UPPER MARLBORO, Md. (WDVM) — A Maryland woman survived years of domestic violence, and now she’s turning her pain into empowerment with her cosmetic line.

“I used makeup to cover up bruises scars from when I was in a domestic violence relationship. And I know that it made me confident in leaving out the house even though I thought I was like the ugliest person in the world during that timeframe,” said Schenika Quattlebaum.

If there’s one word to describe Quattlebaum, it’s resilient. She used makeup as an outlet during a dark time in her life.

“I felt like people would stare at me like oh my gosh, I need to always keep my foundation with me in case it wears off. So you can’t see the black eyes. You can’t see the scratches. You can’t see the weapon that was on my face, or even on my neck at the time,” she said. “I gained strength in applying makeup because it made me all the marks disappear,” she said.

In 2018, she launched Natalia Megan Hair and Beauty, a cosmetic line, turning her pain into purpose.

“I actually started that in my kitchen. So lip glosses were handmade by me. Trial and error perfected it,” said Quattlebaum.

Later, she expanded to eye shadow, eyelashes, mascara, and more. Celebrities wore her makeup brand like Lil Mama and Jennifer Hudson. Recently she landed a deal with Walmart to sell her products on their website.

“I want to be the best makeup brand there is, whether it’s celebrity-driven or customer-driven. I just want the best products for our women and men because men wear our products too,” said Quattlebaum.

Now she’s focused on expanding her business and inspiring others.

“No one helped me everything I’ve done I’ve done on my own. So I want to be that help for other people. There were so many levels to this journey that I’ve already done in so many levels that I still have left to do it,” she said.