NEWS: A reporter reportedly asked her to put on lipstick. What she did next made us cheer.

It was meant to be a photo shoot and small feature in a local newspaper.

Whisky Business owner Kylie Rhodes was reportedly waiting for a journalist and photographer to arrive and interview her about her specialty: baking delicious macarons.

The place was spotless, the macarons were baked and decorated. Everything was set.

Except for one small thing. Kylie hadn’t put on lipstick.

According to Kylie, when the journalist arrived to the interview she helpfully pointed out Kylie’s obvious oversight.

The journalist reportedly said to Kylie – a mum of two children who had been baking since 2:30am – “don’t take offence, but you aren’t the look we are going for, unless we can go and pop some make up on and a bit of lippy, otherwise we’d prefer to use the young lady who you have over there in your photos.”

In a win for women everywhere, Kylie Rhodes made sure she told the journalist where she could file her helpful suggestions. She asked the journalist and her photographer to leave her premises immediately.

She then took to a Facebook in a widely-shared post.

“I’m sorry [name withheld], I don’t have time in my day to give two shits, let alone one about whether I have lipstick on, or about your newspaper that lines cat litter trays, mulches gardens or gets put straight in the bin by those of us who are too busy to read. I’m a real person and this is what real people look like!”

And to finish she pulled out this gem: “We will be scrubbing off the lipstick you left behind on your coffee cup for the next week by the way.”

Ouch.

Here is the whole statement. Post continues below.

“I’m the first to admit I look tired – I haven’t had a day off since Christmas last year, and that’s the honest truth.

“I’ve given so much to this place and I don’t look horrible- I didn’t go out there looking like I’d just crawled out of the gutter”.

Of course, Kylie doesn’t need to justify how she looks or why. She’s a remarkable small business owner who is making hundreds of people happy every day.

She is amazing and she looks amazing just the way she is. And much more importantly- her macarons look absolutely divine.

The Wynnum Herald put a statement on their Facebook page about what took place:

Yesterday’s events involving Wynnum Herald news editor…and the owner of Whisky Business have been incredibly distressing for all parties concerned.

[The news editor] intended no malice, and is deeply remorseful that her comments caused offence.

She is a journalist of many years’ standing and has the full support of management at Quest Community Newspapers, publishers of the Wynnum Herald.

We consider ourselves fortunate to have her working with our team.