An Irish actress and presenter has left people in stitches after a hilarious makeup mishap almost left her looking like a character from Shrek on live television.
Wicklow-based Rebecca Ryan is known for roles in TV drama The Tudors and regular appearances on Irish morning show Ireland AM. In her spare time, Ryan creates lip-synch videos for her social media, and, inspired by the newly released Wicked movie, she decided to perform the song "Defying Gravity." Fully committed to the part, Ryan covered her face in green paint, only to realize—far too late—that the makeup wasn't coming off.
"I lashed on the green face paint without even thinking," Ryan told Newsweek. "When I tried to wash my hands, it didn't budge. My stomach sank. I was panicking because this was on a Friday, and I was due on Ireland AM, Ireland's biggest breakfast TV show, just two days later."
With only an hour to film while her daughter was at school and her mother took her baby for a walk, Ryan pushed through and finished the video, fog machine and all. But once the camera stopped rolling, the real chaos began.
"I went straight up to the shower and scrubbed and scrubbed, but, in the light of day, I had a greenish-yellow tint. It was stuck in my ears, the creases of my hands, and under my nails," Ryan said. "By Saturday, I was still a shade of green, and I was terrified the studio lights would make it even worse on Sunday's live broadcast."
Ryan shared the makeup ordeal on her TikTok page, @hellorebeccaryan, where it has gained over 674,000 views, and people shared their reactions to the green-faced mistake.
"You're giving Jim Carrey The Mask vibes," one commenter wrote, while another posted, "Well, at least it complimented your eyes." Others shared advice, suggesting coconut oil, shaving foam, and oil-based cleansers for next time.
Thankfully, after a weekend spent frantically scrubbing her skin, Ryan did manage to remove most of the paint. "If you didn't look too closely, I just about got away with it," she said. "But my nails told a different story."
Despite the green-paint stress, Ryan was pleased that the clip provided some laughs for others. "If a video can give even one person a smile, it's so worth it," she said. "Our house is chaos at the best of times, but we wouldn't have it any other way—it keeps the fun going."
English (US) ·