makeup
When referring to cosmetics, the word carries a sense of transformation or masking, often associated with beauty standards, performance art, or concealment. It suggests a layer added to a surface to achieve a specific visual effect.
When used to describe composition, the word evokes a structural blueprint or a chemical formula. It refers to the intrinsic nature of a thing, describing how individual elements are woven together to create a specific identity or property.
Uncountable when referring to cosmetics as a general category of products. Countable when referring to the specific composition or internal structure of different entities.
Meanings
The cosmetic products applied to the face to change appearance.
She wore heavy makeup for the stage performance.
The composition or constitution of something.
The chemical makeup of the soil determines which plants grow.
Phrasal Verbs
make up
to constitute or form a whole
The students make up the majority of the club's membership.
make up
to reconcile after a disagreement
After their big argument, the two friends finally decided to make up.
make up
to invent a story or lie
He had to make up an excuse for why he was late to the meeting.
make up for
to compensate for a loss or mistake
She bought him a gift to make up for forgetting his birthday.
make up to
to flatter someone to get a favor
He tried to make up to his boss in hopes of getting a promotion.