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les mises dehors

Glossary entry

French term or phrase:

duvet

English translation:

fine facial hair

Added to glossary by Odette Grille (X)
Mar 14, 2007 19:32
17 yrs ago
French term

duvet

French to English Marketing Cinema, Film, TV, Drama makeup marketing
Le pinceau va agir comme un buvard sur la peau et absorber les excès de corps gras pour ne laisser qu’un film impalpable sur le visage. Attention bien allez à contre-sens de la matière pour faire fondre la texture sans marquage, dans le duvet et unifier les pores de la peau, etc… Dans la zone de duvet aller contre les poils pour éviter des restes de produit et traces visibles et pour mater le duvet pour un résultat fin et léger.

As you can see, this (very long) piece is an example of *casual* writing.

I can't think of the right term for duvet, surely not facial hair, that's something entirely different....
MTIA
Proposed translations (English)
4 +11 fine facial hair
4 +4 down
4 +1 vellus hair
4 fine downy hair
4 fuzz / bloom
2 *duvet*

Discussion

Cervin Mar 14, 2007:
such as the first beard growth. All the ghits I've made (lots in relation to cosmetics) use the term 'fine facial hair' and come to think of it I've never seen 'down' mentioned on any of my cosmetics and Ive used an awful lot cos I'm very old!!!!!!!
Cervin Mar 14, 2007:
2. Botany A covering of soft, short hairs, as on some leaves or fruit.
3. A soft, silky, or feathery substance, such as the first growth of a human beard. is only used in certain contexts.
I think the word 'down' is only used in certain contexts
Cervin Mar 14, 2007:
True,the dictionaries say tdown is fine hair-as does Wordref.com:
down 2 (doun)
n.
1. Fine, soft, fluffy feathers forming the first plumage of a young bird and underlying the contour feathers in certain adult birds.
Ingeborg Gowans (X) Mar 14, 2007:
hi, from what I can gather, it sounds l8ke it is indeed talking about the down (fine) hair on the face, close to the neck; otherwise it doesn't make sense?? Correct me if I'm wrong..but this is how I understand it to be (German: Flaum)

Proposed translations

+11
14 mins
Selected

fine facial hair

Eh oui, les poules ont du duvet. En général, on utilise le terme pour ne pas dire 'moustache'

Évidemment, je m'amuse beaucoup quand je demande à me faire épiler la moustache, plutôt que le duvet, dans un salon de beauté...Ça fait toujours sourire.

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Note added at 14 hrs (2007-03-15 09:57:10 GMT)
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Your footnote does not appear on my page, only in the e-mail...But thanks, Tony. I had a good laugh. I had never heard that expression
Peer comment(s):
agree Julie Barber : it can also be a beard......http://dico.isc.cnrs.fr/dico/tr/search_fr?r=duvet
2 mins
Merci Julie
agree Catherine CHAUVIN : Tout à Fait. J'ai des poules ici. Je sais que malgré les plumes, elles ont aussi du duvet. (:-)
11 mins
Merci Catherine:)
agree French Foodie : see http://www.bewellstaywell.com/face_powders.htm "apply in the direction of fine facial hair"
14 mins
Merci Mara
agree writeaway
15 mins
Merco W
agree Melzie : as above
16 mins
Merci Melzie
agree Raymonde Gagnier : Absolutely!
19 mins
Merci R
agree Cervin : See note in 'ask answerer'!
2 hrs
Merci C
agree Mark Nathan : Despite my comment above, I think this is appropriate in a cosmetics/marketing context.
3 hrs
Merci Mark
agree Tony M : or of course 'fine, downy hairs', which you hear quite a lot / :) Footnote: aka 'bum-fluff' (on adolescent boys who don't shave yet), but of course totally inappropriate here!
4 hrs
Merci Tny, you hear and alas, See a lot...:)
agree Patrice
9 hrs
Merci Patricia
agree Claudine-Hélène L.
20 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "I seem to recall the young protagonist of Sons and Lovers gazing at Clare (Clara? it was a long time ago...), admiring the down on her cheek... and all the kids in class going 'ew!' I think it's correct, but given my beauty context ;-) I'll stick with this term. Thanks to all, this was a very enlightening exchange!"
+1
4 mins

vellus hair

thin fuzzy hair on the skin
Reference:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vellus_hair

Peer comment(s):
agree Ingeborg Gowans (X) : o.k., you got the right word. I guess, you beat me to it;;;
1 min
I guess it's a lottery - whoever gets the mail first :-)
neutral writeaway : not really a suitable term in the context
25 mins
Something went wrong...
+4
7 mins

down

According to R&C.
Peer comment(s):
disagree Julie Barber : down is the feathers used for stuffing the type of duvet you sleep under! ;-) \mine is in my pillows not on my face...;-)
10 mins
According to R&C, down applies to birds as well as to persons! / ;o)
agree Betula : "Down" is also used to refer to, for example, the very fine hair that covers a child's body.
15 mins
Thanks Betula.
agree Melzie : although http://www.naircare.com/bodyzones_bface.aspx says facial hair, I've always used and heard used down
23 mins
Thanks Melzie.
disagree writeaway : RC or not, people don't have down on their face./still not what would be used in the context
23 mins
What are those fine soft hairs the OED refers to then? http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/down_2?view=uk
agree Frank Foley : and according to OED and others. Can't believe you're disputing this...
31 mins
Thanks Frank!
agree msabeh : I have always heard it called "down."
1 hr
Thanks!
agree Mark Nathan : When I asked my partner if she had down or fine facial hair on her face (not the most romantic of questions - but she knew it was in a translation context) she chose down without hesitation.
1 hr
;-) Thanks Mark.
agree Jim Tucker (X) : "downy hair" another option
5 hrs
Thanks Jim.
neutral Tony M : Although it can and is used to describe facial hair too, I can't help thinking that it just would sound right in this particular context / register
13 hrs
Something went wrong...
5 mins

*duvet*

You might find something useful in here.
http://www.makeupmag.com/

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 21 mins (2007-03-14 19:54:18 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Found this which seems to suggest that the proper term might be "down":
Le visage de la femme est couvert de duvet, plus ou moins épais et visible selon les personnes, ce qui n'est pas forcément gracieux. D'ailleurs des modifications ou changements hormonaux sont souvent à l'origine d'une apparition ou aggravation du duvet du visage.

Outre un duvet plus ou moins prononcé au-dessus des lèvres, il peut exister des poils au menton tout comme un duvet sur les joues ou le front.

Il est conseillé de se rendre en instituts de beauté ou centres de soins afin de faire ôter vos poils disgracieux par des esthéticiennes diplômées. C'est en effet une zone particulière et l'épilation à la cire est préférée ainsi que la pince à épiler (sourcils et menton). En outre, celles-ci vous conseilleront sur l'opportunité de retirer ou non certains poils ou duvet.

Something went wrong...
14 hrs

fine downy hair

Hello yes this does refer to the fine downy hair under a person's chin and is applicable to women as well.
Something went wrong...
16 hrs

fuzz / bloom

I realize that the later term is widely used for fruits, peaches for exemple, but I think it could work in this case & settle the controversy regarding " down"
Something went wrong...
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