The history behind the name: Way back when in 1863 a French man named Alexandre Napoleon Bourjois came to the rescue of Parisian actresses when he created "the world's first powder blush."
His invention, Pastel Joues, (today, their Bourjois Signature Blush, $12) was much more comfortable to wear than the heavy, greasy stage makeup the women were used to and it caught on like wildfire.
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NYX
How to pronounce it: nix not N.Y.X.
The history behind the name: Founded in 1999 by Los Angeles native Toni Ko, NYX was named after the ancient Greek goddess who ruled the night. NYX's mission? To create and sell quality cosmetics at affordable price points. Mission accomplished.
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Shu Uemura
How to pronounce it: shoe oo-eh-moor-ah (Or, as the company says, "if you want to be really authentic, soften the R and make more of a D sound.")
The history behind the name: Shu Uemura (June 19, 1928 — December 29, 2007) was a Japanese makeup artist who founded his eponymous brand in 1960. Uemura left his native Tokyo for Hollywood in the late 1950s to pursue a career in film and television makeup.
His philosophy, which, in turn, transferred to his brand, was that the health of one's skin was of primary concern. Subsequently, his first manufactured product was a cleansing oil that worked better than soap at purifying pores, but also left the skin well-hydrated. In 2004, three years before his death, Uemura sold his company to L'Oreal.
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L'Occitane en Provence
How to pronounce it: lox-ee-tann uhn pro-vaunce
The history behind the name: In 1976, Frenchman Olivier Baussan, who had long been selling handmade essential oils at open air markets, launched L'Occitane en Provence to share the traditions of his native Provence with the world. L'Occitane -- or "of Occitania" -- was so named to celebrate the women of the region. (Existing in the middle ages, Occitania encompassed areas of southern France, northeast Spain and northern Italy and the language, Occitan, remains a second-language for many in the area today.)
There are currently L'Occitane shops in more than 70 countries the world over.
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Sheiseido
How to pronounce it: sheh-say-do
The history behind the name: A Japanese word, Shiseido can be translated to mean "praise the virtues of the earth which nurtures new life and brings forth significant values."
The company was founded by a pharmacist named Arinobu Fukuhara in 1872 and the first beauty product it sold, a lotion called Eudermine, $54, is a time-proven favorite that is still available at all Shiseido counters today.
When it comes to makeup and beauty brands, there are those good old, simple-to-say American brands like CoverGirl or Revlon. Then there are intimidating foreign names like Shu Uemura that can leave you feeling like Nomi in "Showgirls" when she says her couture gown is "Ver-SAYCE" instead of "Ver-Sa-Chee." Read: more than a little mortified.
So why is it so hard to figure out how to say the names of some beauty brands? (Heck, even non-beauty brands -- Miu-Miu, anyone?)
Number one: many hail from far away lands where they make complete sense to the locals but are undecipherable to us foreigners. Number two: more than a few are simply foreign people's names -- again easy-to-pronounce if you're from the specific country but less so when you're not. (ie. Yves Saint Laurent = Eve Sahn Loran) Number three: some are simply made up words derived from the founder's past or some driving force behind the business. Those are the most difficult to figure out because, unlike trying to pronounce, say, an Japanese or French last name, even the bilingual among us don't have a clue where to begin.
In an effort to help you become the most well-rounded makeup and beauty brand connoisseurs possible, Total Beauty brings you unbiased reviews, and proffers all sorts of beauty advice. Now we're here to offer up this pronunciation guide. Click on through and you'll find out how to say the names of 10 very popular brands -- and you'll also learn a little bit about their history and what/who they're named after.
Banished forever will be those moments spent cowering at Sephora too shy to ask for a product by name. (It may be hokey, but knowledge really is king.)
