I dont know if this might help but ~ In regards to the whole shaving thing; like ErinWDK i also have stubborn dark and thick hair on my chin mostly, and the hair on my jaw and slightly on my neck literally grows back within 8 hours of shaving... its almost unbelievable. What i do is I use sensitive skin shaving lotion and (like Erin) use one of those hundred-and-five blade having razors lol, apply once and shave down, then apply again and shave up (carefully because you can easily cut yourself), before doing any of it I bathe my face in hot water to open up the pores and make them easier to shave or pull with the razor blade. Once Im done doing that, I use a cleancut shaver to take care of any pesky tiny hairs that remain. If your facial hair is anything like mine, then this will still leave a blueish color of shadow to your face (its mind-boggling how even when its not even poking out of your skin, its still shining a bright BLACK color that is impossible to hide without makeup). So to fix this, I use a concealer called
Mac Studio Finish Concealer (studio finish is the actual name of the concealer not the color, made that mistake when I went to get a refill and couldn't remember the color code) and its honestly magic. My face hasn't changed much yet other than looking a bit smoother, but this combination of shaving and concealer application results in people staring at me for reasons that don't include having a face shadow, or rather not staring at me at all, its amazing how much of a difference it makes even when you are still mostly male-bodied. And the best part about this concealer is that it doesn't look cake-y, it smooths on perfectly and feels like its not even there (plus, its basically a 3-4 month supply in a tiny 18$ quarter-sized container, so its not crazy expensive but it works like pricey makeup)
Ive learned that when it comes to make-up, sometimes less is more and being minimalist or simplistic with your application to have that natural glow is enough for your face to scream "pretty girl". Sure, colors are fun and nice, but unless you're a face model, they don't look good >_< believe me lol even on most cisgirls the excess of color makes them look like clowns.
Alternatively; let's say you are going to the beach or the pool or off to play some sport with friends, you obviously wouldn't wear make-up for that because you would sweat it off or it would come off in the water
, so I will add that while I'm meticulous and OCD about the shadow I can still see, the majority of the time the shaving technique i mentioned is effective enough that even without makeup others can barely see the shadow unless they concentrate or come too close for comfort
even if you can see it clear as day. Experience: I go to the beach a lot (in female swimwear) and attract minimal attention to my face. When it comes to make-up, its really all trial and error to find what matches your face well and what accentuates your natural looks. You can try looking on pinterest for tips on how to highlight and contour your face to give the appearance of cheeks or slimmer face/nose appearance. Hope this helps <3
