💄 Spanish Makeup Words you need to know (+ Skincare & Nail Care) 🇪🇸

Mónica Jiménez
Aug 4
4 min read

Do you want to talk about your beauty routine in Spanish from Spain? Whether you wear makeup or just moisturize daily, these makeup words in Spanish will help you describe your routine with confidence. 💅🧴💄 Or just moisturize daily, this vocabulary will help you describe your routine with confidence.

In this post, we cover the most useful expressions and products related to makeup, skincare, and nail care — plus verbs, real phrases, a quiz and flashcards to practice. ¡Vamos! 💃

💋 Makeup Words in Spanish

💄 Makeup products in Spanish

🇪🇸 Spanish	🇺🇸 English
💄 el pintalabios	lipstick
🧴 la base	foundation
👁️ la sombra de ojos	eyeshadow
🖌️ el colorete	blush
🖌️ el rímel	mascara
✏️ el lápiz de ojos	eyeliner
🪞 el espejo	mirror
🖌️ la brocha de maquillaje	makeup brush
✨ el iluminador	highlighter
🖍️ el perfilador de labios	lip liner

🛠️ Useful makeup verbs

💄 maquillarse – to put on makeup

Me maquillo todos los días antes de trabajar.
- I put on makeup every day before work.

💋 pintarse los labios – to put on lipstick

Me pinto los labios con un pintalabios rojo.
- I paint my lips with red lipstick.

👁️ pintarse los ojos – to put on eye makeup

Hoy me pinto los ojos con sombra dorada.
- Today I’m putting on gold eyeshadow.

🖌️ aplicarse con brocha – to apply with a brush

Me aplico el colorete con una brocha suave.
- I apply blush with a soft brush.

✨ usar iluminador – to use highlighter

Uso iluminador en los pómulos para dar luz.
- I use highlighter on my cheekbones to brighten.

🖍️ perfilar los labios – to line your lips

Me perfilo los labios antes de pintarlos.
- I line my lips before painting them.

🧼 limpiarse la cara – to clean your face

Siempre me limpio la cara antes de dormir.
- I always clean my face before bed.ed.

🧴 Spanish Skincare vocabulary

🧖‍♀️ Skincare products in Spanish

🇪🇸 Spanish	🇺🇸 English
🧴 la crema hidratante	moisturizer
🧪 el sérum facial	facial serum
🧴 el protector solar	sunscreen
🧼 el limpiador facial	facial cleanser
🌙 la crema de noche	night cream
🧖‍♀️ la mascarilla facial	face mask
🍃 el tónico facial	facial toner
🛢️ el aceite limpiador	cleansing oil

🛠️ Skincare verbs

🧼 limpiarse – to cleanse

Primero me limpio la cara con un gel limpiador.
- First I clean my face with a cleansing gel.

💧 hidratarse – to moisturize

Después me hidrato con una buena crema.
- Then I moisturize with a good cream.

🧪 aplicarse – to apply

Me aplico el sérum facial con pequeños toques.
- I apply facial serum with light taps.

🌞 protegerse del sol – to protect from the sun

Siempre me protejo del sol con SPF 50.
- I always protect myself from the sun with SPF 50.

🧽 exfoliarse – to exfoliate

Me exfolio la cara una vez por semana.
- I exfoliate my face once a week.

💅 Spanish Nail Care vocabulary

💅 Nail products in Spanish

🇪🇸 Spanish	🇺🇸 English
💅 el esmalte de uñas	nail polish
💧 el quitaesmalte	nail polish remover
📏 la lima de uñas	nail file
✂️ el cortauñas	nail clipper

🛠️ Nail care verbs

💅 pintarse las uñas – to paint your nails

Me pinto las uñas de rojo cada semana.
- I paint my nails red every week.

✂️ cortarse las uñas – to cut your nails

Me corto las uñas cuando están largas.
- I cut my nails when they’re long.

📏 limarse las uñas – to file your nails

Me limo las uñas con una lima de cristal.
- I file my nails with a glass file.

💧 quitarse el esmalte – to remove polish

Uso quitaesmalte sin acetona.
- I use acetone-free polish remover.

🌸 cuidar las cutículas – to care for your cuticles

Siempre cuido mis cutículas con aceite nutritivo.
- I always care for my cuticles with nourishing oil.

💎 aplicarse tratamiento endurecedor – to apply nail strengthener

Me aplico un tratamiento endurecedor una vez por semana.
- I apply a nail hardener once a week.

🤓 Quiz Time! Test your Spanish routine vocabulary

🧠 Practice with Flashcards! 🗂️

Practice and memorize the vocabulary with these flashcards! 🧽💡

👉 Tap or click each card to see the English translation.Try to say the Spanish word out loud before flipping — it's great practice for memory and pronunciation! 🗣️💪

🙋‍♀️ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

❓ How do you say "to put on makeup" in Spanish?

You say maquillarse.

Example: Me maquillo cada mañana. – I put on makeup every morning.

❓ What's "moisturizer" in Spanish?

It’s la crema hidratante.

❓ How do you say “nail polish remover” in Spanish?

You say quitaesmalte.

❓ Do men use this vocabulary too?

Of course! 💪 Everyone deserves a good routine. These words are for anyone who takes care of themselves.

❓ What does “exfoliarse” mean?

It means to exfoliate – removing dead skin using a scrub or treatment.

❓ What’s a basic Spanish beauty routine?

It could be: Me limpio la cara, me aplico el sérum y me maquillo un poco.

❓ Is this vocabulary used in Latin America?

This post focuses on Spanish from Spain, but most terms are also widely understood in Latin America.

❓ What verbs should I learn to describe my routine?

Start with: maquillarse, limpiarse, hidratarse, pintarse las uñas, exfoliarse, aplicarse — all included in this blog!

📣 Want to learn real Spanish you’ll actually use?

If you’ve enjoyed learning Spanish like this — practical, real and fun — imagine what you can learn in a class with us! 😍

🎁 Take our free level test and book a trial class to start your journey with Straight from Spain — an online Spanish academy that teaches the Spanish you’ll actually use in real life.

💬 What’s your favorite part of your beauty routine?

💄 Tell us in the comments in Spanish! Use some of the verbs and products you learned today. For example:

Me pinto los labios y me aplico un poco de rímel.

And don’t forget to check out Part 1 if you haven’t yet — it’s full of hygiene, haircare and grooming vocabulary! 👇

👉 Go to Part 1 👉 🧼 Spanish Daily Routine Vocabulary: Hygiene, hair & grooming + Practice activities 🇪🇸

¡Nos vemos en el próximo blog! 💅🇪🇸