In most relationships, it takes a long time to be completely vulnerable in front of a new partner. Hell, there are some people who won't even go on a date without perfectly filled-in eyebrows, fearing that their perspective new boo might not feel the same if they don't see them look damn-near perfect. Shalom Blanc, a YouTuber and burn survivor, had the same predicament — but hers goes a little bit deeper.
The Nigerian-born vlogger was 9-years-old when a pot of hot oil fell on top of her and her sister at their mum's restaurant. Despite coming to the U.S. for surgery, Blanc was left with heavy scarring as well as damaged hair follicles. Instead of sulking or hiding for the rest of her life, she worked hard to challenge herself to embrace her beauty — and in return, she developed a love of makeup. In her tutorials, she often wears a full face of makeup and bright colours that make it impossible to hide. Despite that, Blanc admitted that she's still working on building up her confidence.
To challenge herself, she let her crush (fellow YouTuber Justice Cook) remove her makeup and her wig. Even though he'd seen her videos before, Blanc was still nervous. "I think you look good without makeup," Cook says. "You should go out in public like this."
The video already has close to 1.4 million views, and thousands of comments from people who praise Blanc for her bravery, and can even relate to her story. "For the past four years, I've had a scar on my nose from a horrendous wound," YouTuber Crystal Perry wrote. "It's healing a lot but it's very visible even with makeup. The other day I walked around Walmart for the first time with no makeup, no sunglasses... it was so liberating... your courage gives ME courage."