A WOMAN from Cwmbran who turned to make-up after leaving her last job due to depression is now working with big brands and going viral on Instagram.

Natasha Smith, 27, began creating wild and fantastic makeup looks around two years ago, and was spurred on after leaving her office job due to suffering with depression.

She sat down in her room and decided to create a look – before and after surgery – which went viral across Instagram and launched her into the beauty community.

“I needed something to keep me organised. It’s my therapy,” she said.

South Wales Argus:

(Natasha Smith)

“I’ve finally found my 'thing'. I never felt like I had one, I was never good at anything other than art.”

Miss Smith’s looks can take, on average, around 24 hours to finish – the longest taking 48 hours – and she will often stay up through the night to finish them.

“I stay up with a million mugs of coffee,” she said. “It feels like a full-time job.

“I’m a perfectionist. I don’t want to put them up unless they’re perfect. [Instagram’s] like my portfolio”.

South Wales Argus:

(Valentine's Day inspired look)

She has since caught the eye of leading brands including Morphe, Unicorn Cosmetics, The Gypsy Shrine (now Shrine), Makeup Revolution, B Perfect and P Louise Makeup and, most recently, Lady Gaga’s brand The Haus, and has started being paid for what started as a hobby.

South Wales Argus: South Wales Argus:

(All pictures are taken and the backgrounds edited by Miss Smith)

“I was told that I was going to go far but I didn’t believe it,” she said. “It’s still crazy”.

Miss Smith’s looks are not the ordinary make-up look - instead she combines special effects make-up with everyday make-up to create weird and wonderful looks – often with meanings behind them.

“I like to think outside the box,” she said.

She still struggles with her mental health and says that sometimes it can be hard to get content out as she will have a “mind blank”.

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“There is a pressure to always be active,” she said.

Quite often she receives messages of support from her almost 30,000 followers on Instagram, mostly young girls, telling her that she is an inspiration to them.

“It makes me feel as though I have a purpose,” she said. “It’s mad that I’m the reason some people started makeup. I love that side of it.

Just recently, she began turning her passion into her full-time job and is now working at a BChic Beauty in Cwmbran.

“My family are proud of me and so supportive.

“I’m looking forward to this year. I have so many goals and I’m gonna smash them”.