Putting a thick layer of loose translucent powder on your face for several minutes, causing your body heat to be trapped against your skin which “bakes” (sets) the powder and any cream or liquid products under the powder. After baking, brush away excess powder.

Related: Ultimate Guide to Setting Powder

Can refer to the skincare preparations and eyeshadow primer you apply before you begin makeup, or can refer to the basic first layers of face makeup (primer, foundation, concealer, and brows).

A liquid or cream product with sheer coverage used over the entire face, typically in place of foundation. Similar to a tinted moisturizer.

Related:

• Ultimate Guide to Foundation
• Ultimate Guide to Tinted Moisturizer

Name-brand version of makeup sponge. Because it is original and popular, many people call all makeup sponges “beauty blenders” even if they aren’t by the Beauty Blender brand.

Related:

How to Use a Makeup Sponge

The BEST Way to Clean Makeup Sponges

10 Reasons You Should Use a Makeup Sponge

The act of blending out a powder or cream product onto the face to avoid harsh lines. You can blend foundation and face products into the skin with brushes or sponges. You can also blend eyeshadow on your eyelid, crease, and brow bone. Blending is important to achieve a seamless, gradient look.

Also called rouge. Comes in many shades, commonly in pink, peach, orange, and brown tones. Applied to the cheeks to give a flushed & rosy appearance.

Related: Blush: Everything You Need to Know

Powder or cream product in a shade slightly darker than complexion that brings definition and warmth to the face.

Related: Ultimate Guide to Bronzer

Short for eyebrows. Help frame the entire face. Many products and styles are used to enhance brows.

Related: Ultimate Guide to Brows

Used to lock eyebrow hairs into place. Can be clear or tinted.

Related: Ultimate Guide to Brows

Product resembling a pencil or pen that is filled with product designed to match hair color. Used to fill in eyebrows and draw fine hairs.

Related: Ultimate Guide to Brows

Small jar of cream product that is used to define eyebrows. Used with a brow brush (small, angled makeup brush) and spoolies.

Related: Ultimate Guide to Brows

General term for all sorts of makeup brushes, including eyeshadow brushes, large powder brushes, spoolie brushes, and more.

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• Ultimate Makeup Brush Guide for Beginners
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• Best Rated Makeup Brushes on Amazon

CC cream can mean “color correcting” cream, or can indicate a product similar to BB cream with slightly more coverage.

Using a colored cream or liquid product, typically a concealer, with color theory in order to negate the effects of discolored skin.

Example: green color corrector helps cover red inflammation or acne, since the colors are complimentary on the color wheel.

Skin-toned product used to cover blemishes, redness, and more. Often in a liquid form that is higher coverage than foundation.

Related:

• Ultimate Guide to Concealer
• 13 Best Concealer Tips for Beginners

Using a product several shades darker than your complexion to define areas of your face and create the illusion of shadows. Typically matte, the product is used below the cheekbones, on the nose, forehead, and jawline.

Related: Ultimate Guide to Contouring

Area of eyelid that curves above your eye and below your brow bone where the skin folds.

Area on the upper lip where there is two peaks and a small dip in the middle.

A style of eyeshadow where artists “cut” the eyeshadow color in a smooth, sharp line from the inner corner of the eye along the eye’s crease using concealer. Creates a large contrast between deeper shades in the crease and lighter shades on the eyelid.

Related: 7 Tips for a Perfect Cut Crease

A finish that many liquid, cream, and spray cosmetic products are available in. May appear illuminating, dewy/wet, and shiny/shimmery, but can also look very natural.

Type of spongey makeup applicator typically found in lipstick and lipglosses that has a slanted end.

Dupe is short for duplicate. Dupes refer to makeup products that are very similar to another product, but are typically less expensive than the original. For example, you might look for a $20 dupe for an original $200 eyeshadow palette that has similar colors but is more affordable. Not the same as fake makeup.

Removing the outer layer of dead skin cells with a scrub or chemical peel, helping your skin become smoother and creates a better base for makeup. Should only be done 1-2 times per week.

Tool used to pinch the eyelashes in an upward direction, making them appear longer and more voluminous.

Product (black, white, nude, or colorful) used to outline the perimeter of the eye, both on the eyelid, waterline, and used to draw winged eyeliner. Comes in many forms, such as pencil, pen, liquid, cream, and gel.

Related: Ultimate Guide to Eyeliner

Colorful pigments used on the eye and surrounding area. Can be neutral colors or bright rainbow colors. Available in many finishes (matte, shimmer, glitter, etc) and forms (cream, powder, etc). Bought as single eyeshadows or multiple together in an eyeshadow palette.

Related:

• Eyeshadow: Everything You Need to Know
• Best Eyeshadow for Every Eye Color

False eyelashes are adhered to the eyelid/eyelashes for a temporary, often dramatic addition to natural eyelashes. Come as full lashes (strip lashes) or individual lashes. Adhered using lash glue. Sometimes called “falsies”

Related:

• Ultimate Guide to False Eyelashes
• Best False Eyelashes for Beginners

Though “real” as in, physically exists, fake makeup refers to counterfeit products. Typically, it will be fake versions of high end products using cheaper packaging and ingredients in an attempt to scam customers. Sometimes contains harmful ingredients. To avoid fake makeup, make sure you purchase from authorized retailers.

When a makeup product causes a white cast on your skin when captured with flash photography. Often caused by SPF in foundation and powders.

Skin tone product used over entire face to even out complexion and cover blemishes. Available in many different forms such as liquids, creams, sticks, and powders. There are many finishes (matte, dewy) and levels of coverage (sheer to full coverage) of foundation.

Related:

• Ultimate Guide to Foundation
• How to Choose the Correct Foundation Shade
• 13 Foundation Mistakes You’re Making – and How to Fix Them!

Comes in many forms, such as liquids, pressed eyeshadows, and loose. Loose glitter is applied with a glue or glitter primer. It looks similar to craft glitter, but is finer and safe to use around the eyes. WARNING: Do not use craft glitter instead of cosmetic glitter near your eyes.

Related: Makeup Basics: The Ultimate Guide to Makeup Glitter

A seamless transition between two colors. Typically refers to the blending between adjacent colors of eyeshadow, but can also be used to talk about the gradient of transparency of a product into a person’s natural skin tone.

Style of eyeshadow similar to a “Cut Crease” where the “cut” line extends from the inner corner of the eye in the crease to the midpoint of the eyelid.

Style of eyeshadow where the outer and inner corners of the eyelid are darker, and the center of the eyelid has a lighter (typically shimmery or glittery) shade.

Product lighter than your skin tone used to draw attention to the high areas of the face, such as cheekbones and tip of nose. Often shimmery or sparkly, in champagne, rosy, and gold tones. Can be used subtly for a natural glow or intensely for a “blinding” highlight that pops.

Related:

• Ultimate Guide to Highlighter
• The 7 Most Blinding Highlighters

Small area next to the tear duct between the eye and the bridge of the nose.

The dusty powder product “kicked” up by a pressed powder (eyeshadow, blush, etc) when you swirl a makeup brush into it.

Glue specifically designed to adhere fake lashes to the eye. Lash glue is easy to apply, dries quickly, and doesn’t hurt much when removing. Is eye safe!

Related: Ultimate Guide to False Eyelashes

Lip product worn on its own or layered on top of a lipliner or lipstick. Can be tinted or clear, opaque or sheer. Give a shiny look to the lips. Many variations have shimmer or glitter finishes.

Pencil-like product in shades similar to lipstick, used for outlining the lips before applying lipstick or lipgloss. Helps keep other lip colors from feathering.

Comes in a standard tube as a cream product, or in another form such as a liquid lipstick that dries with a matte finish. Comes in a range of colors, most commonly worn in red, berry, pink, brown, and nude shades.

Related: How to Sanitize Lipstick in 2 Minutes

Tool used to apply many different cosmetic products, including liquids, creams, and powders.

Related:

• How to Use a Makeup Sponge
• The BEST Way to Clean Makeup Sponges
• 10 Reasons You Should Use a Makeup Sponge

A finish that appears flat or dull (matte!) on the skin; any product that has no shimmer or sparkle. Liquid matte formulas are often preferred by people who have oily skin, but can be drying to those with dry skin.

A dark, thick liquid applied to the eyelashes to make them appear darker, longer, or more voluminous. Typically applied with a spoolie, though some makeup artists use mascara brushes. Can be colored, but is typically black.

Related:

• Makeup Basics: The Ultimate Guide to Mascara
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To make your skin hydrated and less dry. This helps prevent peeling and dry patches that can cause makeup to look “flaky” on the face. Can be done with a moisturizer, facial oil, etc.

Area of the eyelid just above the outermost part of the eye, sometimes referred to in a “V” or “7” shape following the outer lash line and into the crease of the eye.

The first step in the makeup process. Applied to entire face to minimize pores and wrinkles, and/or to help the makeup last longer.

Related: The Ultimate Guide to Makeup Primer

Can refer to the ingredient composition of a product (i.e. a powder blush, opposed to a cream blush). Also refers to a category of makeup product (face powder) used as foundation or to set the face.

Face powder comes in a loose or a pressed form. Some powders are tinted, and can be used as powder foundation, adding some color and coverage. Other powders are translucent, meant to set makeup and not add any additional color or coverage. Baking uses loose powder.

Related: Ultimate Guide to Setting Powder

Refers to putting a powder (typically loose & translucent) on top of a liquid or cream product to “set” it into the face so it lasts longer and doesn’t move. Baking also sets the face. Can also refer to using a setting spray to “set” the face at the end of the makeup application.

Related:

• Ultimate Guide to Setting Powder
• Ultimate Guide to Makeup Setting Spray

Liquid product in a spray bottle that is used at the end of makeup application to lock in the makeup so it lasts longer. Especially helpful to sweat-proof/waterproof your makeup and make it appear more natural, like it was melted into your skin.

Related: Ultimate Guide to Makeup Setting Spray

A formula type used in pressed powder eyeshadows, where the base is matte and contains flecks of glitter. When applying sequin eyeshadow shades, blending with a brush will get rid of most of the glitter, whereas pressing it on with your fingertip will give a more glittery finish.

A product finish most often referring to an eyeshadow, but could also refer to a highlighter, blush, or bronzer. Has a sheen and sparkle when applied and reflects light well.

A classic eyeshadow style where color is lighter higher towards the brow bone and gradually becomes deeper closer to the eyelashes and outer corner.

Also called a mascara wand. Used to apply mascara, brush brows, or apply brow products.

Area of the face consisting of the forehead, nose, and chin, which forms the shape of an uppercase T. This is the most oily part of the face for most people.

Area on the upper eyelid between the eye and upper eyelashes. Eyeliner or eyeshadow can be put here for added definition.

A moisturizer with skin toned pigment, giving sheer to light coverage on the skin. In-between a moisturizer and a foundation.

Related: What is Tinted Moisturizer?

Used to describe a color of eyeshadow used to blend out other (typically more pigmented or brighter) shades. Often is the first color applied in the eyeshadow process, placed above the crease.

Area below the eye but above the lower eyelashes. Can put eyeliner or eyeshadow here for added definition.

The act of flicking out the top eyeliner past the eye in a triangle shape. Typically done with black, liquid eyeliner.