コスメ通

English translation: cosmetics enthusiast

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

Japanese term or phrase:	コスメ通
English translation:	cosmetics enthusiast
Entered by:	Shannon Morales

15:08 Apr 29, 2014

Japanese to English translations [PRO]
Marketing - Cosmetics, Beauty

Japanese term or phrase: コスメ通

The full expression is : コスメ通にも人気が高い. I'm not sure what the role of [通] is here, specifically. This is part of the marketing copy for a cosmetic product in an in-flight shopping catalog. Thanks in advance for any help!

Shannon Morales KudoZ activity Questions: 160 (none open) (6 closed without grading) Answers: 101 United States
Local time: 02:25

connoisseur, enthusiast

Explanation:
This is pronounced as "tsuu" and it generally means connoisseur. You can perhaps come up with a more appropriate choice of word for your context.

Selected response from:

Yuki Okada
Canada
Local time: 00:25

Grading comment

Thanks to everyone! I had to make a choice quickly, so I went with "cosmetics enthusiast." I do see Rie M's point about distinguishing between enthusiast & expert; in this particular case "enthusiast" was close enough, but it's a good point to keep in mind.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +7

connoisseur, enthusiast

Yuki Okada

4 +1

Makeup enthusiast

Naoki Watanabe

3 +1

Cosmetics Pros

Milind Joshi

3 +1

make-up (beauty/cosmetic) gurus or experts

RieM

cosmetic connoisseur

Takeshi MIYAHARA

Summary of reference entries provided

FYI

cinefil

Answers

4 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +7

connoisseur, enthusiast

Explanation:
This is pronounced as "tsuu" and it generally means connoisseur. You can perhaps come up with a more appropriate choice of word for your context.

Yuki Okada
Canada
Local time: 00:25
Native speaker of:

Japanese
PRO pts in category: 12

Grading comment

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

agree

Takeshi MIYAHARA: Hmm enthusiast sounds more realistically! Nice...

7 mins

-> ありがとうございます。

agree

Remy Ib: Enthusiast

1 hr

-> ありがとうございます。

agree

MariyaN (X)

4 hrs

-> ありがとうございます。

agree

Mami Yamaguchi: Rieさんが仰るように、コスメ通の意味は「コスメ好き好き大好き」だけではないし、「コスメ通にも人気が高い」という文から、「コスメについてよく知っている人」の意味合いが強いので、enthusiastよりは、connoisseurではないかと思います。

9 hrs

-> 色々考えていただいてありがとうございます。Shannonさんももう意味はお分かりのはずですから、あとはご自分で訳語を選ばれるでしょう。

agree

jgraves

1 day 5 hrs

agree

David Gibney

2 days 21 hrs

agree

Ayumi Anraku

21 days

7 mins confidence:

cosmetic connoisseur

Explanation:
For example, some say food connoisseur as 食通.
But in my understanding コスメ通s are sometimes people who try every cosmetic (and thus "know everything"), and pretend to be professional in selecting a right one (per their view), so connoisseur sounds too nice in one side but at least acceptable choice...?

Takeshi MIYAHARA
Japan
Local time: 16:25
Works in field
Native speaker of:

Japanese

13 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

Makeup enthusiast

Explanation:
コスメ can be translated as makeup

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_a_makeup_enthusiast?#slide...
http://makeupenthusiasts.com/
https://www.pinterest.com/latoyagaskill/makeup-enthusiast/

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2014-04-29 17:29:25 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I revise my suggestion to "beauty products enthusiast", as コスメ includes makeup, body care/nail products.

Naoki Watanabe
United States
Native speaker of:

English,

Japanese

3 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

Cosmetics Pros

Explanation:
I think " コスメ通にも人気が高い. may be narrated properly by " highly popular among cosmetics Pros"

Milind Joshi
Local time: 12:55
Native speaker of:

English,

Marathi

4 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

make-up (beauty/cosmetic) gurus or experts

Explanation:
Hi Shannon!

I thought of freak or fanatic first, but they are closer to "enthusiast", simply コスメ好き好き大好き. I would like to add a sense of authority, that of "being in the know", and so I would use gurus or experts. This way you can include professional or well-known beauty advisers and make-up artists as well as those opinions can influence others. They can be your sister or best friends. Indeed there are many beauty gurus on Youtube offering tons of beauty tips and indeed they are helpful!

RieM
United States
Local time: 03:25
Native speaker of: Japanese
PRO pts in category: 28

Reference comments

47 mins

Reference: FYI

Reference information:
know all there is to know about 〜
つう［通］
英語にも１語でconnoisseur、あるいはauthorityと「通」にあたる言葉はある。しかし、前者は「（食べ物やワイン、芸術などの）通」に使うのが普通。「知識が豊富で、味わい方や鑑賞の仕方を心得ている人」といった意味である。My uncle is a connoisseur of wine.（私のおじはワイン通だ）。後者はやや硬い言い方で、「通」というより文字どおり「権威」の訳の方がふさわしい。「〜の権威だ」はbe an authority on 〜になる。He may be a cartoonist, but he's an authority on baseball.（彼は漫画家だが、野球の権威だ）。またaficionadoも「熱心なファン」「凝り屋」だから「通」には違いないが、「知っている」ことよりは「好きである」ことに重きを置いた言い方と言えよう。He was a sumo aficionado before coming to Japan.（彼は日本に来る前から相撲の熱烈なファンだった）。見出しの英語は「〜について知るべきことはすべて知っている」の意で、きわめて会話的な言い方。「〜」の部分には「食べ物」「酒」「スポーツ」「芸術」など何がきてもよい。ただし、直接相手に向かって、「なかなか日本酒通ですね」ならYou really know your sake!のように言う。
○鎌倉に行くときはジョンを招待しよう。彼は仏教芸術の通だから。Let's invite John along when we go to Kamakura. He knows all there is to know about Buddhist art.
E-DIC
つう通
<ある事によく通じて詳しい人> an expert 《in, at》; <酒･美術品などの鑑定家> a connoisseur 《of antiques》
通がる, 通ぶる pretend to know everything 《about》
通をひけらかす make a show [display] of one's knowledge 《of》; parade one's expertise 《about, on, concerning》
通である know everything 《about》; be well informed 《about, on, 《fml》 concerning》; be well up 《in, on》; 《fml》 be conversant 《with》; 《fml》 be (well) versed 《in》.
【文例】
･通はそばをこうやって食べるものだ. This is a real gourmet way of eating buckwheat noodles.
･彼は中国通だ. He knows everything about China.｜He is an authority on Chinese affairs.｜《fml》 He is well acquainted with [versed in] things Chinese.
･通な計らいだ. It is really considerate of him to do so.｜《fml》 It is a judicious way of doing things.
新和英中辞典

cinefil
Japan
Native speaker of:

Japanese
PRO pts in category: 16

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コスメ通

English translation: cosmetics enthusiast

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