This make-up thing.

[CarlaWestin]

I rarely do full make up. When I do get into it, it's a lengthy process but, the outcome is fabulous. See my avatar image? I couldn't imagine doing that process everyday but, gheez! It sure is a lot of fun. I am always looking at women and their make up and quite frankly, you would think with a lifetime of practice, they would do a better job. Don't get me wrong, most are splendidly beautiful but, some are just hideous. Most of the time when I go out dressed, I'm just a gender bender with little or no make up. Do you do it to the hilt, get it just right or, just do without?

[KimberlyS]

I only wear makeup and wig when I am going out and about in full femme. My preference would be to just be out and about as a guy in feminine clothes. But I know this small town I live in is not ready for that. I also wonder sometimes if people could see us as guys just wearing some type of feminine clothes may they be more accepting of us. If we were just guys wearing a basic skirt, feminine but not really frilly top, bra but no forms or no bra, flats; would be be more relatable to other people? Would they be able to deal with us better? Would our SO's be able to deal with us better?

[Kelly]

When going out, I would never go without (makeup that is).

But that is just me. Right now, my need is to pass in public. I want to present as a women, not as a parody of a woman. That means some makeup, appropriate for the venue.

Having said that, my makeup skills are poor. I don't get out much....

Kelly.

[Davita]

I'd love to minimize my makeup, but I have a tough fur face I have to hide. If I am having to apply a cement base, then I might as well apply the rest of the makeup. My makeup in general is day wear. I have a picture on my web site with me in evening makeup and I really didn't care for it much.

My makeup regiment includes eyes with shadow and mascara. I tend to use my shadow as my liner on the bottom of my eyes as it is casual. I do my eyes because my glasses with the ever so light a grey tint will hide them that much more otherwise. I wear a lip stick close, but darker in color to my own lips because my lips don't have a lot of color (or lip). On top of the cement base, I add a blush and I try to do a bit of cheek conturing as I have no cheeks. And on and on and on.... basically I am building a face that you can see that has features and is hopefully never over done.

[Rhanda]

I use some makeup whenever I go anywhere and have for nearly 40 years. People who know me well would think that some was wrong with me if I didn't. I only started dressing indiscriminately when I found that women's high heels were more comfortable about 2 years ago. There are only tops, slacks, jackets, sweaters, whoseiery, shoes and underthings in my wordrobe.

Makeup is not new to me. My wife likes it and I love looking beautiful even when I dress all male.

Rhanda

[Eloise]

I use make up when Im going out. It takes a long time , really... that is one of the reason not to go out so often... Im not an expert by any means, but I tend to to check the face of my famale friends when being normal. Also I check fotos at make up shops... they give good idea some times. For example, I have thick eyebrows and I dont want to depilate them for in my normal life I like them, I saw a model who stresses in black her eyebrows making them thicker but with a special shape... I copied it and seemed to work ok :D

[Noeleena]

Hi,

Do you call lippy and eye brow liner enough to be called makeup. nothing else, thats it,

Now why should we wear makeup. to hide who we are , (wont happen in my case )

to look beautyfull again wont happen to cover our ooops oh dear .... birth defects, or other such,

i have a few, burnt on my right side, no eye brows, no hair ether, a masculine looking facial features, what else ....

i cant be bothered though i did do two years hard out with makeup health and beauty and Dejarn took most of my make up any way grandchild who is now 12,

Just got back from our Renaissance camp 210 people all garbed up in dress's or skirt type garb ,
no makeup and our women did not wear any .
some have told me they dont have any as to my ? says why should we wear it any way. are we that bad looking dont we measure up to a this is how we should or must look at all times in public,

some of us female's dont have the beauty look about us i sure dont and never will.

I get the impresson if we dont have this percived look about us we are rejected, oh dear dont join this group or that group you dont fit the part because of how you look, so would i be rejected on those grounds, yes id say so.

Here in New Zealand or Australa im accepted the way i am and not on my looks or lack of, im accepted on who i am as a person, what is best to look right and be accepted on that alone or be accepted regardless of how we look or dont,

You know theres far more to who we are as a person than i wont fit in because i dont look right in the eye's of other's , i dought id be accepted in to some groups over sea's plus id dought id be asked to talk at meetings for same reason,

Oh well just a thought ......

...noeleena...

[Anthony Simon]

I get the impresson if we dont have this percived look about us we are rejected, oh dear dont join this group or that group you dont fit the part because of how you look, so would i be rejected on those grounds, yes id say so.

Here in New Zealand or Australa im accepted the way i am and not on my looks or lack of, im accepted on who i am as a person, what is best to look right and be accepted on that alone or be accepted regardless of how we look or dont,

I think that's probably true. Here's something from The Sun, a British tabloid (22 Jan):

'Scouse brow" is eyesore

Heavily pencilled eyebrows are the worst fashion blunder a woman can make, says a poll.

The look - named "Scouse brow" after Liverpool celebrities such as Alex Curran - narrowly beat foundation "tidemarks" to the top spot.

Third was patchy fake tan, followed by concealer on lips, overplucked eyebrows and spidery eyelashes with clumpy mascara.

Beauty retailer Escentual.com questioned more than 1,000 woman for its poll.

Almost eight out of ten said they would think poorly of a woman with badly applied makeup.

Clumpy mascara is one of my several makeup flaws. And I have never been out.

You know theres far more to who we are as a person than i wont fit in because i dont look right in the eye's of other's , i dought id be accepted in to some groups over sea's plus id dought id be asked to talk at meetings for same reason,

Oh well just a thought ......

You're a strong person of real character who's been through stuff and had to work out her own take on the world. So you've got things to say that people are going to want to hear.

It doesn't help you all the time, though. You can get groups where the vibe is much more about presentation. And then a person like you can be a threat. Because actually the people in those groups don't have much to say.

[Ginny Jones]

Over the last 6 months or so I have been having laser on my face and so the need for foundation is becoming less and less. As a result I have been playing with minimal make-up with a view to trying to achieve a "fresh faced" look. I still look like a pig in lipstick - but it keeps me amused. As for going out in no make-up - not managed that yet, and to be honest - applying make-up is part of the fun of going out for me.

Hugs Ginny xxx

[Noeleena]

Hi,

WOW....Thank you Anthony.

Does it come over that much that i am a strong woman, yes i have had to be to get where i am now.

Yet you know something im really a very soft loving person yes i can stand up for my self a matter of having too, i still have doubt's about my self yes i go hide away for time out i have my moments ....
Of i cant do this or that,

I take your point of being a threat oh wow , thats not what im about never has been i can only give of my self to others as they can accept .

Like at our camp i just pour out of myself , what was shown by so many the love we have for each other,and thats expressed in how we hug each other, yes some men as well .to me thats just so lovely and neat.

What you'v said has brought me to tears, yes i get embarrssed and humbled,

Thank you so much.

...noeleena...

[DonnaT]

When going out, I do my makeup just right in hopes that it makes me look better.

[Carol Esme]

Over the last 6 months or so I have been having laser on my face and so the need for foundation is becoming less and less. As a result I have been playing with minimal make-up with a view to trying to achieve a "fresh faced" look. I still look like a pig in lipstick - but it keeps me amused. As for going out in no make-up - not managed that yet, and to be honest - applying make-up is part of the fun of going out for me.

Hugs Ginny xxx

I'm a bit the same, using laser to reduce and bleach my beard means that for daywear or at home in the evening I can get away with very light mineral powder and a bit of lippy. I've had my lashes tinted blue-black too. Going out in the evening however requires a bit more effort to show that I care about my appearance.

[OliviaM]

I have just began trying to get the hang of using make-up and hope to get better! I believe that if I was a woman I would be high maintenance and would not got out without my make-up and hair and clothes just right!! So I imagine that when Olivia does go out that everything will have to be just right!!
Also a question!! Do I have this right, foundation goes on first then powder and the a little blush if needed??

[Davita]

Olivia, yeppers to foundation first (hence the name). As for powder, that depends on the type of foundation you used in the first place. Blush as needed. Yes because if you put on a foundation and a powder, you no longer have any skin tone changes and all you have to rely on to tell people you have cheeks is a shadow from lighting. I don't have cheeks without blush no matter how good the lighting would add emphasis.

[OliviaM]

Hey Davita!! Thank you for the tips and I will let you know how I progress!!