Makeup in Spanish: A guide to cosmetics, from lipstick to nail polish
Get our free email course, Shortcut to Conversational.
Have conversations faster, understand people when they speak fast, and other tested tips to learn faster.
More infoThe world of beauty is diverse and fascinating, and language should never be a barrier when it comes to expressing oneself through makeup or taking care of your skin or hair. In this post we’ll unlock the language of cosmetics in Spanish, providing you with the essential words and phrases to confidently navigate the beauty aisles.
From makeup to skincare and hair and nail products, let’s explore the colorful lexicon that adds flair to your beauty routine.
So get ready to receive some compliments, since it’s time to put on some makeup in Spanish!
Makeup products – Productos de maquillaje
First of all, the word for makeup in Spanish is maquillaje. In this section we’ll unravel the vocabulary essential for your Spanish makeup routine. Along with the products necessary for a stunning look, we’ll also include the names of tools to apply them, to make sure you have all the vocabulary for doing your makeup in Spanish.
You’ll see a few colors and body parts in the following list of Spanish makeup vocab, but for more variety you can check out our posts on body parts in Spanish and colors in Spanish. While we’re at it, you may also want to refer to our posts on clothes in Spanish and on physical descriptions in Spanish.
Makeup products | Productos de maquillaje |
Primer | La prebase |
Foundation | La base |
Concealer | El corrector |
Beauty blender | La esponja de maquillaje, La esponja |
Setting powder | El polvo fijador |
Brush | La brocha |
Eyeshadow | La sombra de ojos |
Eyeshadow palette | La paleta de sombras |
Eyeliner | El delineador de ojos |
Glitter | La brillantina, La purpurina, La escarcha |
Lash curler | El rizador de pestañas |
Mascara | La máscara, El rÃmel |
Fake eyelashes | Las pestañas postizas |
Lash glue | La pega para pestañas, La goma para pestañas |
Lip balm | El bálsamo de labios |
Lip liner | El delineador de labios |
Lipstick | El labial, El pintalabios |
Lip gloss | El brillo labial |
Blush | El rubor, El colorete |
Bronzer | El bronceador |
Contour | El contour, El contorno |
Highlighter | El iluminador |
Setting spray | El spray fijador, El fijador de maquillaje |
Skin care products – Productos de cuidado para la piel
Part of a great look is having healthy skin, which is why we’re including this next section with essential skin care products in Spanish. Let’s take a look!
Skin care products | Productos de cuidado para la piel |
Makeup remover | El removedor de maquillaje, El desmaquillante |
Cotton pads | El algodón, Las almohadillas de algodón |
Cleanser | El limpiador |
Toner | El tónico |
Moisturizer | La crema hidratante |
Sunscreen | El protector solar |
Serum | El sérum |
Exfoliator | El exfoliante |
Face mask | La mascarilla |
Anti-aging cream | La crema antienvejecimiento, La crema antiedad |
Eye cream | La crema de ojos |
Under-eye patches | Los parches para ojos |
Hair products – Productos para el cabello
Knowing the vocabulary about hair products is an excellent complement to makeup in Spanish. In this section we’ll go from basic products, such as shampoo and conditioner, to hair styling tools.
Hair products | Productos para el cabello |
Shampoo | El champú |
Conditioner | El acondicionador |
Hair mask | La mascarilla capilar, El baño de crema |
Styling gel | El gel para el cabello |
Mousse | El mousse |
Hair spray | El fijador, La laca |
Hair oil | El aceite capilar |
Heat protectant | El protector de calor |
Comb | El peine |
Hairbrush | El cepillo |
Blowdryer | El secador |
Straightener | La plancha para el cabello |
Curling iron | La rizadora |
Hair clips | Los ganchos, Las vinchas, Las horquillas, Las pinzas |
Headband | El cintillo, La diadema |
Hair tie | La liga, La goma, La cola |
Nail products – Productos para las uñas
We already covered hair products, skin care, and makeup in Spanish, so now we’ll focus on the nails. There are many styles, products, and tools when it comes to nail care, so we’ll keep our focus on those most commonly found in a nail salon.
Nail products | Productos para las uñas |
Manicure | La manicura |
Pedicure | La pedicura |
Manicure bowl | El cuenco de manicura, El tazón de manicura |
Nail polish | El barniz de uñas, La pintura de uñas, El esmalte de uñas |
Gel polish | El esmalte de gel |
Glitter | La brillantina, La purpurina, La escarcha |
Nail polish remover | El removedor de esmalte, El quitaesmalte |
Cotton balls | Las bolas de algodón |
Cotton swabs | Los cotonetes, Los bastoncillos, Los hisopos |
Base coat | La capa base |
Top coat | El brillo |
Nail art | La manicura artÃstica |
UV lamp | La lámpara ultravioleta |
Tweezers | Las pinzas |
Orangewood sticks | Los palitos de naranjo |
Cuticle oil | El aceite para cutÃculas |
Nail brush | El cepillo de uñas |
Nail clipper | El cortauñas |
Nail file | La lima |
Nail buffer | El bloque pulidor de uñas |
Cuticle knife | El cortacutÃcula |
Cuticle pusher | El empujador de cutÃcula |
Cuticle remover | El quitacutÃculas, El removedor de cutÃcula |
Foot bath | La tina para pies |
Foot cream | La crema de pies |
Callus remover | El removedor de callos |
Pumice stone | La piedra pómez |
Toe separator | El separador |
Spanish makeup verbs
Now that we’ve covered all the nouns related to makeup in Spanish, let’s take a look at some of the most common verbs used in the context of beauty. As it happens, nearly all of these are -ar verbs.
We list the regular verb forms here that you’ll hear people use in a beauty salon, but remember that if you’re doing these actions to yourself you can use the reflexive verb form. Maquillarse is a very good example of a reflexive, meaning to put makeup on oneself.
English makeup verbs | Spanish makeup verbs |
To put on makeup | Maquillar |
To take off makeup | Desmaquillar |
To apply, To put on | Aplicar |
To moisturize | Humectar |
To blend | Difuminar |
To apply liner | Delinear |
To dye, To paint | Pintar |
To remove | Remover |
To straighten | Alisar, Planchar |
To cut | Rizar |
To cut | Cortar |
Conclusion: Makeup in Spanish
Fantastic! Now, armed with this newfound vocabulary for cosmetics and makeup in Spanish, you’re ready to look better than ever!
We began our exploration by uncovering that maquillaje is the term for makeup in Spanish. From there, we delved into a diverse array of products and tools spanning makeup, skin care, hair, and nails. The journey culminated with a glance at essential verbs that come into play when discussing makeup in Spanish.
This comprehensive guide not only familiarized you with the nouns but also highlighted crucial verbs essential to effortlessly articulate your beauty routine in Spanish.
We hope that you had fun learning these words! Now you have a guide you can always come back to if you ever need to review your vocab for makeup in Spanish. As you navigate the diverse landscape of beauty aisles, armed with this vibrant lexicon, may your journey be as enriching as the variety of products and tools you’ve discovered. See you in the next post!