makeup

[nonameyet]

okay. so im super pale but in that red faced way. and i feel like its going to be incredibly difficult to get the hang of makeup. and i dont have any experience except with eye makeup and lipstick and i need advice on buying and applying makeup. how do you know what colors work how many different layers do women typically wear. for that matter what layers are there


i just want to make my face look softer and prettier and cover up the color from my beard. how do you do these things. i can pick eye shadow colors. but combining them with foundation and blush and whatever else. im overwhelmed. what do i do.

[Jessica Merriman]

Two words baby! "Girls Magazines". Sounds too simple, but they are a compendium on the subject. Experimentation is the second solution. You can't help but feel female sitting in front of a vanity mirror and applying and correcting for hours.  You will figure out your needs soon enough. The biggest lesson I learned was moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! That, and plenty of water!  Good luck.

[nonameyet]

but what about brands and shades and all that. trial and error? how do you look at a product and go thats it.

i mean. i can tell someone that im buying the cosmo and glamour magazines for  someone else and pull it off. but its a lot harder for makeup to pull off if youre buying a lot.

the one time i did the girl at the register goes 'gettin all prettied up tonight?' and i wasnt in a great mood so i said in a monotone not tonight no. i really dont think she had any idea if i was joking : p

point being. is it really as simple as a cosmo magazine and a vanity mirror?

[JLT1]

nonameyet,

I called around and then went to a beauty parlor that would apply make-up.  It was $45.00 plus tip and three hours.  When we were done, I had a list of types, shades and other things to buy.  They also showed me how to apply it and then let me practice, correcting me as needed.  We tried all sorts of color combinations.  There were three women involved, two of whom only gave opinions. 

Worked for me.....

Hugs,

Jen

[nonameyet]

that actually sounds like a lot of fun. thanks.

im gonna have to try that.

45 is probably less than id spend on trial and error and i can get tips and such from cosmo and whatnot once i actually know whats supposed to be happening.

also @ jessica i get what you mean. theres a definite sense of girlyness in front of a mirror.

[Sheala]

for me my SO is helping me find the right shades and how to apply the make up right. and when she cant, its my best friend, gurl she's a make-up goddess lol.

[rinaballerina]

Two words baby! "Girls Magazines". Sounds too simple, but they are a compendium on the subject. Experimentation is the second solution. You can't help but feel female sitting in front of a vanity mirror and applying and correcting for hours.  You will figure out your needs soon enough. The biggest lesson I learned was moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! That, and plenty of water!  Good luck.

also Youtube is a fantastic resource for makeup tutorials. so many beauty gurus @ 3 @

[noleen111]

Girls magazines are a good source, even the professional is a good idea.


My roommate taught me about makeup, she showed me how to apply it.

The first thing i learnt was women wear more makeup at night than during the day.

I don't really wear that much makeup, but I do wear it most days. I only really do my eyes (eye liner, eye shadow and mascara) and I wear lipstick.  Darker colors are better at night and lighter colors for the day. 

[Seras]

Start with cheap stuff to figure out what works and what doesn't, then buy some nice stuff.

The internet is your friend. I bought lots of stuff from amazon. Though I generally do not give a damn about buying stuff in shops nowadays. Who I am buying stuff for is no business of the cashier and if they give me trouble I will give them trouble with their managers.

[JaneNicole2013]

I found some great books at the library, including one by someone named Bobbi Brown. My library carries books on makeup, fashion, and hair. They've been very helpful, albeit a bit overwhelming. We have self-checkout here in the Lou so no awkward moments .

I also know some Mary Kay professionals are trained as consultants. Maybe you have a friend you are out to who does that or knows someone who does?

[kathyk]

Start with cheap stuff to figure out what works and what doesn't, then buy some nice stuff.

The internet is your friend. I bought lots of stuff from amazon. Though I generally do not give a damn about buying stuff in shops nowadays. Who I am buying stuff for is no business of the cashier and if they give me trouble I will give them trouble with their managers.

Check out Serena Lynn's videos on makeup.
   
She's here on Susan's, and when I was trying to figure out what to do last year she gave me the link.  I quickly picked up basics from her then toned it down because I'm old, and at my age less makeup is needed because age made me a little androgynous.

Anyway, buy cheap makeup at Wamart, and once you're comfortable with it get something more expensive.  I moved on to more expensive stuff, then went back since the cheap makeup was almost as good for my needs.  However, cheap means less variety, and it doesn't last as long.   

And if your worried you'll draw attention in a big department store stop into a chain drugstore that has a cosmetics girl.  They're usually very polite and help without questions.  When I told a Walgreen's girl I was trans and I needed help, and she almost couldn't stop giving me advice.  It shocked the hell out of me how helpful the girls there have been since then.  But Walmart is still my first choice for inexpensive makeup.

[DanicaCarin]

You said you have a red complexion? Go to the Bobbi Brown counter(Or any brand really) and ask the girl to find your shade. Tell her its because you hate the red and want to even it out. Try for tinted moistorizer or really light foundation. If need be get a cover stick for nose/cheeks. Some make green/yellow tinted bases to help with the red. The other option is to guess and buy from the drug store/online.

I think less is more with make up. For every day, some tinted moisterizer, lip gloss, and a little eye make up.

[Kelly-087]

Fair skin comes with challenges.. pick through it on the internet. MAC has a great foundation... Studio Sculpt I use NW15... Which is, I've found the lightest shade for that particular line. It still seems a tad dark for me. MAC has really nice coverage and is useful in cutting out any shadow on the face. It doesnt work entirely, but its the best one I've had yet.

For redness, NYX makes a nice Primer, Called Photo loving primer.. It has a green undertone to it, and after foundation is applied, it really chills out any redness appearing in the skin.
If you're light skinned get a few pinkish blushes from them too.. and one in Taupe which I've somewhat succesfully used for contouring (I dont wear makeup daily) Im also a huge fan of their studio eye liner. It goes on really dramatically for me.

And if you're sensitive skinned.. which fair skinned people are.. I reallllllly wouldnt use any tinted moisturizer.. I have had.. awful, awful, awful, awful breakouts in reaction to trying them.

[mountainhun]

I kind of want to keep an eye on this thread as well.  To me, without starting hormone surgery yet, getting feminine clothing and makeup is not a high priority.  Yet I still wanted to kind of start, to at least get into practice, or see what it would be like.

But I was feeling very overwhelmed every time I strayed into the makeup aisle- it's a tendency, when provided with a lot of unfamiliar choices, to balk and not make any decisions.  I don't know the first thing about makeup, or what the various names for everything are, the benefits or one over the other, what color to use, it's maddening!

But just today I looked at the local Welcoming Project website for beauty salons or so on that were LGBT friendly, and found an Avon store listed.  So I went in there, and said basically, "Good afternoon, um, this is probably the weirdest thing you're going to get today, but I'm a transgender person and I was looking for some help with makeup."  While she didn't give me a full-on makeover, she was very nice and helpful, and gave me a sizable amount of free samples to play with and suggested the Youtube makeup tutorials.  So, I still don't know what's in all the little packets, or how to use them other than some basic steps, but it's a start.

[DrBobbi]

Sephora has a great deal of how to on their website.

[vlmitchell]

So, basically, there's a lot of information out there in books, online, and in magazines. There are cosmetologists who are trained in this kind of thing that you can go to (Ulta does free evaluations and consultations in store) and they're a nice help for those who need it.

Ultimately, you need to at least know a little about color before going out and playing but, really, the only thing that will serve you well is *practice* and lots of it. Your first few attempts will take forever and generally look like hell but really look at other girls out in the world who are around your age range and see what they're wearing. I'd recommend that you try emulation before innovation (mimic current trends before trying stuff yourself) and take your face into account.

If you're on HRT, things will go a lot easier as estrogenized skin has a translucency that can't be emulated with any amount of cosmetics.

General tips:

• The moisturize/water thing? Yeah, that.
• LESS IS MORE
• Choose a tone that has complimentary coloration (you're red faced so choose the 'warm' powders/concealers/foundations.
• Be careful with eye shadows, generally they're a problem for a masculinized face due to the lower brow.
• No, seriously. Less is more.
• Day to day best friend combo: Eyeliner, mascara, translucent powder.
• The sooner you can start electro/laser, the better. Beard shadows and the indentations that the hairs leave are the #1 giveaway and also just can't be completely removed with cosmetics.
• Use blush only at night and even then only sparingly.
• Have fun with it at home but, again, less is more out in the world.

My final bit of advice is twofold: First, get a friend who you trust, knows your secret, and has good taste and have her* look at you every time you can talk her into it. She'll call you down for looking silly and that's worth her weight in gold. Second, practice every day. HRT will change your face. Electro/Laser will change your face. You'll want the practice at getting in and out of makeup because speed is key if you want to have a life. Everyone here who wears the stuff went through an "OMG THIS TAKES FOREVER" phase but most girls can get their face on in about five minutes after practice.

*Sorry, gay boys are great for glam as a rule but generally like a bit more over the top looks than is likely to be what you're looking for.

P.S. - Regarding the facial hair: try to look past it until you can get it gone. You'll still want the practice but I remember that it can be very disheartening when all you see is the marks where the hair comes in. It'll go away in time and, provided that you keep your face healthy, your skin will look smooth and flawless with maintenance and care.

P.P.S. - In case you missed it earlier: Less = More

[FalseHybridPrincess]

Hhhhm it actually took me years to be able to do a decent make up...literally 

youtube videos helped a lot and practise of course , it was and still is really hard for a person like me whose hands arent really that steady when it comes to detailed work like this....

It takes me like,,,10-20 min  used to take more ...

@Victoria
very useful post I agree that less is more , though I do have to use a lot  of foundation because of beard shadow 
so it cant be helped for now, cant wait for laser...
also for some reason I never use blush ... I dunno maybe it doesnt suits me,,,

[Kaitlin4475]

If you're nervous of people staring, you probably should avoid open makeup sections at stores like Macy's. Go to an enclosed makeup store like sephora. Sometimes you just have to jump out of your comfort bubble every once and a while and take a leap of faith. I passed the store front like 20 times, but finally went in and choked out what I was looking for. The ladies inside were so awesome, they understood and referred me to a cosmetic technician. She was so nice and made it really fun, I felt like one of the girls. She explained everything in detail as well as how to apply. They have this electronic device that checks your skin tone and matches different brands foundations and concealers, then ranks them by price. Defiantly a shining experience getting a makeover in a store for the first time. I did get a few stares from other customers but they were all smiles and nods of approval, which surprisingly was such a calm feeling of wellbeing that I can't describe. They clean it off after so no risk of having to walk out into a crowded mall afterwards with makeup on your face, unless you want to of course. Pamper yourself, you'll be glad you did.

[Anna++]

I had a few of my cis-female friends teach me about makeup before full time, and I still remember much of what they taught me.  As for how much women usually wear, that depends on the woman.  My friends all wear varying amounts, based on what works for them.  The best advice I can give is to find a makeup style that works for you - so if you don't like mascara, don't wear mascara.

Also, just in case the above post didn't hammer in the idea enough: less is more

[Joanna Dark]

practice, prctice, PRACTICE. That's the only way and makeup is expensive, more then 45 for the works. Much more. But honestly if you are having trouble purchasing female items, you better get used to it. If you transition, thaats all it will be. And unless ur lucky you won't pass for a bit. How are you going to trnsition if you can't tell people ur trans. Ur going to have to.