梳妆 (shū zhuāng) literally combines 梳 (shū, 'to comb') and 妆 (zhuāng, 'makeup' or 'adornment'). As a noun, it refers to the entire personal grooming routine—especially for women—including washing the face, applying makeup, styling hair, and selecting accessories. As a verb, it means 'to groom oneself' or 'to do one’s makeup,' often implying care and preparation before going out or for special occasions.

This word carries a gentle, somewhat formal or literary tone; it’s commonly used in written Chinese, lifestyle articles, and polite speech. It’s less frequent in casual spoken Mandarin, where people might say 上妆 (shàng zhuāng, 'apply makeup') or 打理自己 (dǎlǐ zìjǐ, 'take care of oneself') instead. 梳妆 is also found in compound nouns like 梳妆台 (shūzhuāngtái, 'vanity table') and 梳妆镜 (shūzhuāngjìng, 'vanity mirror').