Susan's Place Transgender Resources

It's time to start learning how to do makeup.  I've spent the morning looking at one terrible YouTube tutorial after another.  All of them over-emphasise their product endorsements and under-emphasise explaining what the heck they are doing and why.  I've watched enough of them now to start seeing a pattern, but I am not really "getting it".

Unfortunately, my wife has disqualified herself as a coach.  She doesn't like doing makeup and says she never learned herself.  Easy for her to say: she can get away with it; I can't.

So what's a good way to learn?  Just buy some random stuff and start painting?  Watch even more videos until it clicks?  If there are such things as makeup classes, I'm not sure I am psychologically up for sitting with a class full of giggly 14-year-olds.  (Maybe I should wait until HRT turns me into a giggly 14-year-old? :) )

There are beauty salons in the area, but the biggest places around here are still small towns and I don't know if any of the salons are trans-friendly.  Would a place like that even do coaching, or would they be more interested in keeping me ignorant so I keep returning as a client?

So, any suggestions for how to get started?

It takes practice to get good at it. So yeah, buy an inexpensive kit and play.

Look for the videos that show a simple daytime look. They usually don't use as much stuff

You can find a makeup artist to teach you, but they usually aren't cheap. Try craigslist.

 Makeup stores will often give you a make over teaching you how to do it just for the price of the makeup needed to do it. I walked in the store with nothing and walked out with everything I needed in the way of makeup in addition to a few other things I needed. Over the years I purchased many items from them so they definitely didn't lose money on me.

Quote from: Dena on October 12, 2016, 08:04:39 PM
Makeup stores will often give you a make over teaching you how to do it just for the price of the makeup needed to do it. I walked in the store with nothing and walked out with everything I needed in the way of makeup in addition to a few other things I needed. Over the years I purchased many items from them so they definitely didn't lose money on me.

I was going through my makeup this morning and I have to say I have a jumble of mismatched stuff. Some of it I have bought and some I have been given. I agree with Dena and am going to go to the local MAC Cosmetics counter at the shopping centre near me and ask for some help with putting together a look. They are supposed to be very trans friendly.

The other option is to go grab the basics and start smearing away  :D It is not going to look right the first time but it gets incrementally better the more you do it. I am much faster than I was but have never been a huge fan of lots of makeup anyway. I am much more confident not quite in the same league as say a "teenage girl", My daughters went into their bedrooms at age 11 and came out at 16 totally different...they appeared to be fully accomplished makeup artists. When I asked them how they did it they just said they practiced and practiced and when they were sick of that they practiced some more. I don't know that helps much but take heart it is not too difficult once you find "your look"

Take care
Liz                                                     

You  might find this book helpful:  "Makeup Manual" by Bobbi Brown.  It's available widely in bricks and mortar bookstores and on the usual online sites such as Amazon or Google Play.  I have a copy adn found it very helpful.

I just watched youtube videos myself and googled what I didn't understand. It's not gonna come easy, you gotta think while you watch them do it and try to understand why they did one thing over another.

You may try simple ones step by step.

1. Eye makeup: 1) mascara, 2) eyeliner, 3) false eyelash, 4) eyeshadow

2. Lipstick

3. Sun cream (I apply Shiseido instead of foundation)

4. Foundation and powder.

In my case, I do 1 and 2 nearly everyday.
When I travel I do 3.
For a few special day, I do 4.

Also remember that cleaning is also important. I wash my face with facial cleanser and clean my face with toner and cotton every night. Then apply moisturizer before going to bed.

barbie~~

I will agree, makeup is a difficult skill to acquire. It takes lots of practice but the learning is much easier if you have a teacher available. For me, my primary resource was/is my wife. Dena's advice of finding a cosmetics store is probably one of the best steps you can take. They can match your colors and show you some basic looks that work for most any occasion. One issue that I have not been able to get good help for in normal Cis gal cosmetic stores is dealing with beard shadow. If you are fighting a strong dark beard, there have been several threads on Susan's that could help. I imagine many here have great tips for what has worked for them.

My suggestion (just like Dena suggested) go to the pros at someplace like Sephora's, Mac or Ulta. They really know their stuff and can teach you as they go.

Get a basic look that works for you and is fairly low maintenance, easy to repeat. For me, it is my day look and includes; basic foundation, eye shadow, mascara, a touch of blush and lipstick. I have it down to 15 minutes tops (yes it took me a while to get there). Once you get that down, start playing with new looks, the eyes are a great place to start expanding on. You really can't go wrong, if you don't like it, wash it off and start over.

Enjoy the ride. - Anne

A good book on makeup can be of great help. One that I really like is Makeup Makeovers: Expert Secrets for Stunning Transformations by Robert Jones.  You can find it on Amazon.

Thanks for all the tips, ladies.  A friend from the support group came over and gave me a lesson last week.  The results are in my avatar and in this thread: https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,215645.0.html (https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,215645.0.html)

Quote from: KathyLauren on October 24, 2016, 09:05:05 AM
Thanks for all the tips, ladies.  A friend from the support group came over and gave me a lesson last week.  The results are in my avatar and in this thread: https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,215645.0.html (https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,215645.0.html)

Yes. You look nice and tasteful. Good at makeup.

barbie~~