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Posted by Dain, Thursday, November 08, 2007 12:13 AM (Eastern)
This is without visual representation, as this is all about the feel of a product, but it is crucial terminology. One dislikes greasy creams, choppy eyeshadows, dry lipsticks, waxy pencils; often texture becomes the determining factor between two otherwise similar products. Textures generally improve with price, though this is sometimes used to mislead the consumer. Many expensive face creams are laden with silicones to give the product a "luxurious feel" but offer very little in terms of worthwhile ingredients.
SURFACTANTS (cleansers, shampoos, body washes, soaps, etc.)
Most cleansing agents are foams. They range from low-lathers to airy froths to dense mousses. Basically, anything that forms bubbles.
CREAMY (lotions, oils, creams, balms, pastes, from cleansers, moisturizers, to foundations, anything you spread on the face and leave)
The most generic term for this is slip, which can be whipped and airy as mousses or heavy and dehydrated like pastes. Oily usually frightens people, but it is a dirty greasy feeling that you should avoid. Unctuous and waxy imply highly emollient and protective ingredients, presumably for dry skins only. Sometimes companies avoid the bad associations with "oily" and call it rich, but you'll see also butters, creams, and balms. Lighter creams and lotions with better absorption are termed velvety or silky (silky is lighter), all of which evokes smoothness without heaviness. Milky is another example (not so heavy as creamy, of course), and dewy is sometimes used for foundations. Even lighter is a gel, often described as watery or fluid, though there are thicker gel-creams, which imply high moisture or thicker texture without emollients. Occasionally, you'll encounter a lotion or foundation, intended to mattify, that has a powdery feel. Lastly, there's tacky, for products that leave a film on the skin.
PENCILS (eyes, brows, lips)
A waxy pencil is no use as eyeliner, but it is better for brows. Most eye pencils are better when creamy and smooth, or powdery and smudgy (these are usually called "kohls"), but generally one does not want one so greasy (always a bad thing) that it smears. Lip pencils tend to be less dry than eyepencils.
POWDERS (loose or pressed, for face, blush, or eyeshadows)
Powders are silkiest and lend the truest, densest color when finely-milled, unless it is a sparkly one, in which case the particles are purposely larger. All powders are dry in varying degrees, but some powders are downright chalky, which indicates a dehydrating effect that will benefit the shiny and horrify the flakey, but avoid anything with a chalky texture for eyeshadows or blush, as it is bound to go on choppy. A velvety powder has a soft richness to its texture (or it may describe its finish), sometimes described as creamy, a silky one is lighter and harder and generally apply more sheerly. (Shimmers are generally creamier than mattes.) With pressed powders, you should look for one tightly pressed as a sign of quality.
LIPGLOSSES
The cheaper lipglosses are generally slippery, which has the feeling of petroleum jelly on the lips. Better is tacky, a sticky high-shine products that tends to last longer. The best (and generally most expensive) glosses are creamy, closer to a lipstick.
LIPSTICKS
The most favored lipstick has a rich, creamy texture, but pigment-rich mattes can be quite dry or even powdery, and sheers with a semi-gloss finish may have a balm-like or even greasy texture. If it has large sparkly particles, the lipstick may be gritty. The best is a lipstick with a silky texture, very smooth yet light on the lips.
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