Cosmetics or paint applied to the face; the act or practice of applying makeup or beautifying substances.
Derived from 'fard' (to apply makeup) plus the suffix '-age' (from Old French '-age,' from Latin '-aticum'), which creates abstract nouns related to actions or materials. The suffix appears in 'baggage,' 'storage,' 'package.'
The '-age' suffix is endlessly productive in English for naming materials, collections, or practices—'fardage' is the cosmetics themselves plus the practice of using them, a common dual meaning this suffix creates.
Related to cosmetic preparation and adornment, historically associated with women's appearance labor, which was often trivialized or moralized against.
Use neutrally when referring to grooming or styling practices. Avoid moral judgment of appearance-related practices regardless of practitioner gender.
["styling","grooming","cosmetic preparation"]
The labor of personal presentation—disproportionately expected of women—deserves recognition as skilled, intentional work, not frivolity.
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