tart up

Dress too garishly

To tart up is to dress or decorate something in a showy, often gaudy way—making it more attractive but sometimes cheaply so.

The phrase can apply to people or places: She tarted herself up for the party, They tarted up the old pub with neon signs.

Primarily British, with mildly disapproving connotations suggesting the improvement is superficial or tasteless.

embellish

decorate

Add visual enhancements

adornAdd beauty to
beautifyMake more attractive
enhanceIncrease in quality

prettify · deck out · ornament · garnish · bedeck · trim · festoon · furbish · zhuzh · primp

gaudy

garish

Tastelessly showy

tackyVulgar or slightly sticky
flashyShowy, often tastelessly so
gaudyTastelessly ornate

showy · ostentatious · loud · kitsch · vulgar · overdone · brash · glitzy · bling · trashy

glamorize

makeover

Complete appearance overhaul

stylizeDepict non-naturalistically
polishSmooth by rubbing
refineRemove impurities from

slick · sophisticate · chic · fashionable · elegant · glamour · glitz · sleek · posh · upscale

Categories

decoratedecorate, adorn, beautify, embellish, ornament

Opposites

embellishment/ornamentation

tart upstrip down

Remove covering or components

tone down · simplify · declutter · pare down · minimize

aesthetic refinement

tart upclass up

Make more sophisticated

refine · elevate · sophisticate · understate · dress down

concealment versus revelation

tart uplay bare

Reveal completely

expose · reveal

Family

startup, startups

Familiarity: Top 500,000
Profile: Timeless · Everyday, not technical · Rated PG