Tag: makeup

What Are Neutral Color Palettes and Why Are They So Popular?

| Apr 8, 2024 | Reply

Gina Jet Ortiz joins our New Content today with a lesson on neutral eyeshadows and lipcolors. What are you supposed to do with muted neutral or “nude” colors? Gina says “Browns, tans, taupes, and beiges play an important role in makeup application because they represent shading.”

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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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A Well-Rounded Makeup Kit: What Should I Have?

| Nov 20, 2023 | Reply

Today professional makeup artist Gina Jet Ortiz tells you what items you should have in your makeup kit. From silicone blenders to synthetic and natural brushes to tiny scissors and pointy cotton swabs, Gina lays out the tools you need to do basic makeup or move up to a full glamor look.

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Deborah’s Story, Part 6

| Oct 30, 2023 | Reply

Parts 1 through 5 have detailed Deborah’s life, from crossdressing in secret in Ireland, the move to London, and the immigration to the USA. All of her experience learning the feminine arts served to educate her in the ways of a lady. Wishing to share what she learned Deborah and her wife Sierra opened Sierra Studios near Tampa, Florida. Today Deborah writes about everything they provide to guys wanting a femme transformation.

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Which Mascara Should You Use?

| Oct 23, 2023 | Reply

When you decide that you want to wear makeup, have smoky eyes and red, pouty lips you can learn fairly fast that there are thousands of brands of every kind of makeup you can imagine. At a time like that, when you’re faced with not only learning to apply the products but trying to figure out which products are good, it’s time to seek out the advice of a professional makeup artist. One like Gina Jet Ortiz. Today she leads you through the crowed field of mascara, telling you how each brand enhances your lashes.

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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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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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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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Beauty Boys Photo Gallery

| Apr 12, 2021 | Reply

In the seventies and eighties men in makeup were far from the norm. Bands like T-Rex, Kiss or The New York Dolls used it to attract fans but other than showbiz examples only a few fashion designers promoted the idea of men wearing makeup. Fast forward to the present day and thanks to the internet and young people who are more accepting of fashion trends that break the old norms men in makeup are all over the web doing makeup tutorials and demonstrating products on their own faces. Meet some of the “beauty boys”.

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How to Cover Beard Shadow

| Aug 17, 2020 | Reply

Guest contributor Jessica Blackler, founder of Jecca Blac and makeup artist for the trans community, gives her recommendations on how to do one of the most importnat steps in male to female transformation — prepping your face and covering beard shadow.

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Rolling into Year Three. . . .

| Jul 27, 2020 | Reply

Claire Hall is surviving the Covid-19 pandemic like many other folks. She is able to work from home most of the time and still attends many meetings everyday. What’s different about those meetings is that they now take place via the internet and the attendees are all on her computer screen as tiny people in stacked boxes. After many months of working this way Claire’s attention to her beauty routine had started to slip. After all, she’s wearing a mask much of the time. Who needs lipstick? Read on and find if she managed to get her groove back.

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Makeup Memories 

| May 25, 2020 | 1 Reply

Given our Chicago correspondent’s home situation isolating at home has meant no feminine activities. She hasn’t put on makeup in three months and she fears that when she is finally able to paint and primp she may have forgotten how it’s done. To fight that feeling Julie has written her blog on her beautification process. If she can remember all the steps after three months she will stop worrying about losing the knowledge. And she posts a blog filled with her makeup tips!

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Tips on Applying Makeup

| Oct 7, 2019 | 3 Replies

Pauline Estelle shares her tips on how to get a good result from your makeup application. She outlines her steps to a beautiful look, from preparing her skin to applying lipstick that will last all day. Pauline the methods she finds best for her but you are encouraged to experiment and build on her tips to find what works best for you. Ready to start your lesson? Dive into Pauline’s blog and get ready to learn.

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National Lipstick Day!

| Jul 29, 2019 | Reply

It’s a special day that comes but once a year. It’s not Christmas or Easter, or National Talk Like a Pirate Day. We’re talking about National Lipstick Day! How did we all develop such an attraction to ruby red lips? Angela Gardner did a little research on the subject and learns that painting the lips to enhance attraction has been going on for thousands of years. Ancient Sumerians did their lips with crushed gemstones like some kind of antediluvian drag queens. More recently actresses, and actors, in the early cinema and theater used lip coloring to make themselves more present on stage or screen. Take a quick trip back in time for the history of the sexiest cosmetic on this National Lipstick Day!

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My Transformation Room

| Jun 17, 2019 | Reply

There is one very important room in Pauline’s house. It the guest room bathroom. That’s where the important process of transforming into Pauline takes place. In this post Pauline writes about all the steps she goes through in her transformation bathroom. From shaving all body hair to her technique for shaving her face and the steps she takes in makeup application, it’s all here in today’s post.

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Secret Lift Temporary Facelift: A Review

| Jun 17, 2019 | Reply

Back in the day, 1997 to be exact, TGForum would run product reviews by TGF readers. (We will do that today if you have any products you would like to let readers know about.) One such reviewer was Diane Barker who evaluated a temporary facelift kit called Secret Lift from a company in California. The company, CosmeSearch, Inc., is still in business and selling their products over the web. Read Diane’s review of the product and decide if it will work for you.

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Doing Your Face

| Mar 25, 2019 | Reply

This is a Retro Rerun from the TGForum Archives. Stacy B. Haven wrote an article for our Mirror Mirror feature on how to do your makeup. It appeared on our website in 1997. Good advice is timeless though and her thought’s from the 20th century are still applicable today for the crossdresser or trans woman who wants to look her best.

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Retro Rerun: Honey Harlow on Luscious Lips

| Mar 11, 2019 | Reply

Honey Harlow is one of the great entertainers in our community and a recognized expert in makeup for both glamorous occasions and everyday wear. This article on creating luscious lips was published on TGForum in 1998. Today Honey Harlow has an online store selling the glamorous accessories every girl needs. My makeup tip for luscious lips […]

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Prep Your Skin Before Makeup

| Feb 4, 2019 | Reply

The late Roberta Angela Dee contributed many articles to TGForum in the 1990s. All were good lessons on how to better perfect your femininity. She covered everything from flattering clothing fashions to makeup application, wig care and more. In today’s Retro Rerun we present her article on achieving great skin. Before you apply any makeup you need to take a few steps that will improve the overall look of you skin when you go out to have fun.

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Make Up — How you may or may not apply it

| Nov 5, 2018 | Reply

Today Pauline Estelle shares makeup tips she has gathered over the years. From the basics like preparing your canvas by cleaning it, getting rid of manly beard hair, and moisturizing to more advanced topics like color choices, application techniques and contouring, Pauline touches on all to do with makeup.

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Perfeccionando Tú Dualidad (Perfecting Your Duality)

| Apr 16, 2018 | Reply

Today Katherine Diaz tells you about a makeover place in her city that shows trans women how to do their makeup. She learns all the trick and tips that a crossdresser needs to be her loveliest. From covering eyebrows with glue stick so they can be drawn on in a better spot to using art techniques to minimize a large nose. Roxana Miranda teaches it all at her Tranxtienda salon. The text in en Español but Katherine speaks English in her video.

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Beauty Is More Than Skin Deep

| Mar 5, 2018 | Reply

Our Fashion Maven Tasi Zuriack veers aways, somewhat, from fashion in today’s post and takes a look at beauty and what women strive for in creating their “look.” We may see women we feel are over painted or gaudily attired but they did their makeup that way or chose those clothes for a reason. Perhaps one that they’re not even consciously aware of. Tasi writes about how makeup artist Ellen Malone approaches makeovers on folks who have a fixed idea of what is attractive when it isn’t. Tasi and Ms. Malone remind us that Beauty is More Than Skin Deep.

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