Okay, so I've been out with out make up to the store, and other places before, and passed. But the other day I tried going to work the other day with no make up on, and I didn't get sir'd once. It was a great feeling. It was the first time I dared go to work with nothing on (I'm a cashier, so I deal with tons of people every day).

Although I'll probably keep wearing make up just because I like it, it's nice to have the validation to realize that I really look like a girl, and it's just not cleaver make up.

Oooh I look forward to the day when I can do that soooo much!!!
Louise

Why would I need make up to be seen as a woman    ?

A just out of bed pic, fingers through my hair - no brush, and not even a drop of water to wash the sleep out of my eyes ....



Guess I'm nearly double your age gothique, why would a 20-something "need" make up    ?

Laura x

Now there are two gutsy women.  No way I'd do that without makeup.

Kristi

Quote from: Kristi on June 30, 2007, 08:22:05 PM
Now there are two gutsy women.  No way I'd do that without makeup.
Kristi

Kristi,

You look really beautiful, and I'm sure that with HRT you'll never need make up as a "mask", and will use it as an "enhancer" if you need it at all.

If one can't face the world confidently without make up then it makes life rather difficult - how many women live their entire lives in full make up ? 

Many times I've been woken from my sleep by the postman, rushed to the door in my nightie, running fingers desperately through my tangled hair, only to be greeted with a big smile and "morning miss / madam" ... postmen see countless sleepy women in nightdresses open the door ... a perk of the job !

But generally I wear minimal make up, a touch of foundation just under my eyes and on my nose to get rid of dark rings and the odd thread vein, dab of powder to remove shine, mascara (always), and if going to work lip colour.  Eyeliner and shadow, and heavy lipstick are just a special occasion thing.

Women under 30 seem to wear lots and lots of make up, while women over 30 seem to use it hardly at all (older skin and make up do not combine well - sits so heavily) ... my observation from years of crowded train commuting. 

I do know that the less make up I wear the better I look !

Laura x

(edited because it seemed I was "slighting" Kristi - not my intention at all !)

Lip gloss. I love coloured lip gloss. It's tasty even.

Anything else... and it makes me look *more* masculine or "not me" somehow. I admire and envy the girls who can look glamorous.

~Kate~

Hey Kristi,

Girl I'm with you.  Makeup is my best friend and there are many GG who would not be caught dead without makeup.  I like it and enjoy playing with it too much. 

Beni

It's not only make up.  The aspect of looking female  lies in hair, teeth, skin texture, movement, voice.  If you've got glamorous hair but horrid teeth, you will be spotted.  Peeps may not say anything but that doesn't mean you've not been spotted.

Fantastic Gothique, you are unmasked (like unplugged for MTV). Look great with or without makeup I bet.

Kate, if more makeup than lip gloss makes you look more masculine,
its simply because your not adept at using it. It can take
awhile to put the appropriate ammount in the right shade in the right spots.
You don't even like to wear mascara Kate ?
You don't have to wear darkest black, there are less striking shades.
I love mascara, my eyelashes, already long, look incredibly long with it.

I look pretty similar without makeup because my eyes are well defined, I think most of my pictures here are with little or no makeup, in the avatar, I think I'm only wearing liptick. What I wear most is mascara (black brown) and lipstick (I have tons of them, dark reds mixed with chocolate brown is my favorite shade (its L'OREAL, its called cheetah limited edition (I can't find it anymore :-()).

This is "no makeup me", close enough to see tiny brownish spots and pores :-).



This is as heavyly made up as I'd care to be. Light foundation, eyes, lips and blush.



There is an improvement in the second picture, but not as much as for blonds, or someone's who's pale. Most time, wear mascara and that's it, so I'd look more like first picture.

Quote from: gothique11 on June 30, 2007, 02:57:52 PM
Okay, so I've been out with out make up to the store, and other places before, and passed. But the other day I tried going to work the other day with no make up on, and I didn't get sir'd once. It was a great feeling. It was the first time I dared go to work with nothing on (I'm a cashier, so I deal with tons of people every day).

Although I'll probably keep wearing make up just because I like it, it's nice to have the validation to realize that I really look like a girl, and it's just not cleaver make up.

That's great, I'm really pleased for you.

Yes, when you reach the point where even with no make-up and boyish clothes people still refuse to see you as anything than female, then you know you've really made it !! 

Of course as time goes by, not only does HRT and any other treatments help to feminise us, but also our whole body language changes too, even if we're not always aware of it.

I know I've had people laugh out loud at times over the years when I've tried to mimic men and speak or act manly, apparently I'm unconvincing and just end up looking ridiculous, though I couldn't tell you exactly why.

After a time the world just senses your female, no matter what.

MVER XXX

Well, for a long time if I didn't wear make up I'd have a beard shadow. For a long while, I wouldn't even dare go out without covering it some how. But, last January I went out once or twice to the coner store, and that's what I've been doing since -- I don't bother to the corner store or if I just need to run an errand or something like that.

But this is the first time going to work, which was a pretty big thing for me. But then again, my laser is pretty much done and over with. Currently, I use pretty sheer foundation anyway; just enough foundation to even out colour, etc.

My girlfriend, on the other hand, wouldn't dare leave the house with out a pound of makeup -- she's a GG. Her skin isn't bad, but she thinks it is (and she's jealous of mine, which makes it hard -- she gets so jealous of me, which isn't doing good for the relationship). Anyway, I think she's pretty, even is she doesn't.  She's 23, so a few years younger than me (I'm 28).

Anyways, Keira and Laura, you both look amazing!

Ya donna needa da war paint ta go ta war

Sometimes, for some of us, makeup can be a tell in the casual world we live in.

I think that makeup is a wonderful thing to enhance those beautiful traits that we do have and to diminish those things we don't like. So I have nothing against it.  I do enjoy using it on occasion.

My hubby likes the "natural woman" so I use very little when I do venture into the world of color.

I absolutely love lipstick though!   mmmmmmm!

Cindi

Quote from: Cindi Jones on July 01, 2007, 04:44:33 PM
Ya donna needa da war paint ta go ta war

ROFL!    I do love makeup but don't wear it every day (i.e,. when I am off work for example)  I just find applying makeup so relaxing so I tend to experiment with different colors and shades until I obtain a color I really love.  BTW, my wearing makeup has nothing to do with "being seen as a woman".  It is just a way to look more coquettish than usual!  >

tink

Yeah, I like make up. I've worn it lots (even before transition -- it's the whole goth thing). I like having fun with it and I'm pretty good at it, I've helped even gg's with their make up.

I use very little make-up usually, (thanks Dr O) I remember though how stressful it used to be getting my make-up right, it just dawned on me yesterday while doing my face and while in another zone thinking about my day that it is just second nature now.

Quote from: Kristi on June 30, 2007, 08:22:05 PM
Now there are two gutsy women.  No way I'd do that without makeup.

Kristi

Hon, I never wear makeup either.

Since I work in an office, I usually wear makeup.  Last week, I had to leave before I had put on makeup and had absolutely no problems all day being seen as female.  For the most part, as a bare minimum I usually will put on some eyeliner.  I rarely wear mascara or lipstick though.  When I do wear lipstick, it doesn't vary much from my natural color.  On weekends though, I'll usually get lazy and not bother with makeup.  I have gotten pretty grungy looking as well, which I don't like looking.

So, I can either go with or without makeup.  It doesn't seem to make a difference.  Back when I first started transitioning though, I had facial hair and so makeup was a must.  As I continued laser treatments, my applications got lighter and lighter and I looked better.  It was such a wonderful feeling not needing to cake anything on.

Unless I'm going out on the town at night I don't tend to put make-up on either, although just like Cindi the one thing I do usually wear and absolutely love is lipstick.   Just love putting it on and when I'm wearing it it just makes me feel sexier somehow

Fortunately, long gone are those teenage days when I used to go out with very unsubtle and unflattering blue eyeshadow, peanut coloured fake tan and far far too much eyeliner for one person! 

MVER XXX

Quote from: Melissa on July 02, 2007, 12:11:37 PM
So, I can either go with or without makeup.  It doesn't seem to make a difference.  Back when I first started transitioning though, I had facial hair and so makeup was a must.  As I continued laser treatments, my applications got lighter and lighter and I looked better.  It was such a wonderful feeling not needing to cake anything on.

I totally agree. I know I had to do all of the tricks for my facial hair, but now the laser has done a good job that I don't need to wear all of that make up to cover up. It's nice, especially when it's hot outside -- face melting sux.

Still, I like make up and I have tons of fun with it. If I'm going to work, my make up is pretty sheer and natural, but with a touch good, black eyeliner. At night or when I'm going out, I usually have a bit more, and do a lot more with my eyes and stuff. But it's all in fun.

Sometimes the guys wear more make up than I do at the clubs. One of my friends, who is a guy, has gotten pretty good and pretty much designs his whole face. It's funny, although, because I met him before that and before I transitioned. I was a guy who had on eyeliner, pale powdery foundation, lipstick, and Robert Smith hair! I looked hot, of course, and very popular with the girls.   He wasn't as much, and didn't wear any make up. I remember convincing him that eyeliner on boys is hot, and that girls like that. So, he started doing that and he's gotten lots of girly attention. And, now, a year later he's gotten way better and at the club he usually has some different make up theme, which looks interesting.

Funny, now that I think of it, I think I wore more make up as a guy than I do as a girl. 

Quote from: gothique11 on July 03, 2007, 01:08:55 PM
I totally agree. I know I had to do all of the tricks for my facial hair, but now the laser has done a good job that I don't need to wear all of that make up to cover up. It's nice, especially when it's hot outside -- face melting sux.

Fortunately, the time I had to cake it on was during winter and spring, so it wasn't so bad temperature-wise.  I went fulltime in the summer and had gotten rid of enough facial hair to not need a ton of makeup when I did.

Quote from: gothique11 on July 03, 2007, 01:08:55 PMFunny, now that I think of it, I think I wore more make up as a guy than I do as a girl. 

Cool.  I never wore makeup prior to transition, except when I was little and my sister would dress me and my brother up.