History Main / CosmeticCatastrophe

* ''Series/FullHouse'': Feeling out of place during an embarrassing first day of junior high school, DJ and Kimmy decide to makeover themselves to look like the older girls in school, donning themselves (through much trial-and-error) in heavy makeup (of which Stephanie replies it looks cheap). Danny catches DJ before she can leave the house and they have a heartfelt talk, and Becky comes in and offers to help DJ do a more age-appropriate look, giving her the advice "the secret to wearing makeup is to make it look like you're not wearing any".

* ''VisualNovel/{{Grisaia No Kajitsu}}'': When it comes to makeup, only Amane regularly wears any. Yumiko manages to competently apply some when directed, Michiru puts on five different false eyelashes since she thinks they’ll make her look tsundere (but probably really just because she got bored) while Makina looks like a goth clown. Sachi however... is such a catastrophic example that instead of seeing her we get a discretion shot.

Problem is, she's never used them before. She might even be specifically banned from using make-up/hair dye/curling tongs until she's "old enough". So, she swipes some of her mum's make-up, sneakily buys some hair dye and runs off to the bathroom for some makeover magic. Which, of course, [[GoneHorriblyWrong never quite turns out like she hopes]].

Back in reality, make-up is nearly essential in the television set -- the nature of the studio lights means that most people will need at least some blusher or foundation just to look "natural." Which can make it a bit tricky to do this plot in a live action series where the audience has [[FridgeLogic probably realized]] that the NaiveEverygirl wears foundation and mascara on a daily basis, so why should she screw it up now?

* In chapter 11 of ''[[Manga/MissKobayashisDragonMaid Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid: Kanna's Daily Life]]'', Kanna and Saikawa try playing with some of Kobayashi's makeup. Given that they're both children, Kanna ends up smudging it and looking vaguely like a kabuki actor. Then she applies some to Fafnir in a ThisMeansWarpaint moment and the end result resembles a clown (though neither of them are familiar enough with Earth culture to realize that he looks ridiculous).

* A non-visual example in ''Film/PaperMoon''. Addie puts on some of her dead mother's perfume in an attempt to seem more grown up but having never used perfume before she practically bathes in it. She's pleased when Moses obviously notices the smell but becomes less pleased when he cracks open the windscreen in the car to get ''rid'' of the smell.

* There was a small early arc in ''Series/YoSoyBettyLaFea'' where Betty tries a makeover by buying a new dress and trying a new hairdo and makeup. Unfortunately, she doesn't have fashion sense and let herself in the hands of the saleswoman and the hairdresser, who are as clueless as she is. Predictably, it fails horribly, prompting the rest of the cast to say that she looked ''worse'' than her usual self. Later, (after the [[BeautifulAllAlong proper makeover]]) this experience becomes an inspiration, and she capitalizes it into a program to create salesgirls with fashion knowledge, so they can act as consultants for the clients and they can get a better experience (and clothing that suit them).

* A sketch from "The Girls Room" of ''Series/TheAmandaShow'' has the girls getting ready for the prom. Debbie TheDitz was supposed to be getting a tan, and she shows up with a red sun burn from falling asleep at the salon.

* Josette Bynum (aka TNA's Sojo Bolt) talks about a mean make-up artist who would often deliberately make the female wrestlers look bad if she didn't like them or was in a bad mood. She recalls one botched job that was done before a photo shoot - and weirdly enough the photos turned out better than she was expecting.

* Wrestling/MadisonRayne was not used to presenting herself on a wrestling show (ironically she was a former pageant queen, so make-up was no problem to her), so on her first ever show she got a head-to-toe spray tan and jokes about how orange she looked. Austin Aries apparently came up to her afterwards and said "you had no business being out there".
* Wrestling/TheWoodBrothers were only teenagers when they debuted, and initially just appeared on shows as they would for training. They had to be given a pep talk about making sure their hair looked good, wearing tan, trimming facial hair etc. They had to rely on their father doing their tan for them, and one of Lewis's early matches had him sporting a horrifically orange Oompa Loompa glow.

Strangely, [[AnAesop the moral]] of [[JustTheWayYouAre "you look beautiful the way you are"]] is becoming quite rare...especially as the media steers girls towards the beauty industry at an increasingly young age. Instead, the moral is more likely to be a more standard "obey your parents," since mum will do an "I told you so" as she fights to restore her daughter's hair to some semblance of normality. Which seems a bit [[FamilyUnfriendlyAesop warped]], really -- the message is effectively "don't use beauty products until you're old enough to get a part-time job. ''Then'' you can spend all your cash on trying to make yourself beautiful."

* ''WesternAmimation/SeaPrincesses'': In "The Makeover", it's Polvina's birthday and Ester and Tubarina have a surprise party for her and also a surprise makeover! When the makeover turns out to be an ugly disaster, Ester and Tubarina have to try and unmake it before the party!

* ''Fanfic/TheBoltChronicles'': Happens in two of these stories.
** In "The Cakes," Penny’s mom receives an ill-advised makeover that leaves her looking like [[Creator/DivineActor Divine]] from ''Film/PinkFlamingos''.
** In "The Makeover," Mittens agrees to a tryst with Bolt, but tells him he needs to have his "[[TheBodyPartsThatMustNotBeNamed doggy lipstick]]" (a slang term for canine penis) all ready to go when they get together later. The dog [[ComicallyMissingThePoint misunderstands]] and decides to give himself a full (and hideous) facial makeover to fulfill the request.

* ''WesternAnimation/BobsBurgers'': In "Bad Tina", Tina's friendship with new student and wannabe "bad girl" Tammy involves Tammy giving her a "make-over" in the girl's restroom at school. Tammy and Tina's overdone make-up causes Andy and Ollie Pesto to freak out about "bathroom clowns".

* Happens in ''Anime/TenchiInTokyo'' when Ryoko applies make-up to her face by the pound. Everyone is startled but then laughs hysterically when they see her face (especially [[EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses Princess]] [[TheRival Ayeka]], who's rolling on the floor laughing so hard she's crying at the sight!)

* Lorenna in ''Series/TheBrothersGarcia'' dons a lot of make-up at the start of the new school year against Sonia's wishes. The catastrophe comes when she must rush home and clean it off before dinner - she discovers it's waterproof.

* In ''Manga/DrStone'', Kohaku's first attempt at putting on makeup ultimately ends with her resembling ''Film/TheDarkKnight'' version of The Joker. On one hand, she ''did'' grow up in a stone age society with no previous access to modern cosmetics, but on the other hand [[TheTomboy previous events]] indicate that it probably wouldn't have turned out much better even if she was familiar with them.

The path to ''womanhood'', on the other hand, at least since the 1920s, seems limited to the correct application of hair products or... make-up. Frankly, sometimes you're better off with the bear-wrestling.

This is a fairly common plot in works aimed at a pre-teen/young teen audience. A girl will decide that she needs to change her look, and that a complete makeover is the only way to do it. The occasion might be prom night, going on her first date, attempting to land a date, the dreaded school photo, or even just proving that she's a young woman, not a child. Whichever it is, she has her heart set on using "grown up" cosmetics.

Problem is, she's never used them before. She might even be specifically banned from using make-up/hair dye/curling tongs until she's "old enough". So, she swipes some of her mum's make-up, sneakily buys some hair dye, and runs off to the bathroom for some makeover magic. Which, of course, [[GoneHorriblyWrong never quite turns out like she hopes]].

Apparently, few people in TV-land think to bite the bullet and ask mum for help, or enlist the assistance of a make-up savvy friend, or even read one of the millions of magazines only too eager to tell girls how to paint their face. Which leaves only trial-and-error as a means of finding the right look. With emphasis on the "error" part. Usually, the girl will also try her new style right before she has to be seen, rather than giving herself enough time to wash off mistakes.

Strangely, [[AnAesop the moral]] of [[JustTheWayYouAre "you look beautiful the way you are"]] is becoming quite rare...especially as the media steers girls towards the beauty industry at an increasingly young age. Instead, the moral is more likely to be a more standard "obey your parents," since mum will do an "I told you so" as she fights to restore her daughter's hair to some semblance of normality. Which seems a bit [[FamilyUnfriendlyAesop warped]], really -- the message is effectively "don't use beauty products until you're old enough to get a part time job. ''Then'' you can spend all your cash on trying to make yourself beautiful."

* A variant of this occurs in the ''{{Anime/Pokemon}}'' episode "Pokemon Fashion Flash". Team Rocket run a fake beauty salon for Pokemon. Ash and Misty get into an argument about the importance of fashion. Eventually, Ash jokingly dares Misty to take her Psyduck to the salon to get a makeover. She tries, but Team Rocket end up thinking that ''she'' wants a makeover. So they put her in weird clothes, give her a new hairstyle, and paint her face with [[UncannyValleyMakeup ridiculous clown-like makeup]]. She thinks it looks good, until Ash sees her and ''laughs his butt off'' at how stupid she looks.

* Happens in ''Manga/GreatTeacherOnizuka'' where Azusa, in order to impress the title character, decides to apply makeup. She overdoes it and she looked like a Ganguro girl. It got worse when in the next day, the day before they are going for the school vacation in Okinawa, her face is too white with makeup.

* A ''Manga/DetectiveConan'' OVA has Ai Haibara waking up at Ayumi's house after a sleepover. Ayumi then gets the idea to wear some of her mother's make-up before going out to the store. Ai ([[OlderThanTheyLook being an adult in a child's body]]) puts on a decent amount, while Ayumi (being a little girl who has never worn make-up before) puts on so much that she ends up looking like a clown. Luckily, Ai offers to help her out afterwards.
* Happens in ''Anime/TheNoozles'' when Sandy tries to put on her mother's makeup in an attempt to try and make herself look pretty. When her mom walks in on her and see her, she can't stop laughing, much to Sandy's embarrassment.

* A non-visual example in ''Film/PaperMoon''. Addie puts on some of her dead mother's perfume in an attempt to seem more grown up, but having never used perfume before she practically bathes in it. She's pleased when Moses obviously notices the smell, but becomes less pleased when he cracks open the windscreen in the car to get ''rid'' of the smell.

* The Creator/RobertAHeinlein book ''Literature/PodkayneOfMars'' has Podkayne try to imitate garish makeup from a magazine cover. Fortunately an older woman shows her how it should be done.

* In one book of ''Literature/TheBabysittersClub'', Mallory, while in California and away from her parents, basically blew all her money on make up and [[WhatAnIdiot "Temporary" Blond Dye Job]]. The Catastrophe in this scenario is that that it's implied in her narration that she's wearing too much, and that the dye is not going to come out before she has to return home.

* In ''[[Literature/LegacyOfTheAldenata Hell's Faire]]'', the thirteen year old Cally O'Neal attempts to make her self up like Music/BritneySpears does, but the end result winds up as "raccoon eyes", and Papa O'Neal afraid that if she's seen by others like that he'd be accused of child abuse. Fortunately for Cally some of the visitors to the farm where she and Papa live are much better at applying makeup, and fix the problem.

* There was an small early arc in ''Series/YoSoyBettyLaFea'' where Betty tries a makeover by buying a new dress and trying a new hairdo and makeup. Unfortunately, she doesn't have fashion sense, and let herself in the hands of the saleswoman and the hairdresser, who are as clueless as she is. Predictably, it fails horribly, prompting the rest of the cast to say that she looked ''worse'' than her usual self. Later, (after the [[BeautifulAllAlong proper makeover]]) this experience becomes an inspiration, and she capitalize it into a program to create salesgirls with fashion knowledge, so they can act as consultants for the clients and they can get a better experience (and clothing that suit them).

* In ''Series/TwoOfAKind'' Ashley gets an ink stain on her cheek a few days before class pictures are being taken and Carrie attempts to cover it up with makeup. The result is a completely white face, over-rouged cheeks and clown lipstick.

* ''VisualNovel/{{Grisaia No Kajitsu}}'': When it comes to makeup, only Amane regularly wears any. Yumiko manages to competently apply some when directed, Michiru puts on five different false eyelashes since she thinks they’ll make her look tsundere (but probably really just because she got bored) while Makina looks like a goth clown. Sachi however... is such catastrophic example that istead of seeing her we get a dicretion shot.

* ''WesternAnimation/BobsBurgers'': In "Bad Tina", Tina falls in with the new girl at school, Tammy, who insists on makeovers. Tammy puts a lot of makeup on the two of them in the girl's room -- when they step outside, the Pesto twins see them and yell "AAAAH! Bathroom clowns!"

* ''WesternAnimation/BobsBurgers'': Tina falls in with the new girl at school, who insists on makeovers. She puts a lot of makeup on the two of them in the girl's room -- when they step outside, the two Pesto brothers see them and yell "AAAA! Bathroom clowns!"

* A variant of this occurs in the ''{{Anime/Pokemon}}'' episode "Pokemon Fashion Flash". Team Rocket run a fake beauty salon for pokemon. Ash and Misty get into an argument about fashion that ends with Ash daring Misty to take her Psyduck to the salon to get a makeover. She tries, but Team Rocket end up thinking that ''she'' wants a makeover. So they put her in weird clothes, give her a new hairstyle, and paint her face with [[UncannyValleyMakeup ridiculous clown-like makeup]]. She thinks it looks good, until Ash sees her and ''laughs his butt off'' at how stupid she looks.

* In chapter 11 of ''[[Manga/MissKobayashisDragonMaid Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid: Kanna's Daily Life]]'', Kanna and Saikawa try playing with some of Kobayashi's makeup. Given that they're both children, Kanna ends up smudging it and looking vaguely like a kabuki actor. Then she applies some to Fafnir in a ThisMeansWarpain moment and the end result resembles a clown (though neither of them are familiar enough with Earth culture to realize that he looks ridiculous.]]

* A variant of this occurs in episode 28 of ''{{Anime/Pokemon}}'', Team Rocket run a fake beauty salon for pokemon. Ash and Misty get into an argument about fashion that ends with Ash daring Misty to take her Psyduck to the salon to get a makeover. She tries, but Team Rocket end up thinking that ''she'' wants a makeover. So they put her in weird clothes, give her a new hairstyle, and paint her face with [[UncannyValleyMakeup ridiculous clown-like makeup]]. She thinks it looks good, until Ash sees her and ''laughs his butt off'' at how stupid she looks.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': This is, predictably, the effect of Homer Simpson's "makeup gun" as demonstrated on Marge.

* In ''[[Literature/LegacyOfTheAldenata Hell's Faire]]'', the thirteen year old Cally O'Neal attempts to make her self up like Music/BritneySpears does, but the end result winds up as "raccoon eyes", and [[BadassGrandpa Papa O'Neal]] afraid that if she's seen by others like that he'd be accused of child abuse. Fortunately for Cally some of the visitors to the farm where she and Papa live are much better at applying makeup, and fix the problem.

When the CosmeticCatastrophe is the result of dyeing one's hair, that becomes the subtrope MyHairCameOutGreen.

!!Examples

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

[[folder:Comics]]

[[folder:Film]]

* Letty Chubb in the ''TeenageWorrier'' book series had several of these. She has dyed her hair orange, ruined her mother's expensive ballgown by stepping on the hem while wearing heels, broken out in a rash because of her allergy to perfume, and more.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* On ''Series/{{Friends}}'' Ross used too much of a dental bleach agent, causing his teeth to glow in the dark under his black light and scaring off his date.
** In a different episode he manages to get two applications of fake tan on the front of his body and none on the back - after repeated attempts to rectify this he has ''eight'' applications on his front and still none on his back.

-->'''Reba''': Now we know why the makeovers were ''free''.
-->'''Lori Ann''': My last car didn't have this much paint in it.
* One time it was used on FamilyMatters, and it had nothing to do with the idea that Laura was incompetent in applying the makeup. Rather, the blameworthy party was a mail-order scam that Laura had fallen for: She was supposed to be a salesgirl for the makeup, but when it arrived it was horribly defective.

[[folder:Webcomics]]

--> '''Miranda:''' Are they auditioning for clown school?
--> '''Courtney:''' If they are, I think they're going to get in.

* ''{{WesternAnimation/Futurama}}'' has Leela attempting to do her own eyeshadow and lipstick when her one eye is temporarily blinded.
** When she gets a second prosthetic eye, she again has trouble with eyeshadow, although Amy is on hand to help her out.
* Jane suffers the hair-dying variety in the ''WesternAnimation/{{Daria}}'' episode "Dye! Dye! My Darling". It's a subversion considering that Jane basically expected, at least subconsciously, Daria to screw it up in order to pick a fight with her, practically forcing Daria to do it despite her protestations that she was going to screw it up.

** In the sequel series ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', the {{Tomboy}}-ish main character has absolutely no interest in make-up. In one episode she is faced with....DUN DUN DUN, a powder room. Sinister music plays as she suspiciously picks up the puff, only for powder to explode all over her face.
* This is, predictably, the effect of [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Homer Simpson]]'s "makeup gun" as demonstrated on Marge.

* ''WesternAnimation/BobsBurgers'' - Tina falls in with the new girl at school, who insists on makeovers. She puts a lot of makeup on the two of them in the girl's room - when they step outside, the two Pesto brothers see them and yell "AAAA! Bathroom clowns!"

* In the 1935 ''ComicStrip/{{Popeye}}'' cartoon, "For Better Or Worser", both Popeye and Bluto have been fighting to take Olive to get married. Prior to meeting up with them both, she put on an excessive amount of makeup and false eyelashes. Neither of them saw what she looked like because she was also wearing a veil the whole time. As they were both fighting to take her to the Justice of the Peace, she ended up getting banged up along the way and by the end of the cartoon, Popeye finally lifts the veil to find that Olive is looking pretty ghastly, causing him to head for the hills.