German Names of 50 Common Makeup and Toiletry Items: A Beginner’s Guide

Whether you're shopping for beauty products in Germany, watching German-language make-up tutorials, or preparing for a GCSE or A-level oral exam, knowing how to talk about make-up in German is both practical and empowering. From foundation and concealer to lip gloss and contour brushes, this guide introduces you to 50 essential German make-up words, complete with gender, pronunciation tips, and sample sentences.

If you want to improve your confidence with everyday vocabulary like this, Olesen Tuition offers outstanding 1:1 German lessons, GCSE and A-level German tutoring, and interactive online German courses for all levels. Our German language blog is also packed with free resources that make learning grammar and vocabulary both accessible and rewarding.

💄 Face Make-up (Teint-Produkte)

These products are used to create a smooth and even complexion. Perfect for learners interested in talking about their morning routine or discussing their favourite make-up look.

German Term	English Translation	Pronunciation	Example Sentence
die Grundierung	foundation (base)	[ɡʁʊn-di:'ʁʊŋ]	Ich trage zuerst eine Grundierung auf. (I apply foundation first.)
das Make-up	make-up	['meɪk-ʔʌp]
der Concealer	concealer	[kɔn-'ziː-lɐ]
das Puder	powder	['puː-dɐ]
das Kompaktpuder	compact powder	[kɔm-'pakt-puː-dɐ]
das lose Puder	loose powder	['loː-zə 'puː-dɐ]
das Fixierpuder	setting powder	[fɪk-'ziːɐ-puː-dɐ]
das Fixierspray	setting spray	[fɪk-'siːɐ-ʃpʁai]
der Highlighter	highlighter	['hai-lai-tɐ]
der Bronzer	bronzer	['bʁɔn-tsɐ]

👁️ Eye Make-up (Augen-Make-up)

Knowing these terms is especially useful for watching German beauty tutorials or chatting about your favourite eyeshadow palette.

German Term	English Translation	Pronunciation
die Wimperntusche	mascara	['vɪm-pɐn-tu-ʃə]
der Mascara	mascara (alt.)	[mas-'ka-ra]
der Eyeliner	eyeliner	['ai-lai-nɐ]
der Kajal	kohl pencil	['ka-jaːl]
der Lidschatten	eyeshadow	['liːt-ʃat-ən]
die Lidschattenpalette	eyeshadow palette	['liːt-ʃat-ən-pa-let-ə]
der Augenbrauenstift	eyebrow pencil	['aʊ-gen-bʁaʊ-ən-ʃtɪft]
das Augenbrauengel	brow gel	['aʊ-gen-bʁaʊ-ən-ʒɛl]
die künstlichen Wimpern	false eyelashes	[kʏnst-li-çən 'vɪmp-ɐn]
der Wimpernkleber	lash glue	['vɪm-pɐn-kleː-bɐ]

💋 Lips (Lippen)

These essential items will help you describe your lip routine and shop with confidence in any German-speaking beauty store.

German Term	English Translation	Pronunciation
der Lippenstift	lipstick	['lɪ-pən-ʃtɪft]
der Lipgloss	lip gloss	['lɪp-glɔs]
der Lipliner	lip liner	['lɪp-lai-nɐ]
die Lippenpflege	lip balm	['lɪp-pən-fleː-gə]
der Lippenbalsam	lip balm (variant)	['lɪp-pən-bal-zam]
der getönte Lippenbalsam	tinted lip balm	[ɡə-'tøːn-tə 'lɪp-pən-bal-zam]

🎨 Contouring & Glow

If you're into sculpting or adding glow, these words will come in handy when describing your beauty routine in German.

German Term	English Translation	Pronunciation
das Rouge	blush	[ʁuːʒ]
das Konturenset	contour kit	[kɔn-'tuː-ren-zɛt]
die Konturpalette	contour palette	[kɔn-'tuːɐ-pa-let-ə]
der Primer	primer	['praɪ-mɐ]
das Glow-Serum	glow serum	['ɡloʊ 'zeː-rʊm]
die mattierende Creme	mattifying cream	[ma-ti-'ʁɛn-də 'kreː-mə]
der Tinted Moisturiser	tinted moisturiser	['tɪn-təd moi-stu-raɪ-zɐ]

🧴 Removers & Cleansing

After a full face of make-up, you’ll need the right vocabulary for taking it all off.

German Term	English Translation	Pronunciation
der Make-up-Entferner	make-up remover	['meɪk-ʔʌp ɛnt-'fɛʁ-nɐ]
das Reinigungsmittel	cleansing agent	['ʁai-ni-gʊŋs-mɪt-l̩]
das Reinigungsöl	cleansing oil	['ʁai-ni-gʊŋs-øːl]
die Reinigungstücher	cleansing wipes	['ʁai-ni-gʊŋs-tyː-çɐ]
die Augencreme	eye cream	['aʊ-gən-kreː-mə]
das Gesichtswasser	facial toner	[ɡə-'zɪçts-vasɐ]

🖌️ Tools & Brushes (Make-up-Werkzeuge)

From beauty blenders to sharpeners, these are the must-have tools for any kit.

German Term	English Translation	Pronunciation
der Make-up-Pinsel	make-up brush	['meɪk-ʔʌp 'pɪn-zəl]
der Fächerpinsel	fan brush	['fɛ-çɐ-pɪn-zəl]
der Kabuki-Pinsel	kabuki brush	[ka-'buː-ki 'pɪn-zəl]
der Applikator	applicator	[ap-li-ka-'toːɐ]
das Schwämmchen	sponge / blender	['ʃvɛm-çən]
der Beautyblender	beauty blender	['bjuː-ti-blɛn-dɐ]
der Spitzer	pencil sharpener	['ʃpɪt-sɐ]
der Spiegel	mirror	['ʃpiː-ɡəl]
das Kosmetiktäschchen	make-up pouch	[kɔs-'me-tɪk-tɛʃ-çən]

🧠 Everyday Example Sentences

Try these simple phrases to practise the vocabulary in context:

• Ich trage Wimperntusche und Foundation auf.(I’m applying mascara and foundation.)

• Hast du einen Eyeliner und einen Pinsel?(Do you have an eyeliner and a brush?)

• Ich benutze zuerst Primer, dann Make-up.(I use primer first, then foundation.)

• Meine Lieblingsfarbe beim Lippenstift ist Rot.(My favourite lipstick colour is red.)

Learn Everyday German with Olesen Tuition

Mastering everyday vocabulary like German words for make-up will boost your fluency and confidence. Whether you're preparing for an exam, planning a trip, or just love beauty and languages, Olesen Tuition can help you reach your goals.

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✅ Vocabulary support tailored to your interests – from make-up to travel

Explore More on the Olesen Tuition Blog

Looking for more themed vocabulary? Our German language blog covers topics from toiletries and hygiene to clothes, travel, food, and grammar explanations. Every post is designed to give you the confidence to use German in real life – not just in a classroom.

Ready to glow up your German? Book a lesson today or browse the blog to keep learning at your own pace.Viel Erfolg beim Lernen! – Good luck with your learning!