Did you know the first nail polish was invented in China in 3000 BC by mixing egg whites, beeswax, gum, and colored powder? Makeup in China has been popular over the centuries.
Especially the whitening face powder that survived in China while tanning was popularised in other countries thanks to Coco Chanel! Are you willing to learn Chinese while using make-up art?
So let’s imagine you’re waking up in the morning and want to put some makeup on! Here are the seven steps you would need to put some makeup on your face!
The first thing would be to wash all your face carefully and put some hydrating cream on your face. It’s essential to look at your skincare first before applying any makeup.
面霜 (miàn shuāng): n. face cream
wǒ men měi tiān zǎo shàng shǐ yòng miàn shuāng lái zī rùn wǒ men de pí fū .
我 们 每 天 早 上 使 用 面 霜 来 滋 润 我 们 的 皮 肤。
We use face cream every morning to hydrate our skin.
nà jiù mǎi diǎn miàn shuāng ba!
那 就 买 点 面 霜 吧！
So let’s buy some face cream!
Once you start with make-up, the next thing to do would be to put on your foundation.
Different weather conditions and direct contact with the sun change the complexion of your face so if you want a perfect foundation, match it with your jawline!
Put on your foundation in thin layers and blend them well; it will give your skin a natural look and lasts longer!
粉底 (fěn dǐ): n. foundation
zhè lǐ yǒu bù tóng zhǒng lèi hé sè diào de fěn dǐ.
这 里 有 不 同 种 类 和 色 调 的 粉 底。
There are different kinds and tones of foundation.
zhè kuǎn fěn dǐ hěn hǎo yòng.
这 款 粉 底 很 好 用。
This foundation is great.
Let’s go on! We put on other face makeup apart from the foundation. 遮(zhē) means “hide” or “cover,” 瑕(xiá) means “flaw,” and 膏(gāo), as we saw earlier, means “cream,” literally translating as “hide flaw cream,” makes sense! Doesn’t it?
遮瑕膏 (zhē xiá gāo): n. concealer
zhē xiá gāo kě yǐ zhē dòu yìn.
遮 瑕 膏 可 以 遮 痘 印。
Concealer can cover acne marks.
ràng wǒ men yòng zhē xiá gāo lái zhē zhù zhè gè hóng diǎn ba .
让 我 们 用 遮 瑕 膏 来 遮 住 这 个 红 点 吧。
Let’s use the concealer to hide this red spot.
Then, let’s use blush to shape the face and create a good look. 腮(sāi) is another word for “cheek” and 红(hóng) is “red.” Anyone who has lived in China may have noticed that it’s trendy to wear blush here!
腮红 (sāi hóng): n. blush
nǐ xǐ huān shén me yán sè de sāi hóng ?
你喜 欢 什 么 颜 色 的 腮 红?
What color blush do you like?
nǐ jīn tiān de sāi hóng kàn qǐ lái hěn hǎo kàn.
你 今 天 的 腮 红 看 起 来 很 好 看。
Your blush looks great today.
Once we have our face, let’s go to our eyes. Eye shadow – 眼影 (yǎn yǐng), this is a straightforward translation, 眼(yǎn) “eye” and 影(yǐng) “shadow.”
眼影 (yǎn yǐng):n. eye shadow
nǐ huì huà yǎn yǐng ma?
你 会 画 眼 影 吗？
Can you draw eye shadow?
wǒ de péng yǒu yǒu yī gè chāo guò 50 zhǒng yán sè de yǎn yǐng pán.
我 的 朋 友 有 一 个 超 过 50 种 颜 色 的 眼 影 盘。
My friend has an eye-shadow palette with over 50 colors.
Next up are our eyelashes. Mascara – 睫毛膏 (jié máo gāo), 膏(gāo) “cream” is added to 睫毛(jié máo) “eyelashes” to make the word for mascara “eyelashes cream.”
睫毛膏 (jié máo gāo): n. mascara
tú shàng jié máo gāo.
涂 上 睫 毛 膏。
Apply mascara.
zhè kuǎn jié máo gāo de fáng shuǐ xiào guǒ hěn hǎo.
这 款 睫 毛 膏 的 防 水 效 果 很 好。
This mascara is waterproof.
Finally, let’s look at the different lip makeup in Chinese. 口(kǒu) is a word for “mouth” and 红(hóng) means “red” so it’s literally “mouth red.”
口红 (kǒu hóng): n. lipstick
zhè zhī kǒu hóng hěn shì hé nǐ .
这 只 口 红 很 适 合 你。
This lipstick is perfect for you.
xuǎn yī zhī kǒu hóng tú zài nǐ zuǐ bā shàng.
选 一 只 口 红 涂 在 你 嘴 巴 上。
Pick a lipstick and put it on your mouth.
At the end of the day, you want to remove your make-up! Don’t forget to hydrate your face again!
What else do you want to know about makeup and what expressions do you want to learn about? Let us know by commenting.
“Must-Know Gym Chinese Vocabulary and Sentences for Weightlifters”
“Expressions You Need to Know About Money”
”What Questions Will You Be Asked in China?”
