Makeup

[blue]

kyh, I wonder if you could pull off that romantic look if you did your eyeliner wrapping heavily around the inner corner, barely ran it the length of the lashline to the outside, and then contoured from the inner corner to middle eye (instead of outer corner to middle eye, like she has). Don't contour the outer third of your eye at all.

Put the pearly white on the outside part of the lids, not the inner. Basically take what she's done to her eye and flip it horizontally, to bring your eyes not further apart but closer together.

Report back if you try! I'd love to know if this trick works for anyone else.

I agree re lipstick. Vampy dark or strong lipstick balances out my strong bone structure and looks amazing.. If I want to look spiffy in a hurry, that plus cute glasses work. I did make a pearly pink work the other day... I think I had on some super intense dark and bright eye makeup and a strong lip wasn't going to work.

Usually on me contouring in general is masculinizing. Anything that makes my bones look stronger will push me in that direction.  (Which is a-ok at times for me, I just like knowing how it all works.)

Soft blended pink blush that doesn't sweep up and out and brings out the apples not the cheekbones is feminizing on me.

[kyh]

I'm definitely going to try that Reedling! I'll let you know how I like it!

[ritual-object]

I like wearing blues and greens on my eyes but I feel self-conscious when I do, so usually if I am in the mood to wear makeup I wear neutral tones on my eyes. Usually I don't wear anything, though, because I still feel so self-conscious. It's the same with nail polish. I own so much nail polish it's insane, but I'm too shy to wear it most of the time. Sadly that doesn't stop me from buying it when it's on sale. Sinful Colors is my favorite brand. I also used to wear lipgloss a lot when I worked at a store that sold it.

The thing I do most often is fill in my eyebrows with a taupe eyeliner. My eyebrows are shaped great but they're so light!

[Adreni]

I'm not strongly considering makeup myself. I have good skin - I just need to take better care of it and get this scraggly mess called hair removed for good.

Right now I use a bit of Maybelline stain gloss 160.

[Metroland]

Still this is too strong for me.  I like clear lip gloss (if I am even in the mood to apply it).

I seem to have a good makeupless face.  A little enhancement here and there augments the features.

[Kinkly]

I love wearing makeup but normally only do lipstick & eye shadow mostly because putting on things like foundation I have to avoid getting it in my beard because it make my beard look like it is going grey but I love the beard lipstick combo, very me  If other people are willing to do my makeup for me I just ask that they dont put anything in my beard that will make it look grey and to make me look pretty and not like a drag queen.

[Lo]

I used to love wearing makeup, but not so much anymore. It became a bad habit and stressed me out-- I couldn't go to the corner store without eyeliner, etc. Ultimately not very me, and I like being happy with the way I look without makeup. Sometimes I wear a little; if I'm going out and dressed super-feminine, I'll go all out again, but it's with the understanding that it's just a costume, and not me. Most days I don't bother at all, though I've been known to experiment with neutrals to try and give myself a more masculine face, or to just throw some mascara on for the hell of it. I've also been getting pedicures for about 12 years now, and my toes haven't gone more than a few weeks unpainted since! I don't even read nail polish as masculine or feminine anymore.

[blue]

I used to love wearing makeup, but not so much anymore. It became a bad habit and stressed me out-- I couldn't go to the corner store without eyeliner, etc. Ultimately not very me, and I like being happy with the way I look without makeup. Sometimes I wear a little; if I'm going out and dressed super-feminine, I'll go all out again, but it's with the understanding that it's just a costume, and not me. Most days I don't bother at all, though I've been known to experiment with neutrals to try and give myself a more masculine face, or to just throw some mascara on for the hell of it. I've also been getting pedicures for about 12 years now, and my toes haven't gone more than a few weeks unpainted since! I don't even read nail polish as masculine or feminine anymore.

Hi Lo, this seems really healthy and the ideal to me, that it is a choice and maybe a way to celebrate when you feel like it.

[Lo]

Hi Lo, this seems really healthy and the ideal to me, that it is a choice and maybe a way to celebrate when you feel like it.

Thank you! It's been a tough 10 years getting here. I can only hope that more people learn to have makeup in their life (or not!) without it being a source of worry for them. I'm not perfect though-- I still stress about it every now and then.

[jacqueline]

Thank you! It's been a tough 10 years getting here. I can only hope that more people learn to have makeup in their life (or not!) without it being a source of worry for them. I'm not perfect though-- I still stress about it every now and then.

Thanks for posting this, Lo, I was headed that way myself: not being able to go out without worrying about putting on makeup.  I really enjoy wearing makeup (eyeliner, foundation, concealer, and clear mascara) and would like to try more.  However, I don't want to feel that I can't face the world without putting it on.  Thanks for the reality check!

[Hollytime]

I love, LOVE nail polish!  I'd wear it all the time if I could but it eventually makes my nails crack and dry out.

But its gotta be black.  And chipped.  I've perfected a method of applying it so its just on the outer half or 2/3 of the nail, and then I rough up the tips with a rag moistened with polish remover to simulate chipping.  The end result is, it looks like I painted them a week or two weeks ago and have not touched them since.  Sort of a tomboy or "tough girl" look.

I've painted them "normally" a few times but don't particularly care for the look.  Too formal, perhaps?

[Metroland]

Hollytime,

I never applied black nail polish but I should try it.  I applied different colour nail polish and I felt it was too gaudy.

Thanks

[Lo]

I might be a tad biased (those 10 years of painted toes? 8+ of them was with black and gunmetal polish!), but I always thought black was a very unisex color. :]

[jacqueline]

I agree with you, Lo.  I've seen both guys and girls wear black nail polish.  Right now I'm liking a color a shade darker than Royal Blue on my toes.  They're really close to matching my havaianas! 

[brainiac]

I used to only feel comfortable wearing dark nail polish, if any at all, but now I like all sorts of bright and sparkly ones. Right now I'm wearing Julep Etta and it's quickly become a favorite. For some reason, though, I still avoid pinks! I think more not-female people should wear nail polish, it's awesome. Too bad I'll never convince my boyfriend to wear it in public...

Oh, and I love my guyliner. Pale eyelashes are useless.

[Hollytime]

...sparkly ...

Brings back painful memories.  I bought a bottle of clear polish with sparkles.  I didn't realize I needed to apply a topcoat over it.

After a day or two, the sparkles tended to flake off.  One got in my eye and oh did it ever hurt!  I almost asked to go to the emergency room but fortunately my tears eventually washed it out.  Uggghhh!  Never again!

[ryanu123]

I think foundation and concealer is a must! Some clear coated mascara could work wonders and some light blush and a lip stain helps bring out a natural femininity in some men

[Metroland]

I agree with you.  These are really important things to bring out the beauty in a person.  I have never applied concealer but I should try it.

I think foundation and concealer is a must! Some clear coated mascara could work wonders and some light blush and a lip stain helps bring out a natural femininity in some men

[Kaitlin4475]

places like Sephora are so awesome, scary for the newbie like me but awesome. I decided to go on tax free weekend so the mall was packed, so I probably passed the store front like 20 times, but once inside the women in there were so nice. you just have to take the plunge, I did and the lady used this device to check my skin tone and matched me to my ideal foundation. Got a full make-over and she really went in depth on how to apply everything. Spent a little more than I expected *cough*$234*cough* but so worth it. The color technicians made it fun and really opened up, I felt like one of the girls. best purchase though was the amazing concealer, few dabs on my beard area and poof no more 5 o'clock shadow (once you apply foundation). the stuff really is amazing. Go to Sephora and take the plunge you'll thank your self. I was buzzing for days after that.

[Shantel]

Such a pretty face too! I went into Macy's several years ago early in the day just after they had opened, I felt like the only shopper in the store so I went to the Clinique counter and an attractive young technician made up my entire face from foundation up. When I looked in the mirror I had an OMG moment, that woman can't possibly be me. I spent a similar sum on a lot of stuff that I would never use, but after all they are there to advise and sell product. I've never worn any of it since for various reasons and eventually it all found it's way into the garbage. I'm kind of sad that I dismissed the notion to use makeup, I suppose it's because I don't feel 100% comfortable with it on and don't want to deal with the family pressure, I'm not afraid to admit being a failure in that respect, it has a lot of bearing on my remaining androgynous along with other factors that only a shrink could sort out.