So today I put on MAC Lady Danger lipstick. I burst out laughing, then cried.

[Gabrielle_22]

Ultimately, different things work for different people. One of my cis- female friends is almost never without a bold lip colour every day, without wearing much of anything else on her face, and it looks great on her. There's nothing wrong with either subtle or bolder looks if you pull said looks off. Less makeup is usually the safer option, but wearing slightly more doesn't automatically entail being clocked more easily.

[Jaime R D]

I was lucky, it didn't take much experimenting at all for me to find the subtle colors that works best on my ugly horsey-face.  Plus a few little tips from my sister from years ago.  A long time ago when I did go to a few trans group things, they had a professional make up artist at one and I asked her and she said there was nothing at all wrong with my makeup.


Big thing I think is to stay clear of the bold stuff until you learn the subtle stuff first. Then if you wish, you can add in a few bolder colors and such just to see.

Oh and if I get my nails done too red, my late father's girlfriend would tell me I have whore colors going, lol.   I used to have my toenails painted bright red just to get to her...

[Alexi]

I thought it would be a nice feminine looking color.



I looked like a damn clown. That was $20 down the drain. I could have bought 3 McDonalds Happy Meals with that!

It's a nice color - no doubting that - but try not to feel it's your fault. Do you have a friend you could ask for help from? If it's too daunting to go into a shop and ask someone, it might be easier to ask a friend, but only if you feel comfortable. As for Happy Meals, I'd not fret, it has probably done your health some good avoiding it!

[TaoRaven]

Sometimes I buy stuff that I just don't know how to wear properly at the time...and then later on I figure out how to wear it so that it looks good.

Also....don't forget that there is a big difference between your day look and night look. I certainly would never go to work wearing what I go out dancing in, for example.

And then there's things like what lighting you'll be in...and how long you expect to be wearing it (12 hours at work, or three hours at dinner and a movie).

One of the most overwhelming things about this whole process when I first started was makeup...and now the more I learn, the more I find out I don't know, and the more excited I get to play.

[Jennygirl]

Saw a friend on facebook post this, sharing here

http://www.harpersbazaar.com/beauty/makeup-articles/looking-forward-to-fall-2014

[Allyda]

Blend blend and blend some more -you must know how to blend. Everybody is different but you can get an idea of what might look best on you by studying other women with a similar facial shape as yours, and more important, the same skin tone as you have. Doing this will only give you ideas. However to find out what colors work best on you will take some trial and error.

Some rules to live by: As others have pointed out, daytime and nightime are different and will require different shades and colors for each. During the day keep it simple. Less equals more and stick to neutral colors. Brighter colors generally work better at night. Rain and humidity will make the cheap stuff run. And time you'll be out is always a factor.

I have a dark reddish olive skin tone that's hard to match. Most of the time I have to blend lights and darks to get the color that's best. During the day I basically stick to earth tones and keep things light. Maybe a bronze eyeshadow with gold overlay generally looks best on me with brown eyeliner, and because of the heat here in Florida I avoid a lot of foundations/concealers. Just a little under my eyes to match things up and cover my scars as best as possible. At night a deep blue eyeshadow with silver overlay and blue or black eyeliner, and I can be a little more liberal with foundations/concealers but not much. The single most important rule is "less is more." I have naturally thick long eyelashes that eliminate any need for mascara.

For my lips only one color looks okay on me and that is a deep pink, and only at night. During the day I only use gloss or nothing at all. I was taught my makeup by a professional beautician in Hollywood during my recovery from my 91 accident. I lived in an apartment above her shop off Whitley & Hollywood Blvd.

Hope it helps

Ali

[Carrie Liz]

Okay, this is the most important thing about trying feminine things and failing:

Don't take it personally.


Basically, not everything feminine works on everyone. You have to find your own style, and you have to find what works for you. When I first started transition, I really wanted to wear cute things. Pastel colors, tank tops, cute accessories, nerdy t-shirts, etc. But my bone structure, hair color, build, and skin texture wouldn't allow it. So I kept experimenting and experimenting and slowly discovered that a more elegant style, with deeper reds and purples and royal blues and basic business-like black and white, looked much better on me.

So yeah... don't go into that destructive mindset of "NOTHING works on me!" No. When something doesn't work, it just means that you need to try something else until it does work. And it takes time, and it takes a LOT of trial and error.

[Evelyn K]

Saw a friend on facebook post this, sharing here

http://www.harpersbazaar.com/beauty/makeup-articles/looking-forward-to-fall-2014

That was cool.



Yeah I have a pretty good clue on what I can get away with in dress. But makeup is a whole new arcane thing for me. I like the minimalist approach in this photo.

[Allyda]

You'll get it Evelyn. With your confident attitude I doubt it will take you very long either. Also, You Tube has some great makeup tutorial videos or you can go here for tips: http://www.youbeauty.com/quizzes . Their little quizzes are fun and if you answer truthfully you'll get some great tips on makeup, hair, skin, etc., a whole list of beauty related recomendations personalized just for you.

Hope it helps

Ali

[Evelyn K]

Thanks for that. Will check it out.

So tonight I tried this new stuff called "Mascara". I think I spelled it right... Anyway I usually just have some dark silver eyeliner along the outer half of my bottom eyelids.

Just swept this "Mascara" thingamajig brush thingy along my eyelashes like they show on youtube.

Ummmm. Wow. Where have you been all my life!

!

[Leila]

Thanks for that. Will check it out.

So tonight I tried this new stuff called "Mascara". I think I spelled it right... Anyway I usually just have some dark silver eyeliner along the outer half of my bottom eyelids.

Just swept this "Mascara" thingamajig brush thingy along my eyelashes like they show on youtube.

Ummmm. Wow. Where have you been all my life!

!

Glad it works for you.

I have tried this "Mascara" you speak of many times, and it just looks a mess on my face every time without fail. No amount of lash curlers will curl my lashes upwards to enable proper use of said "Mascara" for me.

Thankfully there's false lashes to the rescue. 

[Evelyn K]

My eyelashes are redonculously long, the foremost eyelashes almost hit the lens of my glasses.

Minoxidil on the scalp comes with other 'fun' benefits.

[Beth Andrea]

A basic rule with makeup...less is more.

I learned early on by reading books like "makeup for dummies" and a couple others (forgot the names), but the most basic takeaway was there are three elementary styles:

1. You can emphasis the eyes;

2. You can emphasize the lips;

3. You can create an overall "natural", soft look.

Just don't do everything at once.

[Shantel]

Another bit of advice is don't wear your makeup to bed at night, use a good makeup remover. There's nothing cool about going to work with raccoon eyes, especially if you haven't yet come out in the workplace.

[Zoe the Obscure]

I wouldn't take it to heart.  I personally have bought a lot of useless (at least on me) ->-bleeped-<- since beginning transition.  Think of it as a learning experience.

[Jennygirl]

Another bit of advice is don't wear your makeup to bed at night, use a good makeup remover. There's nothing cool about going to work with raccoon eyes, especially if you haven't yet come out in the workplace.

Ahha but I have to offer a second viewpoint, for some reason my eyeliner always looks better the second day it's in use

My makeup routine has evolved end over end over end over the course of my transition..

Starting out, with maximal beard shadow, I literally caked the stuff on daily. Started with BB creams and mascara, lip balm

Then, I slowly made the switch to concealer (for better beard coverage) and eyeliner with the mascara (gamechanger)

Followed by several months of tweaking to find the right concealer tone / amount, still caking it a bit, stopped using anything on lips

Followed by several months of toning everything down, now just a few dabs of concealer on upper lip and under/over eyes, eyeliner and mascara tend to last 2-3 days

Makeup takes me no more than 10 minutes, whereas when I started with the stuff it was a 90 minute ORDEAL

[Shantel]

Ahha but I have to offer a second viewpoint, for some reason my eyeliner always looks better the second day it's in use

My makeup routine has evolved end over end over end over the course of my transition..

Starting out, with maximal beard shadow, I literally caked the stuff on daily. Started with BB creams and mascara, lip balm

Then, I slowly made the switch to concealer (for better beard coverage) and eyeliner with the mascara (gamechanger)

Followed by several months of tweaking to find the right concealer tone / amount, still caking it a bit, stopped using anything on lips

Followed by several months of toning everything down, now just a few dabs of concealer on upper lip and under/over eyes, eyeliner and mascara tend to last 2-3 days

Makeup takes me no more than 10 minutes, whereas when I started with the stuff it was a 90 minute ORDEAL

Points well taken Jenny, and I know there are some good waterproof non-runny eyeliners on the market. My point was intended as advice for those who still have to present male in the workplace. Anyway, I should probably recuse myself from this thread as all I use  is a little Clinique "Chubby Stick" to give my lips a little tint, a make-up person I'm not!

[Jennygirl]

Points well taken Jenny, and I know there are some good waterproof non-runny eyeliners on the market. My point was intended as advice for those who still have to present male in the workplace. Anyway, I should probably recuse myself from this thread as all I use  is a little Clinique "Chubby Stick" to give my lips a little tint, a make-up person I'm not!

Ahhh I see now, I totally missed that part of "not out yet at work"

Yeah imo eyeliner is one of the most feminizing pieces of any makeup arsenal. Actually for me going full time coincided with about the same time I started using the stuff!

[Shantel]

Ahhh I see now, I totally missed that part of "not out yet at work"

Yeah imo eyeliner is one of the most feminizing pieces of any makeup arsenal. Actually for me going full time coincided with about the same time I started using the stuff!

You do well with it too hon, you have very expressive pretty eyes and your particular style of makeup application brings out the best in them for you.

[Jennygirl]

You do well with it too hon, you have very expressive pretty eyes and your particular style of makeup application brings out the best in them for you.

I can't reasonably take credit to the application of eyeliner, I learned everything I know from a Sephora makeup specialist. She nailed it!