Have you ever wondered how your favorite makeup and skincare brands came up with their iconic names?
3CE: Three Concept Eyes is based on three things to love about Korea: Beauty trends, charm, and confidence! [H/t: Sephora.ph]
AERIN: Named after its founder Aerin Lauder, granddaughter of Estée Lauder.
Banila Co.: Refers to "vanilla cosmetics," which promotes a Korean-style of makeup that is very distinct from Western beauty ideals and trends.
BECCA: Founded by makeup artist ReBECCA Morrice-Williams.
BIODERMA: It means BIOlogy at the service of DERMAtology, and according to their website, it's the brand's philosophy!
Bobbi Brown: Named after founder and makeup artist, Bobbi Brown.
BYS: Be Yourself cosmetics.
Cetaphil: 'Cet' comes from cetyl alcohol, which is used as an emollient. 'Phil,' on the other hand, means love. Cetaphil is, therefore, the love of softening and soothing skin.
Clio: Clio is one of the nine muses in Greek mythology and represents honor and history.
CLINIQUE: Inspired by "Clinique Esthétiques" in Paris, Evelyn Lauder loved the word because it suggested a fresh and clinical approach to skincare.
CosRX: A combination of the words "cosmetic" and "RX"—the latter meaning medical prescription.
CoverGirl: Consumer Health Digest reported that to build up hype for the cosmetics line, the company made ads using "cover girls" that appeared in fashion magazines while wearing the products.
E.L.F.: Short for "eyes lips face."
EOS: Evolution of smooth, because once you apply the lip balm, your puckers "will evolve into the smoothest lips on the planet."
Estée Lauder: Named after one of its co-founders, Estée Lauder, whose real name was Josephine Esther Mentzer.
Etude House: "Etude" means "beautiful study of Chopin" in French.
Ever Bilena: According to Filipiknow, Bilena is a combination of the words "bile," the Chinese term for beautiful, and "na," the word for lady. Ever Bilena therefore means "ever beautiful lady."
Garnier: Founded by French pharmacist Alfred Amour Garnier. When it was first established in 1904, it was called "Laboratoires Garnier."
Human Nature: The name came as an epiphany to co-founder and Creative Director Camille Meloto after reflecting on the first book of Genesis, which is why Human Nature is styled with a heart in the middle because "love is our center."
Innisfree: The name originated from W.B. Yeats' poem "The Lake Isle of Innisfree." [Via Reddit]
Kiehl's: Called "Brunswick Apotheke" until apprentice John Kiehl purchased it and renamed it to Kiehl Pharmacy.
L'Oreal: Means "the Oreal," which is the first hair dye formula founder Eugène Schueller created.
Laneige: Comes from the French words "la neige," meaning "snow," because as a brand they are committed to helping women achieve clear and radiant skin like snow.
Laura Mercier: Just like Bobbi Brown and NARS, Laura Mercier is named after French makeup artist and founder Laura Mercier.
MAC: It's short for Make-up Art Cosmetics. [Via The Guardian]
Maybelline: Named after chemist Thomas William's sister Maybel and her "favorite beauty aid."
Max Factor: Named after founder Max Factor.
NARS: Founded by makeup artist and photographer François Nars.
Nivea: Derived from the Latin words "nix, nivis," which means snow. Therefore, Nivea mean snow white.
NUXE: Refinery29 reported that it's a combination of the words "natural" and "luxury."
NYX: Named after the Greek goddess "who ruled the night and symbolized beauty and power."
Olay: According to AdWeek, it was originally called "Oil of Olay" after founder Graham Wulff was playing around with the word lanolin—a major ingredient in their anti-aging beauty fluid.
Pond's: Named after pharmacist Theron T. Pond who invented the "Golden Treasure," a tea extracted from witch hazel that could heal small cuts and ailments.
Revlon: Founded by brothers Charles and Joseph Revson, along with chemist CR Lachman. The brand name is a combination of Revson and the "L" in Lachman.
Simple: It refers to the brand's philosophy of saying no to harsh, artificial perfumes, and colors in their products that can upset skin.
Shiseido: The name comes from Chinese Yi Jing, the Book of Changes from the "Four Books and Five Classics" of Confucianism.
SK-II: Secret Key, which refers to, according to Refinery29, their hero ingredient: Pitera.
Smashbox: Slang for "box-style" camera, which was popular in the early 1900s. [Via Refinery29]
Snoe Beauty: A combination of "snow" and "Noe," daughter of founder Jen Diaz.
Stila: Derived from the Italian word "stilare," which means "to pen." [H/t: Allure]
The Balm: A lip balm was the first product founder Marissa Shipman created.
Tony Moly: In Japanese, "tony" means nice and trendy, while "moly" means included or employed. [H/t: Tony Moly]
Too Faced: When co-founder Jerrod Blandino worked at a makeup counter, he used to call customers "too faced" because of how quickly they would turn from happy to angry if he was out of their favorite lipstick.
Urban Decay: Literally defined as "the decay and deterioration of an urban area due to neglect or age," co-founder Sandy Lerner's ex-husband said the words one day and it stuck! [Via Refinery29]
VMV Hypoallergenics: "VMV" are the initials of Dr. Vermen Verallo-Rowell, the founding dermatologist of the brand.
ZOEVA: Get The Gloss reported that it's a combination of Zoe, which means life in Greek, and Eva, meaning "first," stemming from Eve. Together it translates to "life of the first woman."
Follow Tisha on Instagram.
