By Paige Nash
A young woman from Heflin, Amyanna Germany, would unarguably say that her life has not been the easiest from the start, but she would not change a single thing. She has met every hardship and struggle that has come her way and overcome them all with grace and positivity.
Amyanna was only two years old when she suffered third-degree burns on more than 75 percent of her body due to an electrical house fire. Ten years later at the age of 12, she and her 8 siblings lost their mother due to a heart attack. Shortly after that she was told by a doctor that because of her childhood injuries, she may never be able to bear children. These are all traumatic events that most have not had to fathom attempting to overcome in their adult years, but Amyanna was faced with them before she was even a teenager.
She found herself in the midst of a battle. She was forever scarred on the inside and outside. She was struggling internally with the loss of her mother and the possibility of never having a family of her own. She was also struggling externally with her appearance.
“Because of my scars, I hated to even look at myself. I was not confident,” said Amyanna.
What she did not know at the time was that amid this destitution, she would not only find her confidence, but she would also pave the way for other women to find theirs through this one simple cosmetic product- lipstick.
“Lipstick changed my life,” she said. “It gave me confidence that I did not have before. It boosted my self-esteem and made me feel fearless and beautiful.”
She wanted others, specifically other women with scars, to find that same confidence and fearlessness. In 2017, Amyanna began her company, “Amyanna’s Cosmetics, LLC” Since its start, she has been able to reach thousands of other women and has had the opportunity to play a part in their own healing journeys.
Her lipstick is now sold in Wal-Mart and is accessible to over 100 million people from 24 different countries.
“My goal is to teach women from all walks of life what a gift and tool that lipstick really is,” said Amyanna. “Lipstick now gives people a visual representation of how I feel on the inside. I want other women with scars to feel that same confidence and fearlessness that I feel every time I put on my lipstick.”
She did not just stop there. In 2019, two years after starting her own line, Amyanna felt compelled to further her mission and began a group called, “Women with Scars.”
Even though Amyanna has found her stride and confidence, she still remembers that young girl with scars not only covering most of her body, but also the ones on her heart.
Through this group she has been able to share her stories with other women who may or may not have visible scarring, through a conference that she hosts twice a year, and she gives all the credit to God.
“God has been nothing but great to me, my family and most of all my business. Without God I am nothing,” she said. “I am the same 2-year-old who was burned in an electric house fire, who was told I will never have children, will not live a normal life, but here I am- a living testimony. God can do the unthinkable. He did it for me and will do the same for you.”
Amyanna now has her own cosmetic line, two storefronts, leads an empowerment group and has two healthy boys- Landon and Kevin.
She is scarred, but she is leaving her own mark on the world- a mark in the hearts of everyone that is blessed enough to be in her presence and hear her remarkable story of surviving as all the odds continued to be stacked against her. She is scarred and successful.
