Girl paints mother's face with long-lasting dye leaving her bright red for days

Yorkshire woman says she was 'social leper' after daughter used lip stain in pre-Halloween makeover

Adam Forrest
Friday 12 October 2018 15:58 BST
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Mortified mum left red-faced, literally
Mortified mum left red-faced, literally

A mother-of-two was left with scarlet dye covering her face for days after her daughter coated her in lip stain by mistake.

Leanne Short, 35, from Wakefield in Yorkshire, allowed nine-year-old Rosie to give her a practice Halloween makeover, but realised something was wrong when her skin started to tingle and burn.

Believing her daughter had used face paint wax to transform her into a clown, she was horrified to learn it was in fact the much more durable substance from her makeup kit.

Several hours of scrubbing with water, makeup remover, baking soda and vinegar did little to help. The bright red colour only began to fade after two days.

Ms Short said the 48 hours she spent doing chores in public smeared in the dazzling shade of crimson left her feeling “like a social leper”.

She explained: “The more I was scrubbing it the worse I was making it.

“When I couldn’t get it off and it was burning she was saying, 'Oh mum, I’m sorry,' but then when I was scrubbing she was wetting herself. She thought it was so funny.

“She just said, “You’re going to have to take me to school looking like that, I’m so embarrassed.”

Leanne and Rosie Short at the beginning of the pre-Halloween makeover

Ms Short said the bathroom looked “like a murder scene” because of all the red handprints.

The Yorkshirewoman had to use bleach on the tiles to scrub off red dye that had seeped into the grouting.

“I had to take her to school and pick her up from school and go shopping and do all the normal things I usually do,” she recalled. “All I was trying to do was entertain the kids and I’d become a social leper instead.

“I was trying to keep my hair down brushed over my face, but Rosie just thought it was funny and said, 'Look at my mum’s face.'

“It was a source of entertainment for her. I suppose if you’re making someone laugh you’re making someone happy. But it was terrible.”

The family have a big party planned for Halloween. But after her recent ordeal, Ms Short has vowed never to let Rosie come near her with makeup again.

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