‘You’re Asking for Trouble!’ Woman Faces Scan Fail at Airport

Source: OT-Team(G), New York Post

Recently, a video shot at Shanghai Pudong International Airport has sparked widespread debate on both Chinese and international social media platforms. 

The video shows a woman who, due to heavy makeup, failed to pass the airport's facial recognition system during security checks. Airport staff reportedly insisted that she remove her makeup on the spot until her appearance resembled her passport photo. According to the New York Post, the incident occurred in 2024, but the video has recently gone viral after being widely shared, climbing to trending status online.

In the video, the well-groomed woman stands in front of a facial recognition scanner, which struggles to recognize her due to her makeup. At this point, an airport employee intervenes, saying: "Wipe everything off until you look like your passport photo. Why would you do your makeup like that? You are asking for trouble." The  clip, which has accumulated thousands of views, shows the passenger removing layers of "bridal-level" makeup.

In the footage, the woman, holding a makeup wipe, slowly removes her makeup under the gaze of other passengers. Her face reddens, not from the rubbing, but from the embarrassment. While it remains unclear if she was eventually allowed to pass through security, the facial recognition system certainly didn't approve of her makeup. 

The video has sparked a wave of humorous responses on social media. One viewer commented, "It's not like she was able to walk around with a filter on in real life, right?" Another said, "This is cosplay, not just regular makeup."

Others, however, expressed sympathy for the woman, criticizing the airport official's behavior. One comment read, "Poor girl should not be laughed at. The guard hurt her feelings. Not nice and not funny." Some questioned whether makeup should even be a problem for modern facial recognition systems. "No matter how thick the makeup is, the face shouldn't be unrecognizable, right? Isn't it time to upgrade the equipment?" asked another user.

Not long ago, model influencer Janaina Prazeres was also held for 40 minutes by immigration officials who couldn't identify her surgically altered face.

Ms Prazeres, who Playboy Norway referred to as the "perfect woman," has spent about one million dollars on 20 cosmetic surgeries, including nose jobs, body lifts, and complete face "harmonisation," per The Post.