“Maquillage” comes directly from the French “maquillage,” meaning “makeup.” The verb “maquiller,” meaning “to apply makeup to one’s face,” entered English through theatrical vernacular in the 1840s, and “maquillage” was recorded shortly after, in the 1850s. While the noun appears to be a direct synonym for “makeup” or “cosmetics,” the usage is more complex. The French loanword often implies makeup applied excessively or garishly. This is likely due to “maquillage” entering English through the 19th-century theater world, in which actors needed exaggerated and distinct makeup to be identifiable onstage.