Learn How To Crossdress

Black Friday – A Crossdresser’s Dream!

By Vanessa Law | Published November 27, 2009 | 6 Comments

I hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving with friends and family, letting yourself indulge, even if for just one day a year. I’m still full from the tremendous meal my wife prepared for Thanksgiving – though I may just sneak another piece of pie today. I’m promising myself I’ll go to yoga tomorrow and work it off :)

Today is a blessing for Crossdressers

There are many things to be thankful for, and Black Friday sales are one of them. If you crossdress, then you know how good it feels to find a fabulous pair of shoes on sale, or that cute skirt you’ve just being dying to wear being offered for half off. But as much as I love shopping sales, I can’t bring myself to wake up at 4am to fight with other sales-crazy ladies for those last pair of slimfit jeans or turquoise colored jewel earrings. What I’ve discovered is that many online stores are latching onto the Black Friday craze. Offering tremendous deals without the need to wake up early or aisle-fight someone to get it.

Shop some fabulous crossdressing sales!

crossdresser-sale.jpg

Don't miss out on great crossdresser sales!

All of my favorite online stores are advertising tremendous deals today, some up to 70% off! If you’re looking for stylish woman’s clothes I highly recommend an old crossdressing standby – Macy’s.  Macy’s has received rave reviews from crossdressers, and they stock all the latest femme fashions to fill your closet. For workout clothes you can’t go wrong with Lucy Activewear, I’ve had wonderful service in Lucy stores whenever I’ve shopped there and the clothes fit like a dream.

If you’re looking for deals on high heel shoes (and who isn’t?!) then spend some time browsing Zappos and Endless. Both stores offer free shipping as well as free return shipping (great if this is the first time you’re buying woman’s shoes, or when trying new styles with a different fit). They also have a great selection of larger and wider shoes. I’m a size 12W, and trust me when I say it’s hard to find shoes that fit. I can usually find a decent selection to choose from at these stores.

For everything else on my shopping list (including a few Christmas gifts for my wife) I’ll wander over to Amazon. If you don’t mind waiting a few days you can get most things shipped free. Though watch out when buying from 3rd party sellers on Amazon. Not all of them have a return policy as generous as Amazon’s.

I’m off to go shopping

Okay girls, that’s about all I could write – the pull of deals is just too strong – now I must go and start shopping those fabulous sales! I’ll post in a few days to let you know what I bought, I’d love to hear what you think!

Look fabulous,
Vanessa

6 Comments | Also posted in Fashion, Clothes and Shoes | Tagged , | Trackback URL.

How to choose a wig to reflect who you are

By Liz Hall | Published November 17, 2009 | 1 Comment

Dear reader, I’m pleased to introduce Liz, the newest author on Crossdresser Heaven. Liz Hall is the owner of Gorgeous Hair Wigs – an online wig store that caters specifically to crossdressers. You’ll also find a special discount below, just for readers of Crossdresser Heaven.

Some Sage Wig Advice for the Confused Crossdresser..

Ok, so ladies, when you are dressed in your female persona and you have given yourself a name to represent that persona – you then want to find the right hair to reflect that woman don’t you? So where do you start?

The first thing you need to think about is color – what color do you feel your personality needs?  Blondes are definitely for the more fun personality (long, layered or wavy bright blonde wigs) but they can also be elegant (soft blonde bob wig) depending on the shade of blonde.  Chocolates and browns can be mysterious (layered or wavy brown wigs) or even demure (shorter style brown wigs).  On the other hand auburns and reds can be fiery (long or layered red wigs) or intriguing (short & fun red wigs like a deep red bob).  Finally for the very dramatic woman a black wig could work – exotic (long black wigs) or very serious & smart (short sleek black bob wig).  So try to figure out “who you are” when you are:  Amanda, Adrianna, Sofia, Lynda, Sarah, etc.  and what color reflects your personality.  No matter what color you choose you want to feel “like you” when you put on your hair.

The second aspect you need to look at is style – this will depend on face shape of course.  But some wigs can create a slightly different face shape with their style.  We would recommend a wider fuller or rounder face shape should lean more towards the shoulder length long and slightly wavy or layered styles – very flattering.  The slimmer longer face works very well with long straight hair or a sleek bob style.  The fun short layered flicked out wigs are great for almost any face shape and can give that heart shaped face once on – we offer that style in almost every color.

At Gorgeous Hair we hope you will find exactly what you are looking for –we offer a wide range of wigs in a variety of colors and styles to suit every personality.  We offer quality synthetic wigs that look and feel like human hair.  They are made from high quality Kanekalon fibres and are created to a specific style.  You can not use heated styling tools on synthetic wigs but when you wash them (in warm water with gentle shampoo) they will retain their style when they dry (let them dry naturally and use a soft brush to bring back the style).  Synthetic wigs can be trimmed to be made slightly shorter or have more layered added – however, it is advisable to take your wig to a professional stylist to do this.  As long synthetic wigs are cared for properly they will last a long time.

We offer our wigs at very affordable prices as we deal directly with our manufacturer so there is no middle man, hence prices are lower than some other retail or online stores.

In the New Year we will be offering a small range of human hair wigs in a variety of styles and colors. They will be considerably more expensive of course but beautiful nonetheless.   However, do consider that by purchasing a synthetic wig, at a lower price, you can then potentially afford to purchase more than 1 wig so you can change things up sometimes and be a different style or color depending on your mood!

SPECIAL OFFER TO CROSSDRESSER HEAVEN READERS – If you purchase a wig from Gorgeous Hair between Nov 15 – Dec 15 you can get 15% off your purchase!  Just use the CODE:  CROSS01 when checking out to receive your discount.

We look forward to serving you very soon.    Love Liz x

www.gorgeoushairwigs.com

1 Comment | Also posted in Beauty and Makeup | Tagged , | Trackback URL.

Be Encouraged By What You Learn

By Vanessa Law | Published September 15, 2009 | 6 Comments
Be Encouraged by What You Learn Crossdressing

Be Encouraged by What You Learn Crossdressing

At the start of every yoga class we’re urged to set an intention for the practice. The intention is set as something to grasp onto when the practice gets tough. When your muscles are aching and sweat is dripping down your forehead you can come back to your intention for strength and motivation.

Recently I made my second trip to an advanced yoga practice. The first one had been a miserable experience. Overwhelmed and unable to follow along with the instructor I spent most of the class lying on my mat. It had taken a few months before I braved the advanced class again, yet the memory of my failure was still in my mind.

I knew that the class was going to be just as hard, and I would feel overwhelmed, tired and frustrated. So I chose my intention carefully. This practice I was going to focus on one thought:

Be Encouraged By What You Learn

Be encouraged by learning, not by perfection. Even if I try a pose and fail, my muscles become stronger, I learn more about the technique. Even if I’m too tired to stand up, I watch others and learn from them.

Throughout the practice I felt encouraged by my frustrations. I felt encouraged when I couldn’t do a pose. I felt encouraged when my muscles ached and my body quivered. I felt encouraged by what I was learning in every moment.

Crossdress and Be Encouraged

Sometimes crossdressing is like the most difficult yoga practice. You’re frustrated because you can’t seem to get your makeup right. Your clothes don’t fit properly, you struggle to walk in heels and you ladder your stockings. Every step you take as a crossdresser seems manly, clumsy and awkward. You may even have people laugh at you, or stare with intense interest. Your feet might be hurting, sweat ruining your makeup and the teller calls you, ‘sir’.

Despite being excited at the prospect of a wonderful day spent en femme you end your day in despair. Cursing your transgendered misfortune.

But Be Encouraged By What You Learn

It’s easy to get caught in the perfection trap. Always striving for perfect, yet never achieving it. Each failure chipping away at your pride until you barely feel like wearing anything at all. Don’t let your own judgments stop you from crossdressing.

Wear those clothes, do your makeup, put on that wig. Do your feminine best, and be encouraged by what you learn. Even if all you learn is how ill suited that red sweater is for your figure, have fun being awfully gorgeous.

We’re all just practicing our femininity, some of us have been at it a while longer, that’s all.

6 Comments | Also posted in Crossdresser How To, Vanessa's Transgender Experience | Tagged | Trackback URL.

Cool or Warm Skin Tone

By Vanessa Law | Published September 12, 2009 | 3 Comments

You ladies are in for a treat today! After a few months of cajoling my beautiful wife agreed to write an article for Crossdresser Heaven. Not only does she bring all the insights of gained growing up as a girl, she has an uncanny knack for choosing great colors! Perfect for today’s topic.

She’s chosen to write under a pseudonym, as you’ll see. I know she’d love to hear from you about her article. Perhaps if we get enough comments I can convince her to write another article :) So please take a moment to comment after reading the article – and be beautiful!

Crossdresser Skin Tone

Have you ever seen someone wearing an amazing color blouse that made them look fantastic? This then led you to promptly go and buy something similar and the result was less than desirable. The problem could be your skin tone.

Skin tone is broadly classified into cool and warm tones. To determine what skin tone you are try these following tests:

The Vein Test

This is the most widely used test. Look at the underside of your arm in natural light. If your veins appear bluish you are cool toned, if they appear greenish you are warm toned. If you have a mixture of blue and green veins you are probably neutral. Consider yourself lucky.

The Gold/Silver Test

Stand in front of a mirror in natural light. Hold up a piece of silver and gold jewelry or fabric to your face one at a time and examine. If the silver makes your face light up, you are most likely cool toned. If the gold makes you look fresh and alive, you are probably warm toned.

While the above tests can act as guidelines, genetics are also important. Your skin, hair and eye color can assist you in determining whether you are warm or cool toned. It should be noted that there may be exceptions to this rule.

Warms tend to have a golden or apricot undertone. Their hair tends to have hints of orange, yellow, red or gold. Eye color tends to be amber, dark brown, hazel, or green.

Cool skin often has a pink or rosy undertone. Their hair often contains blue, blue-violet, silver, drab, and ash undertones. Eye color tends to be light blue, gray-green, blue green, turquoise, gray-blue, black or cool brown.

I am an exception to the genetic rule. My natural hair color is drab brown and I have green eyes with flecks of hazel. Yet my skin tone is definitely cool.

Why is this Important?

A Crossdressers Color Pallette

A Crossdresser's Color Pallette

Choosing the correct color based on your skin tone is an important part of looking your best. This applies to cosmetics, clothes and even hair color [if shopping for wigs or having highlights or tinting done]. Wearing the wrong hue can take your skin from looking radiant and glowing to appearing tired, drained and even unhealthy.

Warm tones

These will look their best in earthy hues either muted or crisp: Think yellows, oranges, bronzes, gold, peaches, brick reds, earthy greens, mocha browns and ivory. Yellow based colors makes your complexion sparkle. You also look better in ivory than pure white and black worn close to the face can make you appear washed out.

Makeup and hair color: Foundation is yellow based. Hair colors that have a warm overtone will look more natural on you. To complement your skin go for golden to dark browns, rich warm auburns as well as red and golden highlights. Avoid the following hair colors; ash, blues, purples and whites.

Cool tones

Both sexes will look stunning in rich jewel tones such as vibrant emerald green, royal or icy blues, rosy pinks, silvers, plums, magentas, blue-based reds and pure white. Blue based colors look best. You look better in pure white than ivory and you can easily wear black.

Makeup and hair color: Foundation is pink based. These people can wear shades of ash browns, cool blondes such as platinum, blue-blacks and unnatural colors like mahogany, burgundy and fire engine red can also be worn by this shade as well. Avoid tinting your hair in any of the following colors: orange, some reds, bronze, yellow or gold.

Neutral tones look amazing in any color though often they tend to pull towards cool or warm due to personal preferences.

Color Seasons – Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn - are used to break down cool and warm colors further.  Summer and Winter are “cool” seasons; Spring and Autumn are “warm” seasons.

Now it’s time to play and compare different colors and tones against your skin. Some will look terrible, others okay and some will make you look as if you have just stepped out a fashion magazine. It is okay to wear some colors that don’t look 100% on you [since who of us can afford to totally revamp our closet?] Just keep these for bottoms and wear a top that complements your skin color.

Go and have some fun now that there is a change of seasons and fashions.

Xena

3 Comments | Also posted in Beauty and Makeup, Crossdresser How To | Tagged | Trackback URL.

Hair is the Hardest for Crossdressers to Get Right

By Vanessa Law | Published September 8, 2009 | 7 Comments
Cross-dresser hair tips

Cross-dresser hair tips

Did you look like a cyclone warning the first time you tried to do your hair? Of all the mysterious things about womanhood, the secret to a good hair style is perhaps the most elusive for crossdressers. Many of us enjoy long hair just once a month, and often without the nurturing guidance young girls get while growing up.

If you wash your hair twice a week you’re already above average for a guy. Never mind conditioners, blow drying, styling gels, mousse and a bag full of other hair essentials. So where does the confused crossdresser get started?

Find Your Crossdressing Hair Style

The first thing to decide is whether you’ll be wearing a wig or styling your own hair. For some, genes have already made the choice for them. Some things to consider:

Advantages of wearing a wig while crossdressing

If you opt for a wig you’ll find three wonderful things. Firstly, your hair can be as long as you want right away without waiting months and years for it to grow. Wigs are also better for those who crossdress part time, and need to be fully male the rest of the time (dress codes at work, for example).  The final advantage to wearing a wig is variation – you can have a blonde bob one day, and long brunette curls the next day.

Advantages of crossdressing with your own hair

For the last few months I’ve been growing out my hair – I’m recovering from my wig phase :) . Going natural has it’s own advantages. Firstly, there’s no need to worry about your hair flying off. Getting your hair styled in a salon is tremendous fun – my trips to the salon count among my favorite few hours in the month. If you’re sensitive to the heat your own hair is much cooler than wearing a wig.

For this post I’ll provide a few crossdresser hair tips for those going natural. Look here for more information about how to wear a wig.

Crossdresser Hair Tips

Wash your hair a few times a week with a high quality shampoo. Many of the grocery store brands will leave your hair oily, or strip off too much oil. Personally, I use Nioxin, which you can find at Costco, in your favorite salon or online. Try not to wash too often, otherwise you’ll deprive your hair of natural oils.

Condition your hair every time you shampoo. 2 in 1 hair products are faster to use, but less gentle on your hair. Again use a high quality salon brand like Nioxin, their conditioner is the best I’ve ever used. It has a light mint scent and causes your scalp to tingle all over while conditioning. It’s also okay to use conditioner when you haven’t washed your hair.

Condition the ends of your hair. Don’t pour all the conditioner on your scalp, that will leave your hair heavy and give you the ‘drowned rat’ look. Definitely not sexy! Use most of the conditioner on the ends of your hair, which is most susceptible to split ends and drying out.

Don’t brush your hair when it’s wet. That tugging sensation you feel as you try to brush out your knots is hair being removed from your head. Pulling out your hair is not a good look.

We’ll leave the styling tips for a future post. If you have a crossdresser hair care tip you’d like to share, please leave a comment below and let the other ladies know what has worked for you.

Hugs,
Vanessa

7 Comments | Also posted in Beauty and Makeup, Crossdresser How To | Tagged , | Trackback URL.

Flaws? What Flaws?

By Christina Evans | Published September 1, 2009 | 5 Comments

Concealer and foundation cover discoloration, even out skin tones, and smooth skin’s surface. There is a multitude of formulas and colors to choose from, which can get very confusing.

Concealers come in creams, sticks, or liquids. Regardless of formula, the key is to find a shade with the same undertone as your skin. The days of white raccoon eyes have gone out with the 80’s.

I find cream concealers easier to work with. With your middle or ring finger (never your index finger), very lightly smooth a small amount under the eyes or over discoloration. Dab on blemishes. The warmth of your finger will soften the cream and help it go on easily. Don’t worry about blending just yet because you’ll do that as you work foundation over your skin.

Some cosmetic companies offer a green tint to neutralize ruddiness or purple to minimize a sallow complexion. They do help, but don’t go overboard. A little goes a long way.

The multitude of foundation colors and formulas can seem overwhelming. I’ll keep it simple. If you have oily skin, look for a liquid in an oil-free formula. If you’re dry, a cream might be more to your liking. Normal or combination skin can go with a liquid formula for normal skin. Unless you work in the theatre, stay away from “pancake” makeup or too heavy an application. Instead of covering flaws, it just makes people want to take a trowel to your face.

Foundations are also affected by weather. During hot, humid summers you may prefer a sheer liquid, preferably with sunscreen. In dry, cold months, when your skin gets tight, a cream can feel better. Remember to also adjust your moisturizer.

The hardest part about foundation is finding the right shade. The idea is not to change your skin tone, but to work with it. Find three shades that look similar to your skin color. Dip a Q tip into the first color. Draw a strip vertically near the jaw line. With fresh Q tips, do the same with the other two shades. The strip that disappears is the color that best matches your skin. If none of them disappear, try three more. *This is important; once you’ve stripped your face, walk outdoors with a mirror to see which one matches the best. Florescent lights change the look of foundation.

Hint: if you wear Porcelain or Ivory, you probably look like a geisha. Most of us, with the exception of Nicole Kidman, have more color in our skin, especially in sunnier regions of the country.

Most formulas dry quickly, so instead of dabbing foundation around the entire face and then spreading it around, work one area of the face at a time. Don’t rub it in. Use the middle or ring finger to smooth it over the skin, like spreading icing. Makeup sponges work well. Wet the sponge first so that it does not soak up and waste too much foundation. Foundation brushes are nice for blending along the hairline and under eyes, but can take too much time with overall application.

Take foundation to just under the jaw line. If you did a good job matching color, you won’t need to take it down the neck. Foundation on the neck just makes a mess on your clothes. My neck tans, but my face only freckles. I pick a foundation closer to my neck color, thereby avoiding that mask look. This is why it is best to test your foundation close to the jaw line.

Set foundation with a translucent, loose powder. If you are a lady of color, you’ll need powder with some pigment. Most loose powders only come in fair, medium and dark. Blend two colors to get the right shade.

Use a velour powder pad to press loose powder into foundation. Then dust excess with a large brush. This method wastes less powder. Wash pads with soap and water, and air dried.

Some foundations come in cream/powder compacts. There is no need to set with loose powder. Carry one for touch ups. If you use the sponge applicator, be sure to wash it regularly. Same with your pads in pressed powder compacts.

Newest on the market are mineral foundations. They are highly pigmented powders, applied with a special brush. They can take a little practice. The key is to moisturize well before applying, otherwise it will look splotchy. Mineral foundations feel light on the skin, but give good coverage.

Hope this helps. Next time, I’ll cover eyes.

Christina Evans
Makeup101byevans@yahoo.com
www.linkedin.com/in/makeup101byevans

5 Comments | Also posted in Beauty and Makeup, Crossdresser How To | Tagged , , | Trackback URL.

How Big Is Your Closet?

By Vanessa Law | Published July 14, 2009 | 8 Comments

Coming Out The Crossdresser Closet This weekend was a cornucopia of transgender bliss. I spent most of Saturday and Sunday as Vanessa, wore a cute green dress I bought a few weeks back and finally figured out how to use the Nubra to create cleavage (a future article for sure).

It’s Sunday morning as I’m writing this. After spending most of Saturday reading in the park I’m now fully dressed and sitting at home in front of my computer with an itch to go somewhere. I feel, quite literally, all dressed up with nowhere to go.

I’d like to go somewhere, but feel as though anywhere I go will only be to share Vanessa with the world. I had thought about going to church. It’s too late in the day now, and I’m not sure I could go without causing a stir anyway. I’ll need to ponder this one for a while – I would like to make church as Vanessa a regular occurrence (come as you are…).

Shopping came to mind – it’ always seems to. I know I’ve spent too much money the last few weeks (I bought two great workout pants from Lucy, replenished my makeup supply and did electrolysis every week last month), and know that I wouldn’t be able to go to the store without buying something. Staying away from shopping centers is probably best for my budget.

So as much as I would like to go out today, I feel as though I’m stuck in my crossdresser closet. *sigh* Since I’m here I might as well make the best of it.

How Big Is Your Crossdresser Closet?

My comfort with crossdressing in public seems to wax and wane. When I first started out, just getting dressed in the privacy of my own apartment was a break through. Complete with breastforms, makeup and the necessary jewelry to accent my look I felt liberated.

Eventually I found the courage to join a crossdressing club, and once a month I would spend an evening dressed with other crossdressers. I felt as though I had finally come out the crossdressing closet. Looking back I realize that I had merely found a larger closet, but I can’t deny how fulfilling the experience was, and how edifying the experience is for others.

When I was most comfortable crossdressing in public I would regularly go to trans-friendly clubs, and occasionally go out as Vanessa during the day. Even then, I always had to dig deep to find the courage. Before I would go out a hundred reasons would go through my head as to why I should stay home.

Today I’m comfortable presenting as a more feminine man in public, whether it’s wearing subtle makeup, nail polish or feminine cut jeans and shirts. I’m a bit uncomfortable going out fully dressed as Vanessa, though I’ll do it occasionally. Every time I go out I have a wonderful time, and return home wondering why I ever had second thoughts.


How Comfortable Are You Crossdressing In Public

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...
8 Comments | Also posted in Crossdresser How To, Vanessa's Transgender Experience | Tagged , | Trackback URL.