Makeup

[LittleJess]

I'm transgender, and might consider trying makeup, I'm just curious as where I would start.

So I have a few questions.

1. What type of make up should I try.
2. How hard is it to get used to make up.
3. What is some nice nail polish I should try.
4. Eye liner kind of scares me, how does one usually apply that?

 

[MarchinBunny]

I'm transgender, and might consider trying makeup, I'm just curious as where I would start.

So I have a few questions.

1. What type of make up should I try.
2. How hard is it to get used to make up.
3. What is some nice nail polish I should try.
4. Eye liner kind of scares me, how does one usually apply that?

To answer all your questions ... I would suggest youtube.
Also ... this site tends to have a ton of great tips.
http://feminizationsecrets.com/

Personally speaking, I have not tried makeup enough to be able to tell you what is good to get. I can tell you eye liner tends to be the hardest to get used to. It can feel really weird at times and even make your eyes feels dry if not put on correctly. It takes a lot of practice. It's not as scary as you may think, but it's certainly the hardest to get used to lol.

Nail polish on the other hand, is more of a just try it and see. I tend to buy all sorts of nail polish, even sometimes from a dollar store or thrifty shops.

Make up and nail polish can really be pretty expensive. One of my favorite brands is MAC and they are not cheap. XD

 

[LittleJess]

To answer all your questions ... I would suggest youtube.
Also ... this site tends to have a ton of great tips.
http://feminizationsecrets.com/

Personally speaking, I have not tried makeup enough to be able to tell you what is good to get. I can tell you eye liner tends to be the hardest to get used to. It can feel really weird at times and even make your eyes feels dry if not put on correctly. It takes a lot of practice. It's not as scary as you may think, but it's certainly the hardest to get used to lol.

Nail polish on the other hand, is more of a just try it and see. I tend to buy all sorts of nail polish, even sometimes from a dollar store or thrifty shops.

Make up and nail polish can really be pretty expensive. One of my favorite brands is MAC and they are not cheap. XD

I'll give that site a look, yeah that's why I'm considering doing it when I have a decent paid job, in Information Technology.

Okay, That's kind of a relief, at least I know I won't go blind due to using it wrong.

Well it really depends on how much you want to spend and how often you plan on wearing it.

I would recommend starting with a cheaper brand like cover girl. If you end up really liking it and get serious bare minerals is really good but it's crazy expensive (as far as make up goes IMO).

Not sure how helpfull this will be since I'm a girl who rarely wears make up (I put some on last month it was so old the eye shadow brush disintegrated while I was applying it) any hoo... Unless your putting on the mascara very thick you shouldn't really be able to tell it's there until you want to remove it that is.

As for nail polish I would suggest wet n wild (is this still a brand?) or the comparable brand that is about a dollar per bottle there are a lot of color choices. It will start to flake after 24 hours, but is easily touched up.

For applying eye liner I would suggest taking your time, keep a quip available and look up for applying to the lower lid and down for the upper and just try to keep in line with your eye lashes. Liquid is easier to apply but makes a bigger mess if smeared.

I'll give that brand a look, yeah I'm worried about smearing.

 

[magnolia]

Try this forum, you might find some cool tips and ideas and go to youtube as well, lots of tutorial vids there. Makeup is fun and there are no limits and nail polish is also wonderful - I paint my toe nails in summer, loveeee green and blue paint and I dont give two sh*ts about what people might think!!

 

[MarchinBunny]

I do need to point out that regular make up tips may or may not help. Being transgender there are specific things you should do and don't. Some things that may work well on a female, may not for transgender women. This has largely to do with different bone structure, facial hair, and skin. It's why I gave a transgender resource specifically.

 

[LittleJess]

I do need to point out that regular make up tips may or may not help. Being transgender there are specific things you should do and don't. Some things that may work well on a female, may not for transgender women. This has largely to do with different bone structure, facial hair, and skin. It's why I gave a transgender resource specifically.

Very true, I'll give a look into transgender specific makeup sites like you gave me, and experiment with non-transgender specific makeup sites aswell, and see if anything suits me or mix and experiment. I'm quite interested in this.

Is it possible to do anything about my bone structure and facial hair?

I could be wrong with this, but from memory the hips are also different in men, isn't there a specific surgery they do for that, I know this is a tat off-topic, but will help me in the future when it comes to makeup.

Now, me being back on topic, I've heard about people being allergic to specific makeups, how would I go with finding out if I am or not, don't want to get a random allergic reaction to something, would I just apply a little bit on like my arm or something and see what happens?

 

[MarchinBunny]

Very true, I'll give a look into transgender specific makeup sites like you gave me, and experiment with non-transgender specific makeup sites aswell, and see if anything suits me or mix and experiment. I'm quite interested in this.

Yep, that is pretty much the best thing to do. Experimenting to see what works and what doesn't.

Is it possible to do anything about my bone structure and facial hair?

Putting on makeup a certain way can make these things less noticeable. I know there is a tip for using red lipstick in areas where facial hair really would show through. Apparently the red hue cancels out the darker blueish hue coming from say a 5 o'clock shadow. I am assuming that only works though for those with darker facial hair. people with light facial hair probably doesn't even need to worry about it.

I could be wrong with this, but from memory the hips are also different in men, isn't there a specific surgery they do for that, I know this is a tat off-topic, but will help me in the future when it comes to makeup.

Surgery, yes. They also have undergarments you can wear that adds padding in certain areas to give you more feminine look.

Now, me being back on topic, I've heard about people being allergic to specific makeups, how would I go with finding out if I am or not, don't want to get a random allergic reaction to something, would I just apply a little bit on like my arm or something and see what happens?

I think the only way you would find out is if you have an allergic reaction. The only way around this is if you already know the ingredient in it that you maybe allergic to, which is probably unlikely unless you have worn makeup before and found out prior.

 

[Sanch]

I used to have a job writing for a cosmetics (and fashion) company, so whilst you might not have been expecting a detailed response about makeup from any heterosexual cis men, you're going to get one! :laugh:

1. What type of make up should I try.

In terms of brands, it's up to you - it depends a bit on budget, and whether you're looking more to just buy some makeup and discover what your style is, or you know what look(s) you're going for, and want to get the best products for them.

My ex-girlfriend and many of the women I've worked with swear by MAC makeup. Their products are mid-range in price (somewhere between drugstore and luxury items), and they generally get very good reviews. MAC lipsticks are considered to be absolutely the best on the market - excluding products which cost insane amounts. So I have it on good authority to recommend those.

As for other products, I'd recommend watching a few videos from beauty gurus on YouTube. There are loads of makeup tutorials on there; many of them celebrity inspired. I think from there you'll get a feel for which products, shades, etc. will suit your complexion and would be likely to suit your personal tastes. It's better than just buying blind, and you might also get a few good tips on which drugstore items are an amazing bargain, and which luxury items are or aren't worth the hefty price tag.

One thing I would advise, is not to wear dramatic makeup in the workplace. Rightly or wrongly, many bosses consider it unprofessional.

2. How hard is it to get used to make up.

In terms of seeing your face with it on? Probably not very long. In terms of your skin getting used to it? I would expect that to take a little while.

I'd recommend going makeup free on some days, just to give your skin the chance to breathe. Otherwise it can get a bit sore or blotchy, and then you'll need more makeup to cover it up, and that can become a bit of a vicious cycle!

I'd also advise buying lots of makeup wipes, especially as you're not experienced in wearing the stuff. Chances are you're not going to get that eyeliner wing spot on the first time, or the second, or the third. These things are a fine art!

3. What is some nice nail polish I should try.

Here's where I'm useless. Not a product I've ever really written about, oddly enough. I'm sure there'll be nail art inspiration on YouTube, though. Pinterest will also be your friend, and with some items on there, you can click through to a purchase if you see something which totally takes your fancy.

4. Eye liner kind of scares me, how does one usually apply that?

Eyeliner is available in a pencil form, or in a liquid variety. It goes on over eyeshadow and before mascara. Otherwise it just ends up as a mess. I've never worn makeup, but I've been reliably informed that the trick is to draw a dotted line across the lash, and then fill in the line in full, once that's been done. It'll take a bit of practice, a mirror and a steady hand, but you'll get there. Practice makes progress!

Hope some of that helps!

 

[Zelikababy]

4. Eye liner kind of scares me, how does one usually apply that?

Before you commit to anything when it comes to eyeliner, I would just like to say, not everyone looks good with eyeliner, so you should try it, but it depends on the shape of your eyes and face.

 

[DLsGirlfriend]

I'm transgender, and might consider trying makeup, I'm just curious as where I would start.

So I have a few questions.

1. What type of make up should I try.
2. How hard is it to get used to make up.
3. What is some nice nail polish I should try.
4. Eye liner kind of scares me, how does one usually apply that?

1. I had a really hard time figuring out what kind of make up I liked/didn't like. It gets too expensive to really go out and buy everything just to sample. Have you heard of ipsy? It's a service that sends you make up every month for $10 that matches your coloring, style, and things you're most interested in. They send you samples of the really expensive stuff. I did it for a while, and it was definitely worth the $10! This is a good way to try out different methods and different kinds of make up without breaking the bank. And once you find a product you LOVE, then either stick with it or find a similar version of it at a drug store.
Here is what I use daily that I would highly recommend: matte liquid foundation ($6-8) loreal liquid eyeliner marker ($8), smashbox mascara ($20 because I'm obsessed) an eyebrow filler pencil ($3-5) and nyx eyeshadow ($3-10)
I was born female and still am, so I don't usually use a contour, highlighter, or blush, but if you feel you want more of a feminine bone structure look, I would highly recommend trying that with a YouTube video tutorial.

2. The biggest thing I had a problem with when I first started wearing make up was remembering to not touch my face. Some foundations can be oily and touching my face made it worse (if you have that problem, try a matte liquid foundation or a powder foundation). And I smudged my eyeliner and mascara a lot.

3. For nail polish, try Sally Hansen Miracle Gel. It's designed to look like gel nail polish, stay on longer like gel nail polish, but dry and come off with nail polish remover like regular nail polish. I'm literally in love with this stuff.

4. First of all, don't get the waterproof stuff right away. That tends to hurt when it gets in your eyes. If you're going for a more natural look, you're going to want to draw under the upper lashes on the waterline of the upper eyelid. That will make your lashes look thicker. I usually use a pencil for that. If you going to do something more bold, try a liquid eyeliner pen/marker thing. Get the thinnest one because most people end up making it thicker to cover up their mistakes. Try to get as close to the lashes as possible. Again, there are tons of make up tutorials on YouTube and Pinterest, so take advantage of those! My mom was never big into make up, so that's how I learned.

I really hope this helps! Good luck! Let us know how you like it!

I hope that helps! Good luck!

 

[hime]

I'm transgender, and might consider trying makeup, I'm just curious as where I would start.

So I have a few questions.

1. What type of make up should I try.
2. How hard is it to get used to make up.
3. What is some nice nail polish I should try.
4. Eye liner kind of scares me, how does one usually apply that?

Ok, I need to reply to this because I LOVE makeup XD

first off, definitely start with drug store makeup. Rimmel and Loreal have great foundations, NYX has great eyeshadows and lipsticks, as do most drugstore brands. As for brushes, real techniques is really good. Try different kinds, if you have dry skin liquid and non matte foundation is good, but for oily skin stick and matte foundation is good. As for other things like eyeshadow and lipstick just experiment! Decide if you like natural or more "out there" makeup. As for eyeliner I would start with pencil or shadow. It's easier to apply for beginners. A simple line along the lashes is plenty to start with. As for liquid it is difficult but it's all practice if you ever want to try out pricier makeup too faced, tarte, benefit, and urban decay are my personal favorites. I have dry skin and Bare Minerals was AWFUL for me, even though it works for others. If you go to Sephora, ulta, or other makeup stores be sure to ask for samples before purchasing primers or foundations. You get enough to try it a few times and decide if it's good for you. So sorry if this is a lot of info, I am a bit obsessed with makeup lol.

 

[Crinklebuttt]

My only thoughts about makeup are "don't overdo it" it's so sad when you see the senile old ladies at the supermarket who do theirmakeup in artificial light then the get out in the sun and the natural light makes them look like a circus clown. You girls (tg or not) surely you know that too much makeup is a bad thing. The episode of the simpsons comes to where homer becomes an inventor, one of his creations is the makeup shotgun... It's certainly on the interweb somewhere. For me personally makeup is a big turnoff unless it's simple; a bit of eyeliner and some lipstick is great but when chicks cake their face with makeup I can't help but see them as anything other than a clown just don't overdo it gals.