If you regularly read beauty blogs and forums, you surely have come across lots of acronyms and abbreviations, like BNIB or HE for example. But what do they mean? While some of them are pretty easy to understand at first glance, others are more complicated and you could be wrecking your brains for hours trying to figure out what they mean, esp if English is not your mother tongue.

So, I decided to put together a list of common acronyms used in the beauty community and hope that some of you will find it useful. This is by no means a comprehensive list, so if you’re wondering about what an abbreviation you saw means and don’t find it here, just let me know and I’ll add it to the list below:

AHA: alpha hydroxy acid
B&B: bath & body
BA: beauty advisor
BB: Bobbi Brown
BB CREAM: blemish balm cream
BC: beauty consultant
BHA: beta hydroxy acid
BIN: buy it now
BN: brand new
BNIB: brand new in box
BNNB: brand new no box
BNWB: brand new with box
BNWOB: brand new without box
BOGO/BOGOF: buy one get one free
CC: Cherry Culture
CCO: Cosmetics Company Outlet
CP: custom purchase
CS: Coastal Scents
DDD: dark darling diva
DC, DC’ED: discontinued
DR: DermaRolling
DS: drugstore
E/L: eyeliner
E/S: eyeshadow
EDP: eau de parfum
EDT: eau de toilette
EOTD: eye of the day
EOTN: eye of the night
FFF: foxy fair female
FOTD: face of the day
FOTN: face of the night
GC: gift certificate/gift card
GGG: golden glam girl
GWP: gift with purchase
HD: high-definition
HE: high-end
HG: holy grail
ISO: in search of
LE: limited edition
L/G: lipgloss
L/L: lipliner
LLL: light lovely lady
LNIB: like new in box
L/S: lipstick
MAC: Makeup Art Cosmetics
MLBB: my lips but better
MMM: medium marvelous mademoiselle
MMU: mineral makeup
MSF: Mineralize Skin Finish
MUA: makeup artist or Makeupalley.com
NIB: new in box
NOTD: nail of the day
OBO: or best offer
OCC: Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics
OTC: over the counter
PL: private label
PPP: pale porcelain princess
PRO: professional
RIS: received in swap
SA: sales associate/sales assistant
SIB: still in box
SPF: sun protection factor
SWAG: stuff we all get
TCA: TriCholoro Acetic peel
TDF: to die for
TFSI: Too Faced Shadow Insurance
UDPP: Urban Decay Primer Potion
URFP: Ultra Resolution Finishing Powder
YLBB: your lips but better
YLBW: your lips but worst

Do you know any other beauty acronyms or abbreviations? Let me know in the comments so I can add them to the list

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Shopping for a fragrance isn’t easy. Describing what type of scent you’re looking for is even harder. You need to choose a perfume that reflect your personality and suits you. Fragrances mix with the natural oils on your skin, so what smells great on you, may smell horrible on someone else.

There are thousands of ingredients used to create fragrances and they are grouped into several categories. Once you understand the differences and find out which one suits you best, choosing the right fragrance will be easier. Here’s a quick guide to help you:

FRAGRANCE COMPOSITION

Bottom notes: they are the base of a fragrance and make up about 40/50% of it. These notes are heavy and longlasting so you can smell them for hours.

Middles notes: they account for about 30/40% of the fragrance and are usually floral. They smell the strongest after about 30 minutes of wear.

Top notes: they are light scents that makeup about 20% of the fragrance. They’re the ones you smell as soon as you open a bottle of perfume but evaporate quickly once applied on the skin.

FRAGRANCE NOTES

Aldehydes: also known as modern blends, these fragrances resemble those of the other categories, but there’s something unique about them that sets them apart.

Chypres: citrus or florals combined with woody or mossy notes. They are deep and dark.

Citrusy: notes derived from citrus fruits such as lemons, oranges, limes and tangerines. They are light and refreshing. For that reason, they are usually used as top notes.

Floral: they capture the essence of flowers. They are very popular and usually diffusive.

Fougere: pronounced “foo-JHAIR”, it is a group of fragrance notes that includes certain citrus fruits, green, florals, geranium and lavender. They’re crisp, have a mossy aroma and are usually used in men’s colognes.

Fruity: derived from fruits like apple, peach and melon. They are sweet, fresh and cover the odor of other chemicals.

Gourmand: notes that have a food-flavored aroma like coffee, almond and chocolate.

Green/Herbal: they’re made from plants such as rosemary, sage and basil. They’re fresh, sharp and grassy. Because they diffuse very quickly, they’re mostly used as top notes.

Oriental: notes include amber, musks, myrrh and incense. They are warm, sensual and powdery. Because they are heavy and long-lasting they are usually used as base notes.

Soft-Oriental: oriental notes combined with floral ones. They tend to be fresh.

Spicy: pungent and spicy notes that include cinnamon, cloves, and ginger.

Watery: synthetic notes that smell like ocean, sea breeze or rain. They are watery and crisp.

Woody: they are based on woody and mossy notes and include pine, cedar and sandalwood. They’re heavy and longlasting and they are usually used as bottom notes.

FRAGRANCE STRENGHT

Cologne: lightest form of fragrance. It evaporates very quickly.

Eau De Parfum: one of the most common type of fragrances, it lasts for about 6-8 hours.

Eau De Toilet: it’s not very concentrated and lasts about 4-6 hours.

Perfume: the stronger and longer-lasting type of fragrance. It lasts for about 8-12 hours.

It is very important to know what ingredients do, so we can use products containing substances that are effective and avoid the ones that cause allergies, irritations and breakouts. However, it’s not always easy to understand how ingredients work. Sometimes we come across terms, like surfactants, and aren’t sure what they mean. So, I’ve decided to put together this small guide explaining the terms used to describe the activity of ingredients. Hopefully, you’ll find it useful.
Please note that this is not a comprehensive guide, I’ve left out terms, like anti-irritants, that are self-explanatory, or words that are too technical and only used to describe how a product is formulated. But if there is a term you’ve heard and don’t know what it means, please let me know in the comments and I’ll add it to the list.

Antioxidants: these ingredients protect the skin from the damaging effects of oxidation, like that caused by free radicals.

Binding Agent: ingredients that hold the product together, preventing water and oils from separating.

Emollients: ingredients that smooth and soften skin.

Humectants: these ingredients attract water, usually from the surrounding air, to the skin.

Lubricants: these ingredients make skin feel smoother to the touch and also reduce friction.

pH Adjusters: ingredients that control the pH of a product.

Preservatives: ingredients that prevent the growth of bacteria, yeast and molds, extending the shelf life of a product.

Skin Bleaching Agents: substances that lighten skin by suppressing melanin formation.

Skin Protectants: ingredients that temporarily protect exposed skin from harmful stimuli.

Solvents: substances that dissolve other ingredients.

Surfactants: also called surface active ingredients, these substances have many uses. They help mix two substances, like water and oil, that normally wouldn’t. They are also detergents that emulsify, lift and remove dirt from skin and hair. In addition, they allow a product to spread easily and evenly across the skin.

Viscosity Decreasing/Increasing Agents: ingredients that decrease or increase the thickness of liquid products.

If you’re into makeup, then you’ve probably come across words like lustre, veluxe pearl, pigmented. But do you know what they mean? If not, read on and find out:

Baked eyeshadow: it is made by mixing water with powder and baking the mixture in the over. Then it is hand-finished. It has a dewy, soft texture.

Eyeshadow: a colored cosmetic, in cream, powder or liquid form, applied to your eyelids to enhance eyes.

Frost: it is used to described eyeshadow that has an iridescent shine. It has a pearly appearance when applied.

Lustre: smoothly pearlized, sparkly and glittery.

Matte: these eyeshadows have no shine, appear flat and are usually highly pigmented.

Metallic: these shadows have a shiny metal finish.

Mineral eyeshadow: made from crushed minerals and doesn’t contain chemicals, preservatives and dye found in traditional makeup. It has a light and silky texture.

Pigment:highly concentrated loose colour powder.

Pigmented: it refers to the intensity of the color. Highly pigmented means the color is rich, vibrant and even the lightest shade will show up. On the other end, when a product isn’t very pigmented, it might show up lighter than it does in the package and you need to apply lots of it to get a good color payoff.

Satin: these shadows are slightly shinier than matte but not as much as shimmer. It gives a subtle non-frost sheen.

Sheer: it means that it provides only a hint of color, almost see-through.

Shimmer: these shadows offer a sheer coverage with a hint of sparkle. The light colors are great for highlighting, while the darker ones add some drama to your eyes without being harsh.

Veluxe: fine rich pigment that provides a sheer, smooth, silky, matte finish.

Veluxe Pearl: it has a smooth, velvety texture that provides a strong pearly metallic finish.

Velvet: it has a velvety texture, rich color intensity and provide a soft finish. It is matte with sparkles or glitter in it.