Advice on Professional CD makeovers for a newbie

Hi Stephanie,

I have done two professional makeovers. The first was back in 2004 I went to Carla's in San Jose, Ca. My wife was out of town and I had been lurking for a while. I finally decided to do it and I went to a nearby mall and bought some new clothes, bra, panties, jeans and a blouse plus a new wig. When I got there I was pretty nervous but got over it soon enough. She had me get dressed up and then she proceeded to make me beautiful. I had a great time and looked great. I drove home 35 miles and stayed dressed up for hours! See pic from this session. The second time was from a 2008 Halloween dress up day at work. I made an appointment with a local beauty salon for 6:30 AM and had the best makeover! My 8AM I was gorgeous! They really enjoyed working on me and took a bunch of pictures for posterity. My advice is to go for it and enjoy it! You won't regret the experience.

My first outing in public at anything other than a support group function was during a professional makeover. I went alone but I was made to feel most comfortable. After an afternoon being made-up, dressed in a number of different outfits and many, many photos taken I accompanied my hosts as we went to a nearby restaurant to pick up dinner.

I went to a professional service conducted by a CD and wife whose business was dedicated to ensuring that clients had a very positive experience. One piece of advice my wife gave me before I went was "ask lots of questions and take notes". I did just that.

A large part of building our confidence is to have an appearance that we are comfortable with. I don't speak of passing because I have no illusions that people who see me en femme believe I'm some stunning goddess slumming it for a while. They see me as who I am, someone who makes an effort to look nice, blends in to a degree and who is happy with being who I am.

Have your professional makeover Stephanie, you won't regret it. You'll love even more the woman you see in the mirror.

My first time to Ultra Salon was recomended to me from another crossdresser where she got her start.I called the salon for appointment and everyone was glad to help me I was so surprised how goo I looked we took pictures and I showed them to friends and they could not believe it was me and I have been back several times since go for it

Thanks for the advice. I'm working on it. I've put out feelers and am waiting for a reply. I think I really want to do this! It's been on my mind for a long time.

Thank you for sharing your experiences. It took a lot of guts to go to a mall for the first one! I don't know if I could do that alone! I'm thinking more of a boutique. Waiting to hear back from a couple. I'll let you and everyone know if it happens. Thanks.

My first time, I went to a crossdressing makeover service. The advantage is they catered to first timers. So in the package deals you would get things like shopping, going to the movies, out for a night on the town, etc.

The makeover service measured you up, let you use wardrobe from their boutique; including bra, breastforms, panties, and an array of outfits, shoes, and wigs. Once you settled on an ensemble they do your makeup, nails, etc. Lastly they give you some coaching on how to conduct yourself in public. After you are finished, they escort you on your outing so you're never alone.

I think that is the best way to go on your first time out. I've done it twice, now that I have my own wardrobe, my own prosthetics,  and know how to do makeup, I'm more comfortable going out by myself.

My first time for a full transformation was in Las Vegas with Amy at Just You. I was pretty nervous when I spoke to Amy on the phone to make the appointment, but she helped me relax.

The day of, I went on my own. I'd had a manicure and a pedicure that morning, and had bathed and shaved very carefully. I was even more nervous when I drove up to Amy's shop. A few deep breaths and I grabbed my bag (my plan was to leave fully dressed and made up) and went into the shop.

Everyone was wonderful and they helped me relax. We began by picking out shoes - which was a little challenge since I have long, fat feet with a high instep. We found some nice, strappy heels. It was a little work to get the ankle strap fastened around my foot, but we got it done. After a little practice we picked out a bra, a bikini swimsuit bottom for a gaff (they work amazingly well), and hose. I put all that on, and then it was time to try on clothes. We tried a lot of different things, trying to find things that both fit and looked good. We finally settled on a pair of capri length slacks and a bright pink blouse.

Then it was time for makeup. Amy was very thorough, and explained what she was doing step-by-step. I learned a lot along the way.

After she was finished with that, it was time for a wig. When she brought it in, she made me close my eyes - and it was amazing how good it looked when I opened them. We styled the wig and I was amazed. It was still me, but it was girl me, not boy me.

Then jewelry and a scarf and some ideas about how to wear it all. We finished up by taking pictures.

It was a wonderful, joyous experience. I never thought I would ever see the girl me in person, and Amy helped me create her. After I thanked everybody, I went back out to the car and drove back to my hotel. Millie got out of the car, gave the valet her name, and took the ticket. The valet was wonderful - he didn't act surprised or questioning, just accepted me for who I was. It was a nervous time walking back to my room, especially when it felt like my slacks were slipping, but I got there with no major incidents. I understand why, but it still can be annoying how far the elevators are from the doors in Las Vegas Casinos. A few folks in the elevator were a little surprised, but no one was mean or ugly. I even went back down to the casino for a while, and the only funny thing was the man who very obviously got up from where he was and came to sit down a few machines away from me, just to be sure he was seeing what he thought he did. I smiled at him, and he looked very embarrassed - he knew I had caught him checking me out.

It was a wonderful day and I thank Amy and her staff for making it such a good one.

2016_personal stories: StephanieW original post: 

Hey girls. I am curious to know what your experiences were the first time you went for a professional makeover. This is something that I have always dreamed of and am seriously considering. I’m trying to get up my nerve. Where did you go? Did you go with someone or alone? How did you know the right place? Were you scared the first time? What was it like? What did you do after you were make up? Gosh, just thinking of this is giving me tremors! Thanks all and love CD Heaven!