At Ms. Kobayashi's "Bi-Fine Laboratory." Photo by IDEGUCHI Keiko

The Ideal: To be noticed after passing by

Yoshida TokihitoIt's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for having me today.

Hiroko KobayashiThe pleasure is all mine. I've been looking forward to this.

YoshidaThank you. I'm a complete novice when it comes to fragrance, so it feels presumptuous for me to speak on the matter, but I feel there's a vast difference in the quality and quantity of beauty-related information received by women compared to men, and this isn't limited to scent.

KobayashiThat's true. I do offer fragrance advice, but it's almost always to women; men still don't have much of a habit of wearing scents.

YoshidaI've been wearing eau de toilette and such since my first year of high school... My father was quite stylish.

KobayashiWhat a wonderful father. Fragrance tends to be misunderstood in Japan partly because Japan is more humid and hotter than Western countries, and also because the close proximity between people during rush hour commutes means scents can linger easily. Ideally, a fragrance becomes one's personal "aura," but given Japan's climate and the close distances, scents can easily become overpowering. I believe everyone has experienced that moment of thinking, "Ugh, that's pungent!"

YoshidaHearing that, I suddenly worried if my scent was too strong (laughs). Is there a simple analogy for how to apply fragrance?

KobayashiThe most ideal way is to apply it at a level where someone notices it about a meter after you've passed them, with a slight "Hmm?"

YoshidaI see. The idea behind this project is that, for example, when it comes to fragrance, men have less flexibility and fewer coordination options than women. So, I thought that if there were a clearer image, a standard or rule that's easier to visualize, rather than just product descriptions, men could enjoy fragrance more.

KobayashiYes.

Photo by IDEGUCHI Keiko

YoshidaFor instance, imagine wearing cologne with a grey flannel suit and brown shoes, or like Steve McQueen, wearing this eau de toilette with a sweatshirt and chinos. Just as you choose a tie or shirt to match a suit, if we could select fragrances in the same way, we could enjoy them much more.

KobayashiIndeed. What do you use yourself, Yoshida-san?

YoshidaI used to use "Davidoff" for a long time, but it's been discontinued. Currently, I use "Santa Maria Novella / RUSSA." Once I find something I like, I tend to stick with it.

It's good to have three fragrances

KobayashiDo you know the different types of fragrances, Yoshida-san? I recommend buying two bottles – a Parfum and an Eau de Toilette – once you find a scent you like. Eau de Toilette has a softer scent and lasts for about four hours to half a day, making it suitable for the morning when you leave the house. Then, for the evening, if you want to deepen the scent profile, you can apply Parfum sparingly to multiple areas. Since you have the base scent, even a little application will fix the fragrance, and it will last for over 10 hours, even until morning. It's like layering scents.

YoshidaWhat about Eau de Cologne?

KobayashiEau de Cologne lasts about one to two hours, so it's best suited for after sports or when you want to apply it generously. People often say to apply Parfum "at a point." Just the tip of a pen is enough, applied sparingly to many areas. Eau de Toilette is applied "in a line" – a spray, spritz. And Cologne is applied "on a surface."

YoshidaI see. That's very clear.

KobayashiI often say, "If you find a scent that's perfect for you, it's good to have three bottles." I call them the daytime scent, the nighttime scent, and the skin scent.

YoshidaYes.

Photo by IDEGUCHI Keiko

KobayashiFor daytime, use your signature scent that's appropriate for business – let's call that level 1 intensity. For nighttime, perhaps for a date or when you want to enhance your presence, use something with level 2 intensity, based on your daytime scent. The skin scent is for when you want to relax, like on weekends or before bed. This would be level minus 1. It refers to items from the bath line, such as soaps or lotions, or aftershaves.

YoshidaTo what extent is fragrance acceptable for men? From a woman's perspective, how about in places like the theater or restaurants?

KobayashiAs long as you apply it correctly, I think you can enjoy it. However, you might want to be cautious in places like sushi restaurants or other Japanese dining establishments.

YoshidaThe lingering scent of a cigar after wearing a suit, or a man in a movie scene applying cognac to his neck – I believe men also have this desire for a sophisticated, playful expression...

KobayashiHow do you apply fragrance yourself, Yoshida-san?

YoshidaI use a spray, one or two times, on my underarms.

KobayashiUnderarms!? No, you really shouldn't do that.

YoshidaWhat, really!? I had no idea. So, where should I apply it?

To be continued in <Hiroko Kobayashi Teaches Us_2>