I thought I would post a persistent diary to document my transition:
Aug 1st:Cleared my closet down to just two shelves for "guy" clothes as I am just starting my transition and will still need to dress in drab when going out for a while. I think of starting the process of transitioning as for the first time "I get to live in colour" wheras my previous existence was in black and white. My old clothes are drab, but my new wardrobe has colour and is more floral. I am dressing a little androgynous while I transition to let people adjust to the new me. If it was just me, I would forge ahead, but still have some loved ones who need the pace to slow down.
MakeupBought makeup! The one thing I noticed about makeup... my wife bought me starting makeup, not expensive and I tried the nail polish and realised I look like a teen girl trying makeup for the first time. When I was shaving, I bought an expensive brush and only decent straight razors and quality products. Its easier to shave with good gear rather than cheap tools. I realised I don't want to look like a teen girl trying makeup for the first time, so I spent some time and bought decent makeup and brushes and the difference is incredible. I still look like a guy wearing makeup, but the quality and effect are so much better. As my face changes from the hormones, I will have come up with a couple of looks and perfect application.
Fragrance:Ok, I am a self confessed fragrance junkie. I own an obscene amount of fragrances and a large portion of my spending money goes on them. I grew up in Europe so my tastes run to European fragrances rather than those marketed to American customers. There is a vast cultural difference. Most of my Penhaligons work well for any gender, my all time favourite "
Sartorial" works well on a women even though it's seen as masculine.
Katie Puckrick said that a women who wears Sartorial is a woman with a secret
.
It's amazing. I also still wear "
Halfeti" also by
Penhaligons it has a deep rose richness that comes from Black roses from the village of Halfeti where it gets it's name.
I grew up on Guerlain and spent a lot of time in Paris, so I wanted a more feminine fragrance. I love Shallamar and all their female scents. One I particulary like is "
L'Heure Blue" which is inspired by the moment between dusk and night when the sky turns blue. Its a powdery sweet fragrance and my wife sums it up best with "If a vampire wore a perfume, this would be the one". Similar to most Guerlains, the top notes are fierce and sharp, the true nature of the fragrance is it's heart and basenotes. For reference, the top notes are the opening of the perfume, they are there for two reasons;
- So you buy them - when you first open a bottle, it's your first impression
- To mask the transition to the heart - perfumes have three stages, each distinct, the transition to the heart notes can often be harsh and chemical, the top notes ease the transition.
As usual, I spent too long talking about fragrance, it's one of my passions :-)
lifeI have come out to all my friends and family and work and without exception, everyone has been happy and supportive of me. Nothing but love. I realise how lucky I am and how this is often not the case. I still have one family member to tell before I can start being "Sarah" full time. Work has been amazing and also supportive. I am really lucky.
One chance encounter that made me smile, I play (an unhealthy amount) of Warcraft and decided to move a couple of my toons to the Alliance so I could see the new expansion from both sides. I found a guild that was female only and I sent a whisper to the guild owner asking if I could join. I started the conversation with "You know the acronym LGBT?, well I am the T :-) Her response, was welcoming and she brought me into the guild. A complete stranger sent me a hug online and said "I am so happy for you".
Well that's it for now, I am waiting for a delivery of makeup today and have clothes coming in tomorrow, for now I'll get back to work and bask in the vampiric sweetness of my newest perfume....
