January 5, 2020 by Lindsay Brown Spanish Vocabulary 0 comments

Cosmetics in Spanish

Do you like learning about make-up or trying different types of nail polish? All the colorful and curious items that women use to enhance their appearance or fragrance is defined as cosméticos or cosmetics. This vibrant and varied world can be overwhelming to explore, even in your native language. With this introductory guide to cosmetics in Spanish, you will learn how to discuss your favorite types of make-up and cosmetic accessories in another language. ¡Hablemos de cosméticos!

Vocabulary

Here is a list of some of the most popular types of cosmetics with a downloadable set of flashcards for practicing! While these words are understood in all Spanish-speaking countries, it’s important to note that the vocabulary varies by region. For example, in some countries, people say blush instead of colorete, or rímel instead of máscara de pestañas. Lastly, don’t forget to practice rolling your r’s for words like corrector and rizador (check out this video for a refresher).

Spanish	English
El corrector	Concealer
El maquillaje	Makeup
La base	Foundation
El colorete	Blush
El bronceador / el polvo de sol	Bronzer
La Sombra de ojos	Eyeshadow
El Delineador de ojos	Liquid eyeliner
El Lápiz de ojos	Pencil eyeliner
La Máscara de pestañas	Mascara
El Rizador de pestañas	Eyelash curler
Las Pestañas postizas	Fake eyelashes
El Pintalabios	Lipstick
El brillo de labios	gloss
El Perfilador de labios	Lipliner
El Cepillo de cejas	Eyebrow brush
El Lápiz de cejas	Eyebrow pencil
La Brocha	Brush
La Esponja	Sponge
El Aplicador	Applicator
El Desmaquillante	Makeup remover
Los Cosmeticos	Cosmetics
El Esmalte de uñas	Nail polish
Maquillarse	To put on makeup
Desmaquillarse	To take off makeup
Aplicar	To apply, to put on
El Perfume	perfume

Download your flashcards here: Spanish Cosmetics

Body Parts in Spanish

Although cosmetics are used in different parts of the body, the grand majority of products are designed to improve the face’s appearance. Let’s take a look at some of these words so you can talk about makeup with your Spanish-speaking friends. You will also learn how to explain that you’re applying a product on a particular part of your face using maquillarse or aplicarse.

Which part of the face/body?	¿Cuál parte de la cara/cuerpo?	*¿Qué hago?* What do I do?
Face	La cara / el rostro	Yo me maquillo la cara (I put makeup on my face)
Eyebrows	Las cejas	Yo me maquillo las cejas con lápiz (I put makeup on my eyebrows with a pencil)
Eyelid	El pàrpado	Yo me aplico la sombra de ojos (I put on eyeshadow)
Eyelashes	Las pestañas	Yo me aplico la máscara de pestañas (I put on mascara)
Cheek	La mejilla / el cachete	Yo me aplico el colorete en las mejillas (I put blush on my cheeks)
Nose	La nariz	Yo me aplico el bronceador en la nariz (I put bronzer on my nose)
Lips	Los labios	Yo me aplico el pintalabias (I put on lipstick)
Nails	Las uñas	Yo me pinto las uñas con esmalte verde (I paint my nails with green nail polish)

Verbs and Example Sentences

Here are some very useful verbs to use while discussing cosmetics or your makeup routine. Check out the following list with examples on how to use them in a sentence:

Maquillarse (to put on makeup) is a reflexive verb:

Yo me maquillo todos los días.
I put on makeup every day.

Me gusta maquillarme.
I like to put on makeup.

Desmaquillarse (to take off makeup) is a reflexive verb:

Ella se desmaquilla con agua y jabón.
She takes off makeup with water and soap.

Yo me desmaquillo antes de dormir.
I take off my makeup before going to sleep.

Aplicar (to apply, to put on):

¿Cómo te aplicas la sombra de ojos?
How do you apply eyeshadow?

Yo me aplico la máscara de pestañas después de usar un rizador de pestañas.
I put on mascara after using an eyelash curler.

Yo me aplico mucho perfume.
I put on a lot of perfume.

Curious About Cosmetics

Anyone can learn about cosmetics in Spanish! Being curious about both familiar and new things while learning a foreign language will always be beneficial. We hope you enjoyed this Spanish guide to cosmetics and how to use them. If you have any questions or would like to discuss what you’ve learned, sign up for a free online class with a native Spanish speaker. Here at Homeschool Spanish Academy, our teachers enjoy talking about all sorts of topics!

Ready to learn more Spanish vocabulary? Check these out!

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Lindsay Brown

Director of Content at Homeschool Spanish Academy

Lover of words and a foreign language fanatic, I'm fluent in French and Spanish, with BA degrees in Linguistics, French, and Psychology, plus a TEFL certificate and 10+ years of teaching experience to boot. I blissfully share Spanish-learning tips, best-idea-ever travel advice, and at-a-glance cultural guides. When you can't find me writing spiritedly from my home office in Antigua, Guatemala, I'm probably outside playing games and exploring nature with my two bilingual kids.