Cassandra Bankson, Teenager With Cystic Acne Lands Modelling Job At New York Fashion Week (PICTURES)

'I Used To Be Called 'Pizza Face', Now I'm Modelling At New York Fashion Week'

A teenager with severe acne has been signed up as a model for New York Fashion Week - after a video of her covering her pimples up with make-up turned her into an internet sensation.

Cassandra Bankson endured years of bullying and even stopped attending classes, over the cystic acne which coats her back, neck, chest and back.

But on the strength of her step-by-step cover-up video, Cassandra has been signed up by modelling scouts and will take to the catwalk for the Boy Meets Girl show on Wednesday.

The 19-year-old told The New York Post: “It feels like a dream to be here during Fashion Week.

Scroll down for more pictures of Cassandra and to watch her video

Picture perfect: After her make-up routine is complete you'd never know Cassandra had suffered as much as a pimple

“I am a different person from who I used to be because I’ve got so much more confidence now.”

Cassandra, who endured the nickname “virus” and even had pizza slices thrown at her, added: “I used to sit back and let acne ruin my life. But it got to the point where I needed to do something to get myself out of the rut.”

The ten-minute video which propelled her to stardom is posted on YouTube and reveals how the teenager is able to completely cover her spots using special make-up techniques.

Cassandra, of Danville, California, has seen her videos viewed a colossal 40 million times, as self-conscious subscribers eagerly tune in to learn her secrets.

Brave: Cassandra admits she wept before filming the video

The teenager opened the clip by confessing: “This is the most nerve-wracking thing I could do because it's my biggest insecurity.

"I am going to show you guys what I look like without makeup. It's awful."

Pointing to a made-up picture of her face, she adds: "Then I'm going to show you how I apply my foundation so that I can look like this."

She then talks viewers through several stages of applying makeup - masking all her blemishes.

In June, she told Barcroft Media how the experiment gave her the confidence to come out of her shell and look into modelling.

“My boyfriend told me: 'You’ve always wanted to help people. This is how you can do it; it’s your duty’.”

Once the video was posted, it took Cassandra another five months to check the comments.

“I thought the comments would be just as cruel as they were in school,” she said.

“I thought for one girl or one guy it would be worth it but I didn’t want to see the negativity. But I came back and I was overwhelmed by positivity.”

Most loved her bravery. One user on her channel said: “You do realise that even without a smidgeon of makeup on, you’re still beautiful, right?”

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