Makeup Terms Glossary - Terms Used in Today's Makeup Industry

Makeup Terms Glossary – Frequently Used Terms in Makeup Gossip

Our extended yet short and simple makeup terms glossary is to help you really understand all the fine details of makeup and its application. First review with some keywords that are used in today’s makeup gossip. Although these are common words in the makeup world, they are not as common in real life. Get to know and understand them, and you’ll be able to ask for—and find—exactly what you need.

Alkaline is the opposite of acidic, in terms of your skin’s chemistry. Your skin’s pH (the level of alkalinity versus acidity) can affect or change the appearance of pigments in makeup. Your goal with your skincare is to help keep your skin’s pH balanced.

Antioxidants are nutrients, or ingredients, such as vitamin E, vitamin C, and beta-carotene, which are thought to protect body cells from the damaging (aging) effects of oxidation. They help keep skin looking younger.

Apple of your cheek is the full, round, fleshy area of the cheek, which becomes more prominent and is accentuated when you smile.

Blot is to remove oil or moisture with an absorbent material, such as blot paper or tissue.

Blotchy refers to an unevenness of the skin’s tone and appearance. Spots, blotches, and skin discoloration age your appearance.

Blush adds a wonderfully warm glow to the face and can brighten the dullest of skin. If your cheeks are naturally rosy, you might skip the blush and leave the glow to Mother Nature.

Brighten means to lighten or perk up: for example, to brighten the skin or lip color.

Brow bone is the area of the eyelid directly below the arch of the brow. It really is a bone and is more or less prominent, depending on the shape of your skull and eye socket.

Capillaries are tiny blood vessels throughout the body and face that connect arteries and veins. Capillaries form an intricate network around body tissues to distribute oxygen and nutrients to the cells and remove waste substances. When damaged (broken), they show up as thin red lines on the face, commonly around the nose and in the cheek area.

Cakey describes a product that appears thick, dry, flaky, crusty, and dehydrated when applied. For example, your concealer can look cakey if applied too thickly or if you use a formula that is too dry for the area to which you are applying it.

Concealer is a miracle product that hides everything your foundation doesn’t. Use it to make broken capillaries, under-eye circles, age spots, and skin discolorations disappear. Because its consistency is thicker than foundation, it gives great coverage.

Contour is the opposite of highlight. Unlike highlighting, which draws the eye to a feature, contouring (or deepening) pushes the eye away from a feature and makes it appear less visible. A “contour shade” is usually a darker shade that gives your features more depth and definition by contrasting them against the lighter shades used on your face and around the eyes. Contouring is also the last step in the three-color layering technique for the eyes.

Contrast is the brightness ratio of the lightest to the darkest shade. For example, a light eyeshadow is in high contrast to a dark eyeshadow.

Cupid’s bow of the lip is the rounded, curved area at the center of the top lip, forming a shape much like an M. Some lips have a more defined bow than others.

Dehydrated means to suffer from loss of moisture/water. Dehydrated areas of the skin lack moisture and suppleness, making them appear older.

Depth level describes the lightness or darkness of something, such as skin and foundation.

Dewy often refers to a foundation, blush, or lip color whose finish creates a fresh and glowing look, with a slight sheen and luminosity.

Discoloration describes an area of skin that has changed from its natural color. These can be dark circles, age spots, and any area of the skin that has changed from your natural skin tone, usually becoming darker, but sometimes lighter, in color.

Dual finish refers to products that provide multiple finishes when applied. Depending on the application tool, you will get either more or less coverage.

Elasticity describes the skin’s suppleness and its ability to remain firm, taut, and visually tight and youthful. Loss of elasticity, which can be caused by many circumstances, including sun damage, age, dehydration, and genetics, allows the skin to sag, which makes it look older.

Emollient is an ingredient that helps smooth and soften the skin and, when added to products, allows them to be pressed into a cakelike form. For example, adding an emollient to a powder allows it to be pressed into a compact and hold together.

Exfoliate is the process of using products and actions that slough off or remove the dead surface layer of skin from an area of your body or face, revealing fresh, younger-looking skin.

Eyeliner is used for defining and “bringing out” the eyes, though it is not always necessary. It is the product most commonly used to draw attention to the eyes.

Eyeshadow can be applied lightly as a gentle color wash or as a more dramatic layering of color and texture to enhance and add shape to the eyes.

Facial masking describes a visible unevenness to the color of the skin. It is particularly visible in bronze/ebony skin, when the innermost part of the face is drastically lighter than the skin of the outer area, creating a dark masked area around the outside of the face.

Finish is the appearance a product gives to the surface to which it is applied. Eyeshadows have matte, shimmer, satin, or frosted finishes; lipstick finishes can be matte, crème, shimmer, or frosted.

Foundation is a miracle product that evens out your complexion and covers imperfections. Your foundation’s tone depends entirely on your skin. If your skin is looking radiant and beautiful without help, then by all means skip the foundation and foundation, you’ll find it in a variety of finishes, such as matte, satin, and dewy. If your skin is oily or blemished, choose matte. If your skin is normal or dry, you can choose from any of the finishes.

Fragrance-free refers to a product formula to which no fragrance ingredients have been added. This does not mean the product has no scent, because some of its ingredients can have a natural residual smell, giving the product a distinctive scent. But no fragrance ingredients have been added to a formula that states it is fragrance free.

Frost is about maximum sparkle and super-shine. It is also sometimes referred to as iridescent. It is a fun, sexy look that works best on young skin, because it can draw attention to the fine lines of mature skin. The term is usually used in reference to eyeshadows and lip colors.

Gloss is a super-high-shine lip color. It can add a punch of color but does not stay on as long as lipstick. It will make lips look fuller and younger.

Glow means to create a radiance that seems to come from within. A beautiful glow can immediately create the appearance of a youthful radiance that removes years. Glow does not mean shiny, which suggests oiliness and accentuates skin texture flaws; it means radiant and youthful. It is most often created by choosing the perfect shades and textures of foundations, bronzers, and blushes.

Highlight is the opposite of contour. Highlighting draws attention to a specific area or feature and makes it appear to come toward you. Used on the face and eyes, a highlight shade is usually a lighter shade. Highlighting is the first step in the three-color layering technique for the eyes and is the lightest shade in sculpting the face.

Hyperpigmentation is a common, usually harmless, condition in which patches of skin become darker in color than your normal skin color. This darkening occurs when an excess of melanin, the brown pigment that produces normal skin color, forms deposits in the skin.

Hypoallergenic cosmetics are products that manufacturers claim produce fewer allergic reactions than other cosmetic products. Consumers with hypersensitive skin, and even those with “normal” skin, might find these products to be gentler to their skin than non-hypoallergenic cosmetics.

Hypopigmentation is the loss of skin color. It is caused by melanocyte depletion—a decrease in the amino acid tyrosine, which is used by melanocytes to make melanin, the brown pigment that produces normal skin color.

Intensity is a term used to describe the vividness of a product, how strong its shade or color appears. For example, an intense lip color will be very noti ceable and attention-grabbing.

Layering means to apply multiple layers of a product or products one on top of the other. This technique creates a greater depth of color and also provides more complete coverage of a product.

Light-reflecting particles are the tiny, finely ground particles (ingredients) in a formula that reflect light. By reflecting light, they help to disguise flaws that lie underneath. Products with these ingredients work well for creating the illusion of flawless skin without heavy coverage.

Lip color is one of the quickest ways to set the mood of your overall look. You can go all out and define your lips with color, or you can use a clear gloss for a more natural look.

Luminescence describes a foundation with light-reflecting qualities that creates a glowing, refined look. The light-reflecting properties contain specially shaped particles that bounce light away from imperfections, surface lines, and wrinkles, to create a more youthful appearance.

Mascara is designed to coat each eyelash with color to give you full, long, thick, dark lashes. Mascara makes your eyes stand out. There are many formulas, designed to give you a variety of effects.

Matte is used to describe lipsticks, eyeshadows, foundations, powders, and blushes that have absolutely no shine and appear flat. Matte lipsticks tend to be drier than glossy or satin types, but they stay on longer. Matte foundations are excellent on shiny and oily skins and are best for imperfect complexions. There are also matte products, such as powders and crèmes, that help fight oils during the day.

Melasma is also known as chloasma or the “mask of pregnancy.” In this acquired condition, the skin on the face and neck slowly develops brown patches. Melasma usually occurs during the second or third trimester of pregnancy. It can also develop in women taking oral contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy or people who have had excessive sun exposure. The brown patches are attributed to an increased amount of pigment in the skin.

Metallic describes lipsticks, eyeshadows, and eye pencils with a shiny, reflective metal finish. They are usually trendy and fun. They look fantastic on dark or ebony skin because they show up so well, but they can be too harsh for very pale or more mature skin.

Mica is a small particle used in cosmetics; ground very finely, it produces shine and shimmer in a product. Most often used in eyeshadows, blushes, and lipsticks, mica can be colorless or a variety of shades.

Midtone is a neutral, natural eye color that is swept across the eyelids to help define and shape the eyes. The midtone shade should be a natural extension of your complexion and is the second step in the three-color layering technique for the eyes. It is middle in depth in shade, darker than your highlight shade and lighter than your contour shade.

Mousse is a texture that resembles that of a fluffy whipped dessert. It’s most common in foundation and blush, making them lighter in weight and more sheer in coverage, which also tends to help them blend into the skin more completely.

Mute or muting is to make a color appear less intense. For example, taking a bright pink and adding or layering another shade (possibly a beige) on top, to tone it down to a much softer and more natural pink.

Noncomedogenic is a term used to describe a product that is formulated to not clog your pores, which helps prevent blackheads from forming.

Oil absorbers are ingredients added to a formula that help absorb natural oils secreted by your skin throughout the day. Some foundations contain oil absorbers to prevent your face from becoming oily and help your foundation stay in place all day.

Oil-free describes a product without added oils in its formula. This doesn’t mean the product does not contain moisturizers; it simply means that the moisture does not come from added oils.

Opaque is a finish that provides absolute coverage, allowing very little skin to show through.

pH level refers to the acidity or alkalinity of your skin. Your goal is to use products that maintain a neutral balance on your skin. You never want your pH level to be higher than 7, which is neutral—neither acidic nor alkaline—and is considered balanced. A high pH level (above 7, or alkaline) in your skin can cause the pigments in your cosmetics to change color once applied.

Polymer is a small ingredient or particle that is added to a product, to help it cling to whatever it’s applied to, adding bulk, volume, and length. It’s most commonly used in mascara and is the ingredient that creates the longer, thicker appearance of your lashes.

Porosity is the skin’s ability to absorb and hold moisture. Moisturizer can “even out” the porosity of your skin and help your foundation, primer, or concealer go on more smoothly.

Powder refers to talc-like products, such as eyeshadow, blush, and face powder. For example, face powder, which is used for setting foundation and concealer, gives your face a smooth finish and keeps shine under control. Powder comes in multiple forms, including loose and pressed.

Primer is a product used underneath other products, to create a smoother finish. Makeup primers create a barrier between your skin and anything applied over the product. Some are designed to prevent products applied over them from seeping into fine lines and places they do not need to be. Primers also keep your makeup in place much longer, as you go through your day.

Rosacea is a skin disorder that leads to redness and pimples on the nose, forehead, cheekbones, and chin. Rosacea can look a great deal like acne, but blackheads are never present.

Satin refers to a formulation that’s neither as flat as matte nor as shiny as shimmer. A “soft satin finish” is often used to describe foundations and liquid cosmetics that give a soft, smooth finish to the skin. Satin products have a sheen to them but not shinny.

Sculpting describes the process of reshaping a feature or even the face. In terms of makeup, it means using multiple depth levels of a product to visually reshape a feature’s appearance; for example, sculpting a round (or full) face to look thinner or making a hooded eyelid look less full and fleshy.

Sheer is a thinner, more transparent finish than matte or opaque and gives the skin a glow. It usually contains silicone, which allows makeup to glide on easily. The product clings less and covers more smoothly than an opaque product does. Sheer products seem to disappear into the skin, giving it a soft, more natural appearance.

Silicone refers to any of a number of polymers containing alternate silicon and oxygen atoms that act in cosmetics as adhesives and lubricants, helping them adhere to the skin. This ingredient really helps a product become one with the skin. It can also make a product water-repellent.

Skin tone describes your skin color, and it ranges from very dark brown to almost colorless (appearing pinkish-white due to the blood in the skin). Skin tone is determined by the amount (depth) and type (olive, yellow, pink, bronze, or ebony) of the pigment melanin in the skin.

Stippling is a blending technique used for concealers and foundations or crème-type products. It’s especially effective for blending out the edges of concealers. Stippling is also a great way to carefully apply one product over another. Just place some product, such as foundation, on your fingertips or a sponge and apply in a gentle patting motion, to avoid disturbing or erasing the product you’ve already applied underneath, such as concealer.

Stripe test is a technique in which you apply multiple stripes of foundation to the skin, to test whether or not its color matches your skin color. You cannot get a perfect foundation match without conducting this test—it is a must.

T-zone describes the center of your face and includes the center of your forehead, nose, and chin. This area can have a slightly different texture than the rest of your face—larger pores, for example, which excrete more oils and give your skin a tendency to get shiny or oily more easily than the rest of the face.

Texture is the consistency of a product—the feel or weight of the product on your skin. For example, a blush can have a creamy or a powdery feel to it. Foundation comes in many textures, including crème, powder, and liquid. Texture describes the form of a product but not the finish. Foundation can have a dewy, creamy, sheer, matte, or satin finish, while lipsticks can be glossy, matte, or sheer.

Tinted describes a product that gives the skin the slightest hint of color. Pigments in these products are very light, to just slightly add color and give the sheerest coverage possible.

Undertone is the underlying tone of a color. It’s the base from which the color is formed. For example, your skin can have an olive undertone. A warm shadow or blush has a yellow undertone, while a cool color has a blue undertone.

Vitiligo is a condition in which patches of skin lose their pigmentation because the pigment-producing cells, the melanocytes, are attacked and destroyed. It can affect the skin, mucous membranes, eyes, inner ear, and hair, leaving white patches. The most common type of vitiligo is vitiligo vulgaris. See also Hypopigmentation.

Water-based describes the formulation of a product that can be removed with or is soluble in water. These formulas generally are considered to be less irritating to the skin than formulas that require special creams or other removers. This is the formulation most commonly used in foundation.

Water-resistant describes a product that resists water. Although it will not smudge or smear when in contact with moisture or water, it cannot be submerged in water without running or being otherwise affected.

Waterproof describes a product that repels water—it does not allow water to penetrate it. A waterproof product can be completely submerged in water and will not smear, smudge, or run.

Makeup Terms Glossary - Terms Used in Today's Makeup Industry