Category: Transgender How To

The Importance of Good Lighting

| Aug 26, 2024 | Reply

You can’t apply your makeup while standing over the sink with inadequate lighting and expect your makeup to look great in sunlight, or when you’re out for the evening. Gina Jet Ortiz says good lighting is of prime importance when applying makeup. What looks good in the bathroom won’t look the same way when you move to other light sources. She has some suggestions on proper lightin

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Mixing it Up: How to Customize Your Makeup Part Two

| Jul 29, 2024 | Reply

Part two of Mixing It Up tells you how to mix colors of eyeshadow and blush to create new looks. If you are happy with your color pallette and don’t want to experiment with makeup art, fine. But, if you want to explore and go down the color mixing route Gina provides the road map.

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Mixing it Up: How to Customize Your Makeup

| Jul 1, 2024 | Reply

Gina Jet Ortiz says there’s no need to toss out makeup products that don’t look right on you when you get them home. They looked great in the store’s fluorescent lights but awful in your vanity’s mirror. Gina says you can adjust the color of your makeup, just like an artist, using other colors to adjust how the makeup looks. Today is Part 1 of Mixing it Up: How to Customize Your Makeup.

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Should You Be Using Primer?

| May 6, 2024 | Reply

The question is, should you be using primer? We’re not talking about a base coat you used when you repainted the bathroom. We’re talking about using a primer before you apply foundation to the canvas of your face. Primers can make a big difference, smoothing fine lines, filling pores, and mattifying for a more fab look. Gina Jet Ortiz explains the differences between the many primer products available and helps you figure out what works for you.

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Beauty on the Go: 10 Things You Should Never Leave the House Without

| Mar 11, 2024 | Reply

If you go out and about while presenting as a female you may have run into situations concerning your makeup that require repair. Eating something greasy, like fries, can remove your lip color. Dancing after in the evening after a long day in your morning makeup, or kissing, can result in your makeup needing a fix. Gina Jet Ortiz reccomends always having 10 items in your handbag that are necessary for makeup, and other, repair jobs while you’re away from home.

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What’s the Best Way to Apply Foundation?

| Feb 12, 2024 | Reply

Today Gina helps you find the best way to apply your foundation. She discusses the different methods and the pros and cons of brushes and sponges. Even if you’re pretty comfortable putting on your foundation give Gina’s post a read. You might find a technique or tool that makes your application easier.

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Lipcolor 101

| Jan 15, 2024 | Reply

Today Gina Jet Ortiz introduces us to the dazzling world of lip colors. From lipstick to lip gloss, and matte lips to lip liner and liquid lip color, Gina covers it all and helps you to decide what you should wear on your lips for any occasion.

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Are You Using the Right Eyeliner?

| Dec 18, 2023 | Reply

Today Gina Jet Ortiz guides you through the mysteries of eyeliner. What kind of liner is best? Is the liner pencil you’ve been using the absolute best or would you be better off with a tiny brush? Whatever your questions concerning eyeliner Gina has the answers.

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Skin Care Made Easy

| Sep 25, 2023 | Reply

What is your skin type? Is it oily? Dry? A mix of the two? How can you improve the health of your skin? These are all questions that Gina “Jet” Ortiz answers in this post on the basics of skincare. Even if you think lack of care has affected your skin negatively Gina’s advice can rejuvenate a damaged dermis.

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Foundation on Mature Skin: How to Avoid That Dry, Cakey Look

| Sep 4, 2023 | Reply

Do your wrinkles and pores look more prominent after you’ve applied your makeup? Do you think makeup makes you look older? If you’ve answered “yes” to either of these questions, then it’s not your imagination. And it’s no your foundation. Get some options from professional makeup artist Gina “Jet” Ortiz that will keep you looking good all night long.

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The Occasional Woman: Finding Your Dress Size

| Aug 28, 2023 | Reply

Women, if they are followers of fashion, know almost instinically, what size they wear in dresses, tops, jackets, blouses, and so on. They have this power because they started learning about fashion and style in their teen years. Crossdressers have a disadvantage, the older ones that is. They have to start acquiring the knowledge that allows them to build a femme wardrobe later in life. Fortunately Lorraine Anderson, owner of The Occasional Woman custom clothing service has some tips on how to find your size.

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Gina Jet Ortiz’s Summer-Makeup Survival Guide

| Jul 17, 2023 | Reply

It’s summer and in some areas too much summer! How do you go about your business and be beautiful throughout the hot days and humid nights? Gina Jet Ortiz has a list of tips for keeping your cool, and your glamor, in place on your face.

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The Beard-Cover Controversy: Setting the Record Straight

| Jun 19, 2023 | Reply

Those in the trans community who have worked to develop their makeup skills often become comfortable with the techniques they first used to create their “look”. Beard cover is one example. Many years ago crossdressing influencers (social media is not the only way influencers exert their influence) advocated for the lipstick method of covering beard shadow. Our founder JoAnn Roberts even put the process in her book on makeup. (Art & Illusion.) Professional makeup artist Gina-Jet Ortiz joins TGF today to explain just why using lipstick to disguise beard shadow is not a good idea.

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Do It Like a Girl!

| May 8, 2023

Boys will often use the phrase, “You play like a girl” when they want to make fun of a rival on the playing field. But that’s a phrase that for many trans people is a compliment. Christy Lewis looks at the variety of things that girls, and grown-up women, do that come naturally to them. Behavior that trans women would do well to emulate if they want to be accepted as ladies.

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Goals

| Mar 13, 2023

If you want to achieve something, whether it’s something personal or career related, it’s important to have a goal. Today Christy Lewis writes about having goals and how to prepare your plan to reach your goal. Without a plan failure is the most likely outcome. Make a plan and be a winner.

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Retro Rerun: Protecting Your Nails

| Mar 6, 2023

Today’s Retro Rerun is about fingernails. Specifically, tips on how to keep your natural nail tips intact. The advice comes from Diane Kaye back in 1997 and it’s still pretty good today. Learn her techniques and avoid tears being shed over a broken nail.

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Crossdresser’s Guide to Stepping Out by Carolyn Woodward

| Jan 9, 2023 | Reply

Today’s Retro Rerun from the TGF Archives is from the 1990s. The general public had not evolved to more acceptance of crossdressers and trans women out and about in society. Passing to avoid ridicule was important to members of the developing trans community and contributors to TGForum had advice on how to go undetected while expressing femininity in public. The advice in this article by Carolyne Woodward is still good in the 21st century if your goal is to blend in. If some of it seems silly remember to view it in context.

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Finding the Color That Works for You

| Sep 26, 2022 | Reply

Finding the colors that go best with you isn’t always so easy when you’re just beginning to explore your femme side. You can find all sorts of methods for determining which colors of attire work best with your skin tone and it can all be pretty confusing. Lorraine Anderson has a sure fire way to quickly determine your best color match. Read on the find out what she recommends.

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The Occasional Woman: Crossdressing Tips

| Jul 4, 2022 | Reply

Today Lorraine Anderson, the woman in charge of The Occasional Woman custom clothing service, gives you off-beat and time tested tips for presenting the most feminine you you can do. Her biggest tip though? Never wear white hose unless you’re an actual nurse from the 1960s.

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My Makeup Routine

| Jun 20, 2022 | Reply

Pauline Estelle blogs about her personal makeup regimen. If you’ve been wearing makeup to enhance your feminine look then you most likely have your way to appling paints and powder. Those just starting out may need some ideas about how to approach the makeup process. See if Pauline’s process helps you find your own.

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Retro Rerun: Setting Up And Using a Photo Studio Area

| Mar 21, 2022 | Reply

Since the early days of TGF we have seen many, many photos of our subscribers. (Check out the TGF User’s Gallery.) Many of the photos do not display their subject in a flattering light. Usually due to lack of light, too much light behind the subject, or some other technical issue. Even when the subject has a pleasing pose problems with the lighting and background may ruin the photo. This Retro Rerun is from former TGF subscriber and contributor Julie Peters covering how to take better photos. Her advice was good in 1998 and still holds up.

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The Changing of the Clothes

| Mar 14, 2022 | Reply

It’s that time of year; time to go through your wardrobe and decide what gets packed away for the spring and summer and decide what cold weather attire gets the old heave ho. Are you really going to enjoy wearing that old sweater again in the fall? What about that dress you said you’d wear for some event but that event never arrived? Why let it keep taking up space? Toss it. Lorraine Anderson has some tips on how to sort out the keepers from the items to be tossed.

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Retro Rerun: Body & Facial Shaving

| Feb 7, 2022 | Reply

Back in the ‘90s some of TGF’s prettiest readers agreed to share their favorite style, beauty, and “how-to” tips in a feature called My Secret. This tip from 1999 tells you how to get a close shaves ll over, and it came from TGF subscriber Gina Mylano.

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Voice Training Video #19

| Jan 10, 2022 | Reply

In this lesson Sabrina focuses on another method of training: Staccato — hitting a note in a repeated sharp effort. It helps hammer home your ability to perform said note, as well as trains your ability to suddenly stop and start, which will allow you to more easily flow between tight and relaxed, high pitch and low pitch, and blend your voice into whatever you want it to be.

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Femme Voice Training #18

| Dec 13, 2021 | Reply

Sabrina Symington continues her series of voice training videos that give you the vocal tools to sound in a way that matches your look. Whether you crossdress now and then or live fulltime in your preferred gender speaking as a woman can boost your confidence when you interact with members of the general public. Sabrina has a lot to say on the subject of sounding like you look. Today reiterates the value of practice, practice, practice.

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Trans Dating Tips

| Nov 29, 2021 | Reply

Guest contributor Anastassiia Newlin has tips on how to meet people through the internet who share your interests for dating and more.

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