I thought it would be a nice feminine looking color.



I looked like a damn clown. That was $20 down the drain. I could have bought 3 McDonalds Happy Meals with that!

Well it is a nice colour but you will need to consider the total package when wearing something that vibrant. Make up is like the interior of the house - change the drapes and you need to change the lounge and carpet and...

Plus what you're wearing makes a big difference, etc. It's complicated stuff which cis women have had many years to practice and get right.

I see myself throwing down a grand for makeup just to find the right mixes and such. It's not a brag, it's just unfortunate. Would be keen if they had like makeup bundles with complimentary colors for each area all ready to go.

Or maybe I can hire a studio makeup artist to work out the best combinations.

Walking around these makeup isles is daunting, it seems 10X more complicated than anything I've ever encountered at like The Home Depot.

Start with neutrals and work your way from there...

I bought the cheap stuff and started experimenting my colours and techniques from there. Agree with Luna, go with the neutral colours first.

Most cis-women don't generally walk around in every day wear in fire truck red lipstick, unless their models, hookers or kiss-o-grams.

What did you wear on your eyes and face? Wearing a bold colour may have certain rules that may apply Did you overdraw your lips?

Nope just a dainty draw within my lips.

Yeah I agree about neutrals lol.

Quote from: Evelyn K on August 14, 2014, 01:13:40 AM
I see myself throwing down a grand for makeup just to find the right mixes and such. It's not a brag, it's just unfortunate. Would be keen if they had like makeup bundles with complimentary colors for each area all ready to go.

Or maybe I can hire a studio makeup artist to work out the best combinations.

Walking around these makeup isles is daunting, it seems 10X more complicated than anything I've ever encountered at like The Home Depot.

Well, I love the color but like others have said there is a time and place for it other than everyday wear. Like going out to a club and so on. But it definitely has to match the boldness of the other makeup you are wearing.

Hiring someone would be a good idea but if you have any girl friends they would be able to help you and for free.

Yeah, the makeup isles are intimidating but you have to buy according to your complexion, the look you are trying to go for as either more natural or made up and so on. Daytime make up and nighttime makeup. The thing is making everything match. Pretty much it is trial and error at what works and what don't. But natural looking makeup seems to work best in everyday situations matched to your complexion and eye color. Less is more in the world of makeup.

And not everyone can actually pull off that colour. - even at the best of times..

Oddly, matching nails may help - one of my grandma's rules, a stand out red like that requires matching nails.. A rule also suggested to me by a Dior-trained makeup artist..

I agree with everyone else - the color needs to mach your makeup, your skin tone, and what you are wearing. I have yet to find a lipstick that I think looks good on me so I just use lip gloss instead.

Maybe you could make a trip to the makeup counter and have one of the ladies there help you choose a lipstick color? I know it's scary but they won't bite, and you'll save money by not having to play the guessing game.

Another option is to make your own cheap lipstick. There are a number of videos on youtube showing how to do that using crayons. If you try a color that is wrong for you then you are only out a couple of crayons.

  Getting this right without professional help is challenging.  The colors that my mother has are right for her but look sickly on me.  I'm not big on makeup anyway and I would never feel right in blazingly bold colors.

  Perhaps you could salvage part of your investment by dressing up as said 'clown' for Halloween this year?  <shrugs>  Maybe make it an evil clown for fun and terror.  If you wanna do "Insane Clown Posse" I'll join!

I don't use any lipstick anymore, jut lip gloss, balm, and stain. The problem is, the stuff is almost always so extreme looking, that unless you are so done up like you are going to a photoshoot you just look wrong.

I am pretty sure I would cry over $20 because that is less than it would cost to go to my fav conveyer sushi place twice.

Evelyn, go get a professional makeover. You will get two benefits:

• You will get great tips on improving your application of makeup.
• You will get recommendations of makeup and specific colors that work great for you.

Every single woman I know, cis or trans, who has bothered with a professional makeover has been impressed at both the results and what they learned.

A nice color lipstick that is not over bearing is pink. Not hot pink though. It kind of adds to the natural color of your lips without being over bearing or over the top color.

Have you tried putting that lipstick that you bought on a little lightly? Just enough to give the color but not overly too much. Or using a really small brush to apply it even? I still love that color though. Especially if you put it on lightly and then add a little lip gloss to it. In my opinion it wasn't a waste of money, it just takes practice to get enough on for the color but not too much that it is over bearing.

Keep a look out for Free Makeup sessions at department stores. Bobbi Brown does a bunch. I went to two of these and milked the crap out of the makeup artist. Took that time to learn not only technique but how to match colours and put together some combo's

You do have to be careful with bold colours like that (and the name says a lot about the colour!). More neutral eyes and face go along well with a bold lip colour, although some people can pull off bright eyeshadows with noticeable red lipsticks. Some people can get away with blue eyeshadow and something like MAC's Russian Red. Hairstyle, too, can affect how all of this comes across, alongside what you're wearing. I hope you'll be able to use it somehow so that money isn't down the drain.

Maybe post a photo if you end up wearing it again?

Quote from: Eva Marie on August 14, 2014, 08:57:34 AM
I agree with everyone else - the color needs to mach your makeup, your skin tone, and what you are wearing. I have yet to find a lipstick that I think looks good on me so I just use lip gloss instead.

Maybe you could make a trip to the makeup counter and have one of the ladies there help you choose a lipstick color? I know it's scary but they won't bite, and you'll save money by not having to play the guessing game.

Another option is to make your own cheap lipstick. There are a number of videos on youtube showing how to do that using crayons. If you try a color that is wrong for you then you are only out a couple of crayons.

I went to Macy's shortly after morning opening, there was hardly any customers so I went to the Clinique kiosk and one of the gals there made up my face. It was fun and initially would have cost me nothing but I wound up purchasing a lot of stuff I never used, might as well have lit a couple of hundred dollars on fire. I found that just a little is better, usually more toward subdued than bold. Two girls come to mind that look cis real to me (Just Shelly and Hikari). A lot of goop troweled on one's face isn't the answer to look good and fit in to the cis female world.

Quote from: LizMarie on August 14, 2014, 09:52:48 AM
Evelyn, go get a professional makeover. You will get two benefits:

• You will get great tips on improving your application of makeup.
• You will get recommendations of makeup and specific colors that work great for you.

Every single woman I know, cis or trans, who has bothered with a professional makeover has been impressed at both the results and what they learned.

Sup sistas thanks for the advice.

Liz - I get the impression that each different artist would each give you a different look.

Where's Michelle Phan when you need her...

Quote from: Gabrielle_22 on August 14, 2014, 03:21:27 PM
You do have to be careful with bold colours like that (and the name says a lot about the colour!). More neutral eyes and face go along well with a bold lip colour, although some people can pull off bright eyeshadows with noticeable red lipsticks. Some people can get away with blue eyeshadow and something like MAC's Russian Red. Hairstyle, too, can affect how all of this comes across, alongside what you're wearing. I hope you'll be able to use it somehow so that money isn't down the drain.

Maybe post a photo if you end up wearing it again?

I am not wearing it again lolz! I find for me a half streak of dark silver eyeliner on my bottom lid and no lipstick is working for me. I don't use eyeshadow or anything to create that smokey effect. Who wants raccoon eyes? Maybe a little blush on my cheeks.

Quote from: Evelyn K on August 14, 2014, 04:04:05 PM
I am not wearing it again lolz! I find for me a half streak of dark silver eyeliner on my bottom lid, some mascara, and no lipstick is working for me. I don't use eyeshadow or anything to create that smokey effect. Who wants raccoon eyes? Maybe a little blush on my cheeks.

Me. I love the smokey eye look. Eyeliner, mascara, lipstick and all the makeup deal.