Inklingo

How to Say "cosmetics" in Spanish

The Spanish word for “cosmetics” is “maquillaje” — A1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.

English → SpanishA1
nounA1
beauty products
A simple colorful illustration of three essential cosmetic items: a tube of bright red lipstick, an open eyeshadow palette showing multiple colors, and a fluffy makeup brush.

Examples

Ella olvidó su estuche de maquillaje en casa.

She forgot her makeup bag at home.

Prefiero usar maquillaje natural, casi invisible.

I prefer to use natural, almost invisible makeup.

Antes de salir, se puso un poco de maquillaje.

Before leaving, she put on a little bit of makeup.

Masculine Noun Rule

Even though many beauty words are feminine in Spanish, 'maquillaje' is masculine. Always use 'el' or 'un' with it: 'el maquillaje es caro' (the makeup is expensive).

Confusing the Verb

Mistake: “Yo maquillo.”

Correction: Yo me maquillo. (The correct verb is 'maquillarse,' meaning 'to put makeup on oneself,' which requires the 'me.')

Related Translations

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