Update: In the above video, Blac opens up about her burn incident, how she used makeup as a shield, and why she encourages viewers to love themselves — with or without makeup.
This story was originally published on March 1, 2016, at 1:30 p.m.
Nikkie Tutorials' Power of Makeup video — and the half-makeup selfies it spurred — went viral last summer, promptly shutting down makeup-shaming haters in under seven minutes. And while Nikkie's video was inspiring in its own right, Shalom Nchom's latest rendition might be the most uplifting version we've seen yet.
When Nchom — also known as Shalom Blac on YouTube — was 9 years old, she was in a frying-oil accident that resulted in severe burns to her head, face, and neck. “Life after the accident wasn’t what I thought it would be,” the 20-year-old from Nigeria, who now lives in Maryland, told BuzzFeed. “I was stared at by kids and older people whenever I stepped out. I felt like a living statue that people came to see. It pushed me to be rude towards anyone who stared at me. I cursed people out and cried on many occasions.”
To cope, Nchom turned to makeup. She started out doing her classmates' makeup (for a fee of $5 to $25 per person) and eventually began creating her own YouTube tutorials about three years ago. Her video topics range from how to cover up acne and burn scars to Rihanna-inspired makeup. She even shares the heartbreaking story of sustaining her burns. But, although Nchom may be in the business of showing people how to flawlessly doll up their visages, she also emphasizes the importance of valuing yourself — makeup or no makeup.
"Makeup is not the reason why I'm happy," Nchom says in the video above. "I'm happy because I love myself." Watch the empowering transformation above and check out even more tutorials from the talented Nchom here.