Colourful language: A glossary of beauty terms to make you blush

AHA: Alpha Hydroxy Acids. This is a family of ingredients used in small concentrations in skincare. They’re a safe way to clear out the skin’s surface, fight the onset of pigmentation and wrinkles, relieve dryness, and boost circulation. If your product has an AHA, the ingredient label will show it. The acids make skin particularly susceptible to sun damage, so remember to cover up with a layer of sunscreen.

AMPM: A comparison post on how a look has fared through the day (or, from am to pm). It’s essentially a wear test.

Ashy: The grey cast left on darker complexions when a foundation, concealer or powder is a shade too light. Best avoided by testing products before purchase.

Double-cleansing: A popular method of using an oil cleanser followed by a wash-away cleanser, particularly on oily skin. Those with skin breakouts or in humid environments have found the two-step process to work better than a single, harsh, often-dehydrating product.

Dupe: An acceptable substitute. This could be a cheaper product that works as well; an alternative for a discontinued favourite; or a locally available item with all the plusses of an imported one.

FOTD: Face of the Day. A quick post or video detailing the cosmetics and skincare used for the day’s look. It’s a great primer for those looking to build a kit, try a new look or add new products to their beauty collection.

GRWM: Get Ready With Me. It’s a more detailed step-by-step guide, from cleansing to final touches of make-up and even outfit and accessories. Celebrity routines can often involve up to 30 steps.

GWP: Gift with Purchase. The little thing that takes the sting out of buying a big thing (the latter often being a luxury splurge). Content creators typically announce if the product they are demonstrating or endorsing was a GWP or a promotional sample, so as to maintain their credibility.

HG: Holy Grail. That one product you love and stay loyal to despite temptation from competing brands. It could be a shade of red lipstick that suits you perfectly, an eyeliner that stays put all day, a regime that helps with breakouts, a treatment that guarantees the effect you were seeking, or a cleanser that makes the least mess.

MLBB: . That elusive shade of pinkish-brown or brownish pink that matches your own lips perfectly, but homogenises the lips into a single luminous natural-looking colour. It’s hard to buy without testing in person.

MUA: Make-Up Artist. It’s common to see someone enter an online discussion, introducing themselves as “MUA here” and offering their informed (and thankfully free) opinion, closing out queries and settling debates.

Pan project: An informal challenge to use makeup often enough that one reaches the bottom of the pan of eyeshadow, blush or other product. Sighting pan is a moment of celebration, and often an excuse to buy a new product. Skincare lovers who finish off jars and tubes similarly show off their “empties”.

Snatched: The eyeliner look of the moment. Think of winged eyeline angled straight and more dramatically upward, elongating the face while thinning out the roundness of the eye.

SWAG: Stuff We All Get. Essentially the samples, gifts, trial packs and other freebies that content creators often receive when they attend a promotional event. A good swag bag opens up opportunities for more posts, more content, a better online presence.

White cast: The silvery effect left behind by heavy sunscreens. Sunscreens that are runny, matte, effective, affordable and white-cast-free are surprisingly hard to find.