26-year-old Amber has been getting tattooed since she was 16, and has spent approximately $130,000 AUS on her various ink, which covers 98 percent of her body. She also has body modifications like tattooed eyes and a split tongue, all of which make her feel like she is expressing her truest self. But in a recent episode of Truly’s Transformed series, Amber undergoes an experiment to cover up all of her tattoos with makeup, to see what she would look like as an adult without any ink.
“It’s going to be super super exciting, considering I haven’t seen myself like this since I was very young.” She admits, however, to feeling apprehensive about the prospect of seeing herself without her ink, which almost functions as armor that helps her deal with her insecurities following years of being bullied. “My childhood trauma of being bullied and stuff, with no tattoos, it’s going to rock me a little bit.”
It’s a lengthy process, in which makeup artist Suzi applies a pink base layer to Amber’s whole body, which “negates” the blue color of the ink, followed by another layer which more closely matches her skin tone.
“Oh my fucking god. I don’t even know how to react. Jesus Christ, I was so basic,” says Amber once she sees her reflection. “I hate it, because it feels like I’m a teenager again, and it’s really wigging me out. I really don’t like it at all.”
After that, it’s time for her to show off her new look to her mother, Vikki. “She’s supportive of it, but she’s not the biggest fan,” Amber says of her mom’s stance on her tattoos. However, Vikki’s reaction ends up surprising her.
“Where’s my daughter?” She asks. “I like you with your tattoos. I’m so used to you being you with tattoos.”
“It’s been a lovely experience, because you don’t often get that chance to go back in time, and see what your daughter may have looked like at this age,” Vikki continued. “It was shocking to me. I really liked the way she looked, but I love the way she looks now, in the present, with tattoos.”
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