Beauty dictionary
Beauty words, in plain English.
No assumed vocabulary. Each term explains what it means and what it does not mean.
Coverage
How much a product changes the appearance of the skin or lips beneath it.
finishMatte
A finish with little visible shine.
finishSatin
A finish with a soft sheen between matte and glossy.
finishNatural finish
A finish intended to look balanced rather than very matte or very shiny.
finishRadiant
A finish that reflects light and looks lively or glowy.
finishLuminous
A light-reflective finish that can look softly glowing.
finishDewy
A finish that looks fresh or light-reflective rather than flat.
finishGlossy
A finish with clear visible shine.
coverageSheer
A product that lets much of the natural skin or lip color show through.
coverageMedium coverage
Coverage that changes the appearance of skin more than a sheer product but does not fully hide everything.
coverageFull coverage
Coverage designed to hide more of the natural skin or lip color.
applicationBuildable
A product that can be applied in light layers to increase the effect.
colorUndertone
A color direction people use to describe how a shade can lean beneath its surface color.
colorWarm
A color direction that may lean yellow
colorCool
A color direction that may lean pink
colorNeutral
A color direction that does not strongly lean warm or cool.
colorOlive
A color description often used for shades with a muted green-gold or gray-gold cast.
formatLiquid
A fluid product that is poured
formatCream
A soft product with more body than a liquid.
formatPowder
A dry product in loose or pressed form.
formatGel
A product with a jelly-like texture that is not fully liquid or solid.
formatStick
A solid product packaged in a twist-up tube.
finishShimmer
Small light-reflective particles that create noticeable sparkle or sheen.
fragranceTop note
A scent impression you may notice soon after spraying.
fragranceHeart note
A scent impression often noticed after the opening has settled.
fragranceBase note
A scent impression that may become more noticeable later in a fragrance wear.
fragranceEau de parfum (EDP)
A fragrance label commonly used for a perfume concentration category.
fragranceEau de toilette (EDT)
A fragrance label commonly used for another perfume concentration category.