Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Not really sure where to post this but since transitioning is the goal in mind this seems appropriate and if someone can redirect me to the same question with answers it will be much appreciated.
So here goes every transition is different and my question is during the time I am not at work. I want to look more feminine but not let on something is different just yet like subtle changes that people might not notice but would be a huge boost to me :) Pre - hrt.I should add at home I do wear feminine attire and sleep in PJs and love expressing my self at home.I really want to buy a cute outfit to wear but I cannot do that just yet in my situation. So tldr version: Subtle changes that boost my feminine self esteem.
I just want to thank everyone for the support.It feels nice knowing others like to to help out. :)

There are many things you can do but it comes down to what will work for you. Grow your hair longer, remove your facial hair, underdress, wear unisex or feminine cut clothes and light makeup. Growing your hair and facial hair removal are slow so others my not notice but at some point you will notice it every day. The day you no longer put a razor to your face will give you a huge boost but it probably will go unnoticed by others.

My hair is long already thankfully and I do plan on under-dressing after the suggestion. I do still have facial hair and from what I read its best to get hair removed on HRT because it will not prevent new hair from growing in?(meaning I just have to focus on what I already have on my face?  I am a total beginner at make up  ???. I am not sure what light make up means. Any resources on that would be great :) Thanks.

If you need electrolysis to remove your facial hair, it doesn't matter when you start. Electrolysis is permanent and it may even be a little better to have it pre estrogen because your pain tolerance might be a little higher. Electrolysis is more expensive and takes more time so that's why many use laser. Body hair may diminish on HRT so it's best to concentrate on the face until you know what HRT does to your body hair. More on hair removal here (https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/board,81.0.html).

Light makeup mean enough to address appearance issues but not enough to be easily noticeable. It might consist of eye makeup and maybe a little foundation and blush. The secret of good makeup is to use as little as possible so just a few drops can go a long way. You might want to look at our makeup section (https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/board,340.0.html) for additional help.

Thank you.

Light makeup for me is just simple mascara and a tone friendly eye shadow.  It doesn't show much if any and just the feel of wearing it makes me feel all girly.

Dena.You mentioned about removal of facial hair is a priority.I keep seeing that over emphasized my question is this: Facial hair in most peoples eye is the one thing that distinguishs man vs woman?  I know you have read many posts and I am guessing people rush into hrt and srs when facial hair removal takes the longest and is the most expensive and that should be number one priority?

Various feature on the face contribute points to either a male of female gender call. More male points, your a male. More female points, your a female. The brain does this automatically but not always the same. In the 1960's when male long hair became common, a young male, clean shaved with long hair would often be called a girl. Today, long hair doesn't have as much impact on the balance and people look for other markers.

The most important reason for starting early on electrolysis is because you need about 3 day's growth for treatment. Trying to present feminine with 3 day's growth is rather difficult so it's best to get to the point where you don't need to do it often or the hair no longer shows after 3 days.   

In addition, some people get dysphoric over shaving and it's just so nice getting ready in the morning without needing to shave. It's also nice to rub your hand across your face and not feel any bristle.

I think laser takes something like a year to get the facial hair under control. Electrolysis takes somewhere around 200 hours give or take. With electrolysis some people can take 4 hours a week. I did it with 2 hours a week and by a year and a half I no longer needed to shave and was constantly growing the hair out for the next session.

Thanks for the answer and I appreciate the experience and advice.I have so much to learn and reflect on. :)