Word of the day: Visagiste

Visagiste

[viz-ah-JEEST]

Part of speech: noun

Origin: French, 20th century

A makeup artist.

Examples of visagiste in a sentence

"Roseanne sat for an hour with a visagiste who applied her makeup perfectly before the show."

"Shauna started her career as a visagiste, before she realized her true passion was styling hair."

About Visagiste

Coming directly from the French “visagiste,” this word combines the French word “visage,” meaning “face,” and the suffix “-iste” (like the English “-ist”), suggesting “one who studies and practices a discipline.”

Did you Know?

A visagiste doesn’t just apply their own cosmetics; they skillfully apply makeup to others in flattering and creative ways. Why not simply call themselves “makeup artists”? Most do, but that label is also used by influencers with different levels of training and experience. Using the term “visagiste” might make a statement about one’s expertise. Visagistes are experts of the face — “visage” is “face” in French — and of how to flatter it with cosmetics that celebrate its beauty.