General Tips on Feminine Appearance for Crossdressers

This Retro Rerun first appeared on TGForum in 1998. Diane Hutchinson’s advice is still good today.

Hello again everyone. This month I thought I would address the very basics of presenting a more feminine image. I know reading through this article some of you will be thinking that this stuff is going to take a lot of your time. I won’t lie, it will, keeping up ones feminine beauty is a never ending time consuming process. Believe me though the extra confidence and good feeling you get when you look into the mirror are well worth the time. The following tips are in no particular order.

• Become knowledgeable in the area of makeup, beauty and fashion. There is a lot more to all of these subjects then most men could ever imagine. If you want to present yourself as a woman invest the time in learning about these things. Believe me, it’s worth it. A good place to start is the beauty section of the library. A great book to start with is How Do I Look? by Gale Hayman. Also reading women’s fashion magazines will be useful in keeping up with current trends. I subscribe to Allure and Glamour both of which have plenty of articles on the above subjects.
• Clean up your eyebrows! I can not believe the number of otherwise attractive girls with bushy, or worse yet one long, eyebrows (yuck!) Believe me, I know most of us can’t have perfect feminine eyebrows because of real world jobs, but no one is going to complain if you are well groomed. If you opt to make them more feminine, then be sure that any changes you make are done over time. Simply trim and pluck on a weekly basis, going a little neater each time. If anyone notices say you over trimmed and grow them back to the last point before someone noticed. Never has a single person commented on my eyebrows when I am in male grab. One more trick: Leave off the low end of the arch (on the sides of your face.) This will keep them more masculine looking normally and the finish of the arch can easily be added with a smudge of eyebrow pencil and the effect will be dramatic in making your face more feminine.
• If you need a wig get yourself a decent one and maintain it. Cheap wigs are just that, cheap and they will get you noticed quicker then almost anything else. If you can use your real hair, that is best. Most of us can’t, myself included. When you invest in a expensive wig you want it to last and keep looking good. To do this you must comb it out after each wear and wash it on a regular basis. If you don’t feel comfortable washing it bring it to a professional to have it cleaned.
• If you don’t have hips or a female looking butt invest in a pair of padded panties. These can be bought in many places (I get mine through the Frederick’s of Hollywood catalog) and will greatly enhance your female shape. [Editor’s Note: They’re available from The Breast Form Store.] They are sold with two pads (just the butt) or four pads (butt and hips.) Be sure and get the pair that most enhances your shape. My friend Jean went hysterical when she found out I pad my hips and butt. She said something like “There is a whole industry out there to help women reduce their butts and you want to pad yours?!?”
• If you can’t shave your arms and they are hairy, don’t wear short sleeves or sleeveless outfits. What I do is use a beard trimmer to keep my arm hair short enough that it is not noticeable when I am going out as Diane. In between my outings I let it grow and just wear long sleeve shirts for two or three days after I trim. The hair grows out faster since I don’t shave it all the way down. No one has every noticed that I do this. If trimming is not for you stick to long sleeves.
• Breast forms. I don’t care what kind you use. Whether they are bought or home made they have to look realistic. I stress look because, unless someone other then you is going to be touching them, how they feel is not important. You can get away with birdseed or rice filled nylons that look quite natural for most blouses or dresses. Padding from old shoulder pads also works well. Myself, I have several kinds and sizes depending on my outfit Also be sure and size your breasts to your body. Having a size ‘B’ body with size ‘DD’ breasts will attract lots of attention and not all of it will be positive.
• If you have hairy legs and can’t shave, wear two pairs of pantyhose. If you can still see the hair then try darker hose. You can use the beard trimmer for your legs also to thin out the hair. Just adjust the trimmer to a higher level. With some experimentation you will find the proper level that allows you to get away with wearing one pair of hose while maintaining “normal” looking male legs most of the time.
• Nose and ear hair. If you have it then do everyone a favor and trim it! Believe me, this is another thing that can only help both your female and male appearance.
• Wash your face at least once a day (twice is better) with a cleanser. Then use a toner and moisturizer. In fact it is a good idea to moisturize your hands, arms and legs too if you want to keep them nice and soft.
• Whether you keep your nails long or short they should always be clean and well manicured. A light buffing with a nail buffing cream once a week will keep them looking good and give them a nice shine (though not too much that people will notice when you are in drab).

See, I was not kidding that there is a lot to do! The truth is, if you have the time, there’s always an additional beauty regimen to add. Start with a few of these most basic ones and add new ones until they become a part of your regular beauty rituals.

Stay beautiful and happy and I will see you all next month.

Tags: crossdressing, featured, how-to, passing

Category: Transgender How To