The Power Of Makeup; A Burn Survivor Who Will Inspire You

Written by: LoveJFab

In a World where a “beat face” is nothing out of the ordinary, this particular story is. Most women in their 20’s contour for fun, and a lot of young men have even joked about taking women swimming on the first date in order to see what we “really” look like. (The joke is on them though, because models have been underwater, beat, for years.) Makeup for young women is a way to express themselves, it’s an accessory in a sense. But what if it became something you had to do every day? Just to feel… Normal?

For 20-year old YouTube blogger Shalom Blac, it is. This amazing young girl was burned horribly at the age of 9, at her family’s store in Nigeria. For anyone who’s ever been popped by hot grease, you know how excruciating that kind of burn is. Oil burns are probably the worst, it seems to stick to your skin and melt it! Shalom was burned on her head, face, shoulders and hands. At one point, the tops of her ears were fused to her head, and she spent months recovering. As expected, Shalom experienced states and whispers and pointing. Personally, I don’t know if I would’ve been as strong as her. She had thoughts of suicide but didn’t let them consume her. She discovered how to embrace her new appearance.

 “I was bullied very badly in middle school; I always had a scarf and a wig on, so people wouldn’t know I was bald.”

She discovered makeup around age 13. “I started young, just so I wouldn’t get made fun of at school,” Through watching tutorials by gurus like Beatfacehoney, Kandee Johnson, and Irishcel507, she began to perfect a technique and love the artistry. About three years ago, Shalom felt confident enough to begin posting videos of her own, and now she’s inspiring others, including those who have scars from burns or acne, to make the most of what they have. In one video, she details exactly how she covers her own scars so expertly. “Of course you cannot make it disappear,” she says—but the difference her makeup makes is incredible.

“There are no rules to makeup. And as a burn survivor, it gives me a chance to share my passion with others that may be going through similar things—or better yet, inspire someone to love who they see in the mirror.”

You can watch Shalom on YouTube, she’s so positive and inspiring and beautiful! We need more young women like her! Unashamed of who they are and accepting of what the World would call flaws.