Woman ‘covered’ in marble-like birthmarks uses make up to challenge beauty stereotypes and celebrate visible differences

A 23-year-old whose body is “covered” in marble-like birthmarks is using her love of make up to challenge beauty stereotypes and help celebrate visible differences.

Amba Smith, from Lincolnshire, was born with cutis marmorata telangiectatica congenita (CMTC) – a condition that causes a marbled pattern across her skin – as well as a port wine stain, a permanent vascular birthmark that covers parts of her face and neck.

The birthmark is particularly prominent around one eye and she also has glaucoma in both eyes, leaving her with the possibility of losing her vision in the future.

Bullied throughout childhood, Amba found comfort in make up after receiving a camouflage kit at just five years old, and as she grew older, it became both her shield and a way to fit in.

At age 18, she discovered make up could be more than camouflage, it could be art, and began experimenting with bold, creative illusion looks.

Her talent soon drew the attention of major beauty brands, leading to campaigns with Sleek Makeup and Collection Cosmetics, and today Amba is determined to raise awareness about her conditions through her Instagram page, @_amba_smith_.

Having recently graduated with a degree in make up special effects for TV and film at the University of Greater Manchester, Amba also plans to specialise in wig making, with ambitions to work in theatre or provide wigs for NHS patients.

Amba told PA Real Life: “I think make up helps tell a story and showcase that my birthmark is my art, and that’s quite a big thing for me, which I’ve learned to accept and realise and stand by that statement.

“There’s no one else that looks like me – I’ve got the birthmark everywhere, I’m covered, and each birthmark is very unique in itself, I just really wanted to highlight that with the make up as well.”

Amba was born with CMTC – a condition that affects the blood vessels in the skin, creating a net-like, marbled pattern on her body.

She also has a port wine stain, a permanent vascular birthmark that covers parts of her face and neck.

The mark is especially prominent around one eye, and she also has glaucoma – a condition in which the main nerve connecting the eye to the brain becomes damaged.

Amba said doctors have told her they expect her vision to deteriorate over time, but it is impossible to predict when, or if, she will lose her sight completely.

Despite countless hospital appointments throughout her childhood, Amba discovered a passion that would shape her future.

At just five years old, Amba’s grandad bought her a camouflage makeup kit, filled with high-coverage concealers for scars and marks, and Amba was “captivated”.

Amba added: “It wasn’t necessarily something to use to cover up and go to school with – I loved the creation process and got stuck right in.”

Amba said growing up with her visual differences was “very hard” and she was bullied for most of her school life.

But her “curiosity about make up grew” when she started secondary school, and by the age of 13 she was wearing a full face of camouflage make up almost every day, covering her birthmarks as much as possible.

“Looking back I think I was trying to look like everyone else, and trying to look my best and that got the better of me, and I had other voices saying I should wear make up,” Amba explained.

“It became my safety blanket – if I wore make up, nothing could be thrown back at me and I felt more powerful and confident, like I could do anything if I had my make up and camouflage on.”

At 14, Amba left mainstream school because of bullying and medical issues and was placed in a hospital school to better support her needs.

In 2018, two days after undergoing an operation, she sat her GCSEs while still in hospital  and achieved three qualifications, which she said is one of the “proudest moments” of her life.

She then went on to study beauty therapy at college, and in her spare time she explored creative make up looks, such as mask, jigsaw puzzle and Instagram post illusions, and realised she had not been wearing make up for herself, but “for everyone else’s approval”.

She began sharing her make up creations on Instagram under the handle @_amba_smith_, where she now has more than 5,000 followers and regularly receives messages from others with birthmarks expressing how much she has inspired them.

“I then just started to show the real me and wear less and less make up day-to-day and embrace my differences,” she added.

“I felt like I needed a mask but I was still the same person underneath, and I’ve learned to realise that the ones truly close to you don’t care what you look like.”

That same year, she began working with the charity Changing Faces, sharing her story in order to raise awareness.

Since then she has collaborated with make up brands including  Sleek Makeup and Collection Cosmetics.

“I want to conquer the stereotypes of what beauty is, and younger me would have appreciated that – and it’s amazing to work with brands showcasing that you can use make up in a positive light,” she said.

In September 2022, Amba enrolled at the University of Greater Manchester to study special effects make up for TV and film.

After graduating this year, she hopes to continue raising awareness through her social media platforms while specialising in wig making.

She is particularly passionate about creating wigs for theatre, but is also considering working with the NHS to provide wigs for patients in need.

However, because of her glaucoma, she knows her career may eventually be “cut short” if she loses her sight.

She said: “It’s hard, definitely, it’s something I had to accept quite early on, when I was younger.

“I know I’m not going to have the same amount of career time as everyone else.

“And you know, I’m OK with that.

“I’ve already looked into possibilities of what I can do once my sight decreases to a certain point where I can’t carry on in my craft, like becoming a university tutor.”

Looking to the future, Amba hopes to one day collaborate with a skincare brand to raise awareness of her conditions and highlight the importance of keeping birthmarks hydrated with the best products.

To others with visible differences, Amba said: “You are beautiful the way you are, the people who love and accept you don’t want you to change or cover up.

“There will be hard days but being confident in your own skin will come, it does get better.”