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Started by AdrianeAlready, May 20, 2025, 05:56:41 PM

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April Marie

What you're seeing through all the responses is that our community is willing to take risks for the good of others. And, that we know that we help lift ourselves when we lift another. It's part of what helped me when I started my transition and still is there for me when I need it occasionally.

And the good news? It's there for you, as well.

Until you are ready to venture out, YouTube and the advice you garner in places like this can be your "go-to" on applying make-up. My basic routine takes no more than 20 minutes, unless I'm going for a more glamorous look (Heck, how glamorous can a 70 year old get? lol). As you see me in my profile is my "usual." A bit of orange color corrector to hide the remaining shadow on my upper lip, Mary Kay Creame to Powder foundation followed by powder to set it, pewter eyebrow pencil, gel eye liner pencil for my eyes, mascara, just a bit of rouge to highlight my cheek bones and, lastly, lipstick. That all may sound daunting but you'll learn it. I'm never going to be a gorgeous model or actress. My goal is to look presentable. To look in the mirror and smile at the woman I see looking back at me. Simple.

One possibility is to search around you for both a LGBTQ+ resource center as well as any local crossdresser groups. You will be amazed at how many people cross dress on a routine basis - even deep in the Bible Belt. There's a convention in Atlanta - might be this week - where they have a multi-day get together to socialize. Either community might be a way to find hands-on assistance with make-up. I can't tell you how many wonderful friends I've made among the CD community and how open and helpful they are, just like the TG community.

Another option would be to look for a Sephora store somewhere far enough away that you'd feel (even somewhat) comfortable going to. They often schedule times to help members of the TG/CD community learn to apply make-up. Honestly, you could even walk into one and they will help, but they often will schedule individual appointments on Saturday mornings or some other time when they are not open to regular customers.

Finally, have you considered working with a gender therapist to help establish your path forward? I may have missed you mentioning it so forgive me if I have. Many of us have found it to be invaluable. I've worked with mine for over 2 years now and she has been a life-saver for me as well as a catalyst to putting the dysphoria in check and embracing my reality. We've met totally through video sessions - she lives over 600 miles away. Again, you may find a local or regional LGBTQ+ center or website with suggested providers.

Just some thoughts for you to consider. The hardest part is gaining the courage to reach out, to get out and begin to live your life. You'll get there.
 
With much love,

 April

Intelligence is like underwear. It's important that you have it, but not necessary that you show it off
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TanyaG

Quote from: AdrianeAlready on May 21, 2025, 09:49:33 PMI appreciate the tips on what were essentially just throw away examples (even if they were frustratingly accurate ones).

If you check out the how-to forums, I wrote a series of posts about how to work out sizes for women's clothes which would mean you could shop online. Once you find what the fit of a particular brand is, then it's usually fairly reliable, just be prepared to make some returns. My partner often orders two sizes when in doubt and returns one!
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Susannah


AdrianeAlready

Tanya - I'll do that! Either today or this weekend most likely.That will actually be very helpful so thank you  :) . Women's sizes are super confusing. Why doesn't everyone just use waist and inseam for pants? Or at least waist, hips and inseam? Why are there kids, junior, women and plus sizes and sometimes it's a number and some times a size (S, M, L, XL, etc)? Why do they almost never include pockets or when they do they sew them closed?!? And why can't us Americans get our crap together and use the European sizing system for shoes? I honestly think it might be some sort of grand conspiracy amoung the fashionistas. <smile>

April - I've just started to try and reach out tentatively to the local LGBTQ+ community. I've either so far found 1 meeting I can't attend due to schedule conflict, a bunch of meet ups at local bars (which I never really dug that scene anyway and it points to a younger crowd if they plan meetings around bar hopping) or have been ghosted at the contact email for the local center. I think I'll have to put on my big girl panties on and just go down and talk to someone in person. For someone raised in the early days of computers (BBS boards if anyone actually remembers doing that) I really prefer in person communication rather then Zoom. I didn't realize this would be a problem until the past week or two and I'm processing how best to get over/around it with my twisty little brain.

I would love to check out the Sephora counter and I might actually save up a little and do it. A few in person lessons seems like a reasonable expenditure if it forms a workable foundation to use other resources to build on.

Therapy. Yeah... about that. I tried to do that several years ago when my depression was REALLY bad. Like, BAD BAD (Thankfully I've clawed my way to a better place now and am actually improving). I simply had trouble finding someone that would take me on that I could afford. The "sliding scale" places have a waiting list literally years long around here and I can't afford $130 an hour. I have decent insurance but surprisingly the last 4 jobs I've had over the last 15 years all paid out exactly $0 for mental stuff. I'm not dead broke or anything, I get by fine considering I'm a single income household with shared custody of a preteen in this economy. But I simply can't afford a whole lot of extra things. I'm honestly not shooting down your suggestion (not an purpose anyway), I'd know it would be really helpful and I'd love to. I'm just not in place I can do that right now. I'm working on being in that place though so hopefully soon.

I really do appreciate you asking me though. I sincerely appreciate any suggestions folks have and like I said I'm happy to share (IRL specific details obscured of course, since this is a public forum).

Okay... wow. I know I'm wordy but I didn't mean to go on so long. Sorry if this isn't on topic or to the point enough moderators. I'm actually trying to be succinct, I just suck at it!

~Adriane

Lori Dee

Quote from: AdrianeAlready on May 23, 2025, 11:03:38 AMI simply had trouble finding someone that would take me on that I could afford.

Have you checked out our Support Groups Forum?

There are many resources available via phone, chat, or online. It never hurts to ask them if they have a contact in your area. You might be surprised and even find someone at low or no cost.
My Life is Based on a True Story
Veteran U.S. Army - SSG (Staff Sergeant) - M60A3 Tank Master Gunner
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/ 2024 - Voice Training / 2025 - Passport & IDs complete
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TanyaG

Quote from: AdrianeAlready on May 23, 2025, 11:03:38 AMTherapy. Yeah... about that. I tried to do that several years ago when my depression was REALLY bad. Like, BAD BAD (Thankfully I've clawed my way to a better place now and am actually improving). I simply had trouble finding someone that would take me on that I could afford. The "sliding scale" places have a waiting list literally years long around here and I can't afford $130 an hour.

One way of making a start on therapy is narrowing down what the triggers were/are for your mood getting low and working backwards from that. I've dealt with a lot of people where we've begun with a 'my mood gets low because I'm trans and that sucks' for instance, but that's rarely why their mood problems existed, even though being trans lay at the heart of it.

In some of us, to give a for instance, it's our learned prejudices against being trans that gnaw away at us until our mood plunges. Identifying these things really helps. I wrote a whole post about this in my blog here about all the feelings we get, which might help.
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