I remember [I could not be submitted] for beauty or skincare ads because I had freckles,” Meghan recalled.

Markle said her freckles were a non-starter, noting, “They’re like, ‘No, no, no, no. It’s just never gonna work because freckles aren’t a sign of beauty.’ “

That wasn’t the only reason Markle faced rejection early on. She also shared how her race worked against her in the entertainment industry.

“I heard no all the time, especially because I wasn’t cookie-cutter for a specific type,” she explained. “And at the start of my auditioning career, you were either the Black girl or the White girl or the Latina girl or the like, everything was typecast.”

The mother of two said that while she “could get into a lot of rooms,” that meant she “heard ‘no’ even more.”

Meghan landed a series of small parts before her recurring role as Rachel Zane on the hit legal drama Suits.

To show off her natural beauty, the duchess went makeup-free on Kern Lima’s podcast — The Jamie Kern Lima Show, which landed on Monday, April 28. The interview marked her first-ever podcast interview outside of her own.

“Usually when we’re together, we’re in our cozy sweats and no makeup,” Kern Lima shared of herself and Meghan. “So that’s how we are today, too, sitting right here in our cozies with no makeup. And I’m inviting you into the rocking chairs with us.”

At one point in the episode, she was seen wiping away what seemed to be tears while discussing her children, Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3.

“I wasn’t expecting that one!” Meghan said with a laugh. “They’re just great, it’s so great — this is why it’s nice not to have makeup on.”

Confessions of a Female Founder is an all-new series from Lemonada Media