Beauty Slang 101: A Beginner’s Guide to the Words Everyone’s Using in Makeup and Skincare

/ By Alan Reiner

/ May 7, 2025

PHOTO BY SHINY DIAMOND ON PEXELS

Beauty slang can feel like a whole new language for anyone starting out with makeup and skincare. It’s filled with terms like “clean girl,” “snatched,” and “baking” that pop up everywhere.

Knowing these words helps people understand trends, products, and advice without getting lost. It makes chatting about beauty easier and more fun.

This guide breaks down the key slang everyone’s using, so readers can follow along and sound confident in the beauty world.

Clean Girl

“Clean Girl” is a popular beauty slang term used to describe a polished, minimal makeup style that looks effortlessly fresh. The phrase suggests someone who appears naturally radiant and put together without obvious product use.

This trend highlights dewy skin, soft brows, and barely-there lip color. Subtle highlighter and neutral tones create a glow that feels low-maintenance yet refined.

Favored on platforms like TikTok, the Clean Girl aesthetic suits those who want to look fresh without layers of makeup.

Listen to this girl explain this term:

@ginevraskin

this is what “ clean girl” means and is 🎀 #fyp #relatable #foryoupage #cleangirl #makeup #productive

♬ original sound – Ginevra 💌

Snatched

“Snatched” is a beauty slang term used to describe a sharply defined, flawless look—often thanks to contouring, a sleek hairstyle, or overall styling that enhances facial features.

When someone says your makeup or hair is snatched, they mean it’s sculpted to perfection. The word can also describe an outfit or vibe that feels powerful, precise, and elevated.

Common uses include: “Her contour is so snatched,” “That ponytail is snatched,” or “She’s giving full snatched energy today.”

Check out this post featuring this slang words among many others:

Baking

“Baking” is a beauty slang term for setting makeup by applying a thick layer of translucent powder over areas like under the eyes and the chin. It helps lock in foundation and concealer for a long-lasting finish.

The powder sits for several minutes before being brushed away, absorbing oil and reducing creasing. The technique enhances brightness and durability.

In the video below, a creator demonstrates how this method creates a flawless, photo-ready look:

Alan Reiner

Alan Reiner

Hi, my name is Alan Reiner and I have been in the writing industry for almost seven years. I write articles that can span from 200 words all the way to 20,000 words every single day. How do I do it? With a lot of determination. All my way through school and college, I hated long-form assignments. I could never get into the groove of working on one piece for an extended period of time. My pieces were always late because I didn’t have the motivation to type them, let alone edit them.