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I have been addicted to getting tattoos for 13 years
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I ended up homeless because I was spending 95% of my check on tattoos
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Eating out of the trash just to eat. Today marks my six months of my sobriety for my tattoo addiction
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I'm hosting a dinner party for my friends and my husband. I'm very excited for them to see my new look
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I feel like this transformation will complete my journey to the next chapter of my life
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Oh my gosh, so excited. Hi, how are you
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Hi, I'm good. I'm Crystal. I'll be doing your makeup today. Thank you. Please come in
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Okay. My name's Alex, and I've spent between $25,000 and $50,000 on my tattoos
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When I first started, it was more like for artwork and to just express myself
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but it turned into an addiction when I was constantly thinking about them 24-7 of the day
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I got my first tattoo on my left arm of my best friend in high school
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I was instantly addicted, hooked. It's affected my life because it started out as something fun to do, like a hobby
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but it turned into something that I consistently thought about for hours at a time
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and I started forgetting about everyday routines and forgot about family and friends and panhandling for money
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I actually ended up homeless because of it, eating out of the trash just to eat
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After beating my addiction, I feel like I need to do a new look to commemorate a new beginning
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So you've chosen not to cover up your tattoos for today's look. Tell me about that
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I've spent years without the tattoos, and then once I tattooed my face, I felt more like myself
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So just covering them up would just make me feel insecure and not myself
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Yeah, because they're part of you and you don't want to feel like you're covering something that you're not
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So why have you chosen this transformation today? I wanted to show that I can get sober I had a tattoo addiction and I been six months sober So something new to transform my look and also start like a new chapter in my life
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So the plan and the vision I have for today's look is like I want to make your eyes pop
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I kind of want to incorporate maybe your tattoos into the look
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but still make it like in a glamorous way. Just something that matches your style
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and also makes you feel beautiful. So I have everything we need and I'm gonna go set up and we'll get started
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These are the facial radiance pads from first-aid beauty I'm gonna use them to give her like a little bit of exfoliating and also to clear her skin of any like impurities
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This is the Tarte Shape Tape. It's a concealer. I'm gonna use it as a primer for her eyeshadow
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shadow. Have you ever had your makeup done before? Professionally, no. Oh, okay. So this is like the
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first time then. First time, yes. Oh, okay. Did you get judged on the way you looked? When I first started
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I got judged because it was like night and day. And where I came in, you know, looking without
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tattoos. And the next day I was almost, my whole face was like 60% covered. And people were wondering
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if it was real, does it hurt, associating face tattoos with crime and being uneducated
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I've been told, is it spray paint? Do you wake up in the morning and color your face with sharpies
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No one's ever going to love you because you did that to your face. Your face used to look so
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beautiful. Now it's ugly. And just associating that I've been in prison or crime. People are
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still very judgmental in the world and not accepting of difference. This is a Rare Beauty blush on the shade Happy
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and I'm using it as a blush for a little bit of grossiness on the cheeks
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And I trying to like make some of your tattoos stand out a little more make it part of your look This is the Anastasia lip pencil in the shade Malt and I used it as a lip liner for her lips
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When's the last time you wore lashes? Maybe eight years. Oh, wow, it's been a while
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OK, so we're all done with the makeup. Now we're going to get into your outfit and your wig
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So are you ready to see yourself? Yes. Okay. I'm excited. Okay, let's do it
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Five, four, three, two, one. Oh, wow. Cool. I look different
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Yeah, how do you like the look? I love it. Well, I love the lips and the eye shadow and the hair
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I love that it's like still me. like I can still see me like my style and if I dressed like this more often that's kind of how
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I would look conservative but girly yeah like in your own feminine way I love the wig it's been a
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while since I've had long hair so it's nice to see and the makeup like brings my tattoos out
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like the little gems and how do you feel like your family's gonna react
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they're gonna be surprised and just something new to look at because they're so used to see me in
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t-shirt and jeans oh my goodness we're here how are you guys feeling oh my gosh so excited
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very excited excited for it anxious can't wait to see her yeah i don't know what to expect
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how far has alex come over the past six months since beating her addiction proud of alex proud
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from where she was so dependent on everything. And now she's starting to grow up
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and take a different path. And I'm proud of her. I am so excited about this
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I'm not sure what to expect. I know that Alex is going through her sobriety right now And she such a strong woman going through this And I just can wait to see her transformation
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Whatever it is, it'll be super amazing. Oh my gosh, you look so gorgeous
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Thank you. Yay. It's sexy. I'm going to give you a hug, okay? Yep
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Oh my gosh, you're so beautiful. Thank you. I love how you've done. I love the whole look
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So pretty. Super girly. Cheer little Miss Bougie. How pretty you are
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Do a spin. Yeah. That's good. So pretty. Looks different, but I love it
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You love it? Yeah. Oh my goodness. That's cute. Yeah. The makeup, it's gorgeous
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The hair, the dress. I love the hair. So pretty. Aren't we all four of us match long hair? Yeah. Yeah
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You can still see all the beautiful art, but it just... Your little hourglasses
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Okay, spin for us. Oh, so pretty. I think she looks like a princess
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You've got your story, but you're dressed so feminine, and the hair is a beautiful color
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on you. It's just... It's very flattering. I think it's gorgeous. It's beautiful
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It's very pretty. pretty. I was expecting their reactions that I looked different, pretty, more confident myself
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I'm really happy with my new look. I think I'll keep this look for moving forward. It takes a
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while to put on the makeup, so I have to find the time. This experience has taught me that if you
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have family and friends that love you, you can always get sober from an addiction. I feel like
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another part of my sobriety journey is complete because it's transitioning or moving forward to
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the next chapter of my life journey
