Dear Readers,
Makeup Tips For Crossdressers
The week I spent at Esprit was a wonderful time spent meeting new people and discovering myself , but despite the hectic activity I was still able to learn a few novel makeup tips. If you’re new to crossdressing I recommend you start with the makeup basics for crossdressers , which will give you an easy overview of the basic steps to applying a fabulous face!
As I practice makeup application I’ve seen my skills advance from ‘not even a clown would be caught dead wearing this’ to ‘average girl style’. I’ve been helped along by every crossdresser’s makeup Bible – Making Faces by Kevyn Aucoin, as well as the endless video tutorials on Youtube. Though nothing can quite compare to consistent practice and critique. A light application of makeup every day (even in guy mode) has helped me hone the speed and skill at which I can create my canvas. In preparing my canvas I start with moisturizer, sunscreen, eye cream, concealer, foundation, bronzer, powder, a neutral eye shadow and sometimes lip gloss or lightly colored lipstick.
With your canvas set you can then experiment with different eye shadows, liner, mascara, blush and shades of lipstick. You’ll find that certain color combinations look good with your skin tone, and the interplay between your eyes, lips and cheeks will either be fabulous or dragulous.
Makeup Tips For Crossdressers
A few things I learnt at Esprit:
Feather the lip liner rather than coloring in the entire lip. When applying lip liner start by outlining your lips, then draw a few strokes down from the outer edges of your lips inward. Smack your lips together a few times to blend the liner over your lips then apply your favorite shade of lipstick. By feathering the lip liner you’ll prevent the lipstick from smudging while making it less obvious that you’ve applied lip liner.
Use two coats of mascara to make your eyes pop. Apply the first coat starting from the roots of your lashes, then leave it to dry. Once the mascara is dry apply a second coat to just the tips of your lashes. This is a quick and easy way to get a bit of extra length on those gorgeous lashes. I highly recommend Cover Girl’s LashBlast Mascara. I try to use high end makeup where possible, but I’ve yet to find a mascara that matches CoverGirl’s Lashblast.
Layer mineral makeup for greater coverage. I tend to apply fairly light makeup, and while I highly recommend Bare Escentual’s Mineral Makeup there are times I’ve wished for more coverage. A neat trick I learned is to apply mineral makeup in layers. Three or four light layers of mineral makeup will give you a lot more coverage without feeling heavy or flaking off. If you try to apply it all in one heavy coat you’ll end up with clumping, flaking and uneven coverage.
Start applying brush higher on the cheeks for a different look. I’m in love with the look where the blush is darkest near the hairline, but I had failed quite spectacularly to recreate it. The secret is to start the first application of blush higher on the cheek. The first place you touch will be the darkest, no matter how often you blend and fill other places. Now I start by brushing downwards from high on the cheek, then blend up until I get the intensity of blush I want. One nice benefit for crossdressers who are new to makeup application is that this approach makes it more difficult to look like a clown since most of the color isn’t centered on your cheeks.
Most importantly – there is no right or wrong in fashion and makeup application. Styles come and go, everyone has a unique features and skin tone, we’re of different ages with different personalities. Experiment and find what works for you. Not all of us can be as extravagant as Lady Gaga but that shouldn’t stop you from finding the style that shines you in the best light!
