History Main / YourMakeupIsRunning

When someone is wearing heavy makeup they run the risk of it getting smudged. This is especially true if they start crying or otherwise get their face wet. Their makeup will start to run down their face in heavy, inky and colorful rivers; mascara especially. The black lines streaming down the face are very striking visually and make [[RuleOfPerception a very visible sign of sadness]]. A SubTrope of InelegantBlubbering. Often played for humor as well, especially if the character crying would never be expected to wear makeup, such as a ManlyMan or even an animal.

When someone is wearing heavy makeup they run the risk of it getting smudged. This is especially true if they start crying or otherwise get their face wet. Their makeup will start to run down their face in heavy, inky and colorful rivers; mascara especially. The black lines streaming down the face are very striking visually and make [[RuleOfPerception a very visible sign of sadness]]. A SubTrope of InelegantBlubbering.

* ''WesternAnimation/BlueEyeSamurai''. A flashback shows that Mizu put aside her RoaringRampageOfRevenge after her mother married her off to a disgraced samurai. He was a gentle man that she fell in love with, but he wanted to see her demonstrate the sword skills that she learnt. Unfortunately, she wins the subsequent sword fight and [[IWasBeatenByAGirl he doesn't take it well]], so she dresses in a kimono and applies makeup to her face so she'll look like a proper Japanese wife should. Unfortunately bounty hunters turn up instead for her, and when she realises her husband summoned them, first the white makeup--and then red in symbolic TearsOfBlood--flows as she proceeds to slaughter all of them (including her husband).

* ''WesternAnimation/BlueEyeSamurai''. A flashback shows that Mizu put aside her RoaringRampageOfRevenge after her mother married her off to a disgraced samurai. He was a gentle man that she fell in love with, but he wanted to see her demonstrate the sword skills that she learnt. Unfortunately, she wins the subsequent sword fight and [[IWasBeatenByAGirl he doesn't take it well]], so she dresses in a kimono and applies makeup to her face so she'll look like a proper Japanese wife should. Unfortunately bounty hunters turn up instead for her, and when she realises her husband summoned them, first the white makeup, and then red in symbolic TearsOfBlood, flows as she proceeds to slaughter all of them (including her husband).

* ''WesternAnimation/TheBatman Strikes'': The tenth issue follows a trio of college students fleeing through Arkham Asylum during a fight between Batman and Man-Bat after the latter escapes during a field trip to the asylum. The only girl of the group has smeared mascara due to her TearsOfFear after seeing how vicious Man-Bat is. [[spoiler:The tears also seem to be tears of guilt, as she helped Man-Bat escape to repay a favor to him for preventing her from getting expelled over a NoodleIncident back when he was a college professor.]]

* ''Webcomic/PixieTrixComix'': Zadie gets a bad case during her tearful confession scene [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/pixie-trix-comix/horrible-person here.]]

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* ''VideoGame/ResonanceOfFate'': [[TheChick Leanne]] exploits this trope, mentioning at one point that she wears makeup as a reminder to stay strong because if she cries, she'll ruin the makeup.