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I am a part-time cross-dresser, I do it when I feel like it. To get ready to go out, I shave, apply nail polish (usually the night before), I apply foundation, eyeliner; you know, all the works required to make me Male to Female (as far as possible). Then, when I come home some hours later, I take it all off and go back to being male me.
Now, my question is aimed at those who do this full-time, or as near as dammit.
It's all very well for a few hours, but when you are feminine from getting up in the morning to going to bed at night, how do you cope with beards growing through the day? How often do you apply makeup? Just, how do you manage? Where do you find the time?
Curiosity strikes me again.
So you full-time girls, spill the secrets.
Becca
@rebeccabaxter great question Becca. I’ve wondered this myself. I don’t have an answer, because like you I go back to being a normal guy after every dress up. But it takes me so darn long to get all gussied up, I’m guessing that for some it’s just too darn much trouble and they’ve decided to just let the world see them as they are.
Hi Becca, I can't answer from a full time perspective but I do have experiences of going out very early in the morning and returning late in the evening and dealing with the beard growth. I learned this from some of the more experienced CD's that I go out with. I shave in the early morning starting with my electric razor followed by a fresh new multi-blade razor to get as close as possible and moisturize. Then I do my typical makeup routine. By early evening or late afternoon I can feel the coarse stubble mainly around my chin and around my upper lip. I was given a tiny pocket electric razor by one of the girls in the group early on and instructed how to manage the situation. I also take with me my foundation brush and blending sponge (in a sealed bag) and a pressed powder compact in my purse. About 5 or 6 pm I will slip away to the restroom, take the tiny electric razor and shave my chin and lip stubble. This will mess up my makeup. However, I simply take my foundation brush that contains a bit of residual product from the morning's application and stipple it all over the area that I shaved. Then I use the blending sponge to even everything out. Lastly I finish it off with my pressed powder, touch up my lipstick and I'm good for the rest of the evening. For me, it works perfectly well to manage being out for nearly 18 hours and not feeling like my face is a total wreck at dinner and beyond. In my case I do have the luxury of having access to a private restroom at the hotel where the CD group meets. If I were on my own I would probably do this in my car.
@rebeccabaxter Were I to go the full time route the very first thing I would do is remove the beard permanently. Laser treatment and electrolysis to ensure that shaving would be a thing of the past. Then as to makeup I'd no longer need the full coverage of foundation and would most likely default to wearing a tinted sunscreen or something similar.
Other than that I would have to seriously consider options. Would I go for breast implants? Not sure but I've certainly thought about it. Would I pursue FFS? Same answer for me. Would there be other surgeries or treatments? Probably not at this stage of my life, but had the opportunity presented itself 20 years ago the answer would most likely have been very different.
Full time for me would not be a burden, it would be a release.
I cheat 🙂
I have my nails done in gel polish every three weeks, and I am having my beard lasered so that the dark hairs are banished. I'm 8 sessions in I think, and it doesn't show nearly as much, and I think it also grows slower.
Shave and makeup can happen any time from first thing to lunchtime, although I'll only go between house and car outside until then. Just concealer, mascara, blusher and lippie. It does the rest of the day, with the odd top-up on the lippie. Day-to-day, I think the femme routine would be too much it wasn't that easy and flexible.
Fiona I envy you being young enough that laser is effective. It’s too late for us greybeards . Electrolysisseems so painful and expensive
@kerrismith I also wish I'd started earlier! But although the light/white hairs that are left still grow, while you can feel them, they don't show. I'll just never be totally smooth of face unless I go down the electrolysis route some day.
Alright Becca, you asked, I will answer. I am a full time girl, I am an intersex female and have transitioned. I go to work, as the woman I am, in a government office Monday to Friday, 7 to 3, and every weekend sees me running around as the same girl.
I wake up, shower, put my undies on, do my eyebrows, shave where needed, and do my makeup. My makeup routine takes about 20 minutes, earrings, moisturizer, concealer, foundation, a bit of contouring, doing my eyes, a touch of blush, lip liner and whatever lip color I have chosen. Off to the bedroom to put on the outfit I will be wearing. Add my footwear and put some jewelry on, usually bracelets or bangles, final touch is a spritz of feminine perfume and I am out the door. I do my own manicure as I have grown my own nails to the point where each nail is about an inch in length.
Removing it in the evening before I retire for the night only takes 10 minutes. I take my eye makeup off using a wonderful Clinique product called "Take The Day Off", I then use two different cleansers for the rest, one is called "CeraVe" and the other is called "All About Clean" by Clinique. I then moisturize and it is all done for the day.
Hugs girls,
Ms. Lauren M
I have done "full time" for about a week attending conferences, so I can offer some insight. At a conference, although some people come down for breakfast in male mode, most dress before breakfast, then head to the talks or back to their room.
So for me, it means makeup before breakfast. I put on my corset and keep it on for several days, tightening up any slack in the laces. I sleep in the corset too, to save time putting it on every day. I have sleep safe forms, so I can sleep in my breast forms too.
To get a close shave, I start with two new razors, one men's and one women's. I will shave my face with the men's razor, but then go over much of it with the women's razor. Why? The women's razor being flatter, goes over the cheeks and under the chin better. It also goes over the chin line better, sort of like going over a knee. With the two shaves, I can get a close enough shave that I don't get a five-oclock shadow later in the day.
I then start with a primer. Putting this on not only helps keep the makeup on all day, I can feel if there is any spots I missed shaving. I then do my makeup. Lipstick to hide the beard, spread with a makeup sponge. Then foundation, a bit of beard cover on my upper lip and under the lower lip, concealer, bronzer, powder, and blush. I have a stick concealer for most uses, but a liquid one for under my eyes. I have to wait a bit for this to dry so I put this on after the foundation but before the rest. Then it's blend, blend, blend with a brush, powder and blush. I use a "freeze" spray on my face.
I wait about 5 minutes before doing my eyes. I use a liquid eye liner or sharp felt tip liner, mascara, and eye shadow. I will use either mascara or "root powder" (for hiding greying roots) on my eyebrows. The mascara will quickly cover the grey in a single stroke, much faster and more complete than an eyebrow pencil. After the eye shadow, I use the freeze spray again. I usually don't add lipstick until I'm almost ready to leave my room (just before some selfies).
Because my wig covers much of my cheeks, I don't have to worry too much about any beard growth there. I may touch up with powder (I have oily skin) or beard cover during the day, but not usually. I may touch up or redo the eyes, or touch up the makeup before dinner.
Nails are a different issue. This year I did my nails the night before Keystone. And had to touch up chips on 5 out of 6 days. I'm very hard on my nails, so getting it done at a salon is out of the question because of the constant need for touch-ups. I need to have the exact color to fix them almost every day. Because I'm only full-time for the week, gel nails are not practical.
I have a microfiber washcloth called "Erase Your Face." I will use Noxema on my face, along with the washcloth. It only takes one or two cleanings to get all the makeup off, eye makeup included. I wash the washcloth with soap and water to remove the makeup. Being made of microfiber, it will be dry by morning.
Altogether, it takes 60-90 minutes to shave, apply makeup, get dressed (and take my morning pills), as well as taking some selfies. So I start maybe 7:15 AM, and am heading down to breakfast around 8:45 or so. The first talks are at 9:30, and breakfast is a buffet, so I can usually get there on time.
OK, you piqued my curiousity--which womens razor are you using? Fact is, the women in my house (and I see it online too) prefer to use mens disposable razors vs womens because "they work better" and are cheaper (no "pink tax"). They use a 5-blade Bic disposable if that helps. If there's a particular model/brand you like, let me know!
I do the "double shave" you mentioned on a regular basis, but it's with a single razor. Once with mostly "up" strokes, then again with mostly "down" strokes. Or, with the grain and then against it.
@felicianrb Felicia, my men's razor is a Gilette Mach 3, and the women's razor the Venus razors. I usually use the 5 blade Venus razor. Funny thing is, they both use the same grip, so the blades are interchangable. (I buy them both in bulk from Costco.)
If you ask me which way my hair grows, there are parts where the answer is "yes." It grows in all directions that I have to do it at different angles even with the men's blade. Still, if I stretch the skin afterwards, I feel stubble, but the women's razor flattens out the skin and is able to get a closer cut (cheeks and neck). Similarly, I can use the men's razor right at the right angle of the chin line, but I find the women's razor does a better job over the edge.
The one place the women's razor can't go is the upper lip. The blade housing is too wide to get up close to the nose.
Thanks, I'll try a 5-blade Venus next time I see them on sale. I will say, I used to use a Mach 3 as my "standard" but after using the 5-blade Bic disposables, I bought a huge pack from Sam's and haven't looked back! I was always the "how much difference can 2 more blades make?" person and, well, I'm convinced!
Worse case, someone else in the house will have a pretty razor to use!
Hi Becca, I'm full time and very much like Lauren in that I'm intersex and get up each day and get dressed and go to work. I don't even think about it except to be sure that my clothes are clean, not ripped and appropriate for my surroundings. I'm a lumberjack in summer on our family tree farm and a woman's costumer in winter. My differences are that I don't wear any makeup, paint my nails or wear a wig unless I'm glamming up. I'm mostly free of any body or beard hair from my forehead down, but do have long blond hair on my head. I have some light hair on my armpits and crotch but only shave them if I'm going sleeveless or swimming. I will plane (lightly shave my face) before doing any major make up on weekends (it's an old models trick to smooth out bumps) but otherwise don't daily shave. Today I was wearing a bra and briefs, jeans, hardhat, flannel shirt and leather work boots and gloves while I serviced a tractor. I will dress better for trips off the farm and just wear a long or short sleeve top, tunic or white blouse along with jeans, leggings or shorts. I'll wear a skirt, heels or dress if I'm glamming but otherwise I'm just like the sea of women in your local grocery store wearing pants and a top. I do have purses but will usually just carry a small wallet, phone and my keys. It takes me about 10 min to get dressed each day but if I'm glamming and going out then I need about 30-60 minutes to get ready. I'll do my nails the night before (Sally Hansen Instant Dry) and I keep them trimmed short. I moisturize my legs. My clothes are always ready and hanging on racks. I use Bare Minerals, lipstick,some blush, solid eyeliner, and brown brow cream. My long blond hair gets brushed and put into a ponytail each day and washed as needed or every 2-3 days. It's been interesting to me to see how much less I do compared to many others here but perhaps that's because I'm not switching. I don't have male clothes. I do have a more feminine body but not a very feminine face. I have a smaller body being just 5ft 5inches and 120 pounds with small breasts and cleavage. I don't really think about getting dressed since I have lived like this for years. In our house it's sort of like two older sisters just living together and getting along well. I hope that this all makes sense. Marg
Living full time is easier for me than for many girls. I contracted alopecia 30+ yrs. ago which left me with virtually no body hair to shave. My beard grew back but much sparser than before and now that I'm older what I have is mainly grey/white so after I shave I can go out with no foundation or beard cover at all.
For everyday wear, I often go out wearing only lipstick and occasionally some eye liner. When I go out for lunch/dinner with friends or when I see my girlfriends, I always wear full makeup. I'm so glad I don't have to do that every day!
Thank you all for your replies, they have been quite enlightening.
Some of you seem to have it a little easier than others due to underlying advantages [at least for cross-dressing], but for all of us, putting on our best girl is not a simple matter. I'm not sure how I would cope at a CD seminar where I was to dress all day, every day; I can imagine I would be exhausted after a few days, such as at Keystone. It has been mentioned that some go to breakfast in man-mode, but I would owe it to myself to be Becca right the way through, with all the difficulties that might entail; indeed, I think that if I ever went to Keystone (or similar), I would not take any male clothing at all. It would be hard work, but I think it would be worth it for just a few days.
For the rest of my life though? I just don't think I could.
Becs
@rebeccabaxter When I'm at Keystone, I do a full makeup routine. But if I'm just going out for a walk or shopping, I start with beard cover below my lower lip and on my upper lip. I might add the mascara for the eyebrows and a touch of concealer and/or bronzer to hide the lines or bags under my eyes. If I'm going to be wearing sunglasses, it minimizes the amount of makeup. So I can do the makeup in 5 minutes or less, making it possible to do on an every day basis.
