Substances used to alter the
appearance of a
person, normally their
face, for
various reasons.
Often used by actors and actresses for stage, television, and movies to enhance the appearance, and make certain features more or less visible. In fact, just about anyone appearing on television has at least a little bit applied to reduce and/or prevent shine or glare off the skin from the strong lights often used to illuminate the scene.
Can be taken to the extreme when a person is playing a character that is different in their features, such as making a person appear older or younger, skinnier or heavier, disfigured or scarred, or even appearing non-human altogether.
The term is also often used to refer to cosmetics, makeup which is worn daily by women (and a few men, at least in some circumstances/cultures) to enhance their appearance.