Transgender Home » Transgender How To » TGF Retro Rerun: Makeup Tips for 1999

TGF Retro Rerun: Makeup Tips for 1999

The Editor | Nov 30, 2015

Spread the love

From time to time we go down to the vaults, reach back into the TGForum archives and pull out something that we published back in the 1990s. It’s often still good information and if it isn’t it’s amusing to see how much has changed since those days. Today we rummaged through the How-To section and came across an article on how to do makeup for crossdressing beginners. It’s by TGF contributor Diane Hutchinson. This was her first article for 1999. Keep in mind some of the makeup items she mentions may no longer be available.

Happy New Year all and welcome to my first column of 1999. To start off the new year I thought a good basic overview of makeup application was in order. Volumes have been written on the art of applying makeup so I have tried to stick to the bare bone essentials for beginners.

The first thing you should consider when choosing any makeup is what shades and colors are best for you. There are two ways to do this: 1) Get a book on the subject and read it (Color Me Beautiful by Carol Jackson is a good one) or 2) go to a makeup professional and get her advice. Whether you find help at a makeup counter in a department store, at a beauty parlor or from an Avon representative you should consider that you are going to need to be comfortable enough to talk to them about your needs. Being more private when I started out myself I chose the book method. The advantages were that I could borrow several books from the local library and read them in the privacy of my own home working at my own pace. At the library I also found the accompanying video tape for the above mentioned book which was a great help. With a list of the basic colors that were right for me it was easy to find what I needed at the makeup store. Before I did this I used to buy whatever stuck my fancy and as a result wasted plenty of money on makeup that looks wrong on me. When shopping for new colors take note of what models in the advertisements have similar hair, skin and eye colors as you have yourself. It is usually a safe bet to get those products.
For applying makeup it is well worth while to invest in a lighted makeup mirror. Used ones can usually be found at thrift shops for as little as a few dollars. Make sure the mirror has a magnifying side to it. A nice feature some mirrors have is different light settings for day, home, night, etc.. If your look passes under the scrutiny of a brightly lite mirror, you are in good shape.
Beard cover is in my opinion the most critical aspect of makeup you need to master in order to pass. First off I do not shave the day before I plan on going out as Diane saving that task for about an hour before I start to apply makeup. This ensures a close shave. For my beard cover I use a Dermablend coverstick one shade lighter than my foundation color on the dark beard areas and to cover eye circles if present. Because my beard has a blue tint, I use a yellow corrective neutralizer to cover the entire beard area. If you have more of a red tint in your beard use a green corrective neutralizer to cover it. For more information on neutralizers go to http://www.physiciansformula.com/.
Foundation is next. This is another area where a professional can be of aid as it is very hard to find the exact shade you need. When my beard was at it’s heaviest (before I began electrolysis) I used to use the liquid foundation from Dermablend. This makeup is designed for people that need a corrective foundation. It provides a nice natural look while aiding in covering the beard. For those of you with lighter beards you can get away with using many of the regular foundations available. When choosing a color be sure to test it under daylight conditions since store and home lighting may alter how the color looks.
Usually a decent powdering is required for the foundation to set and not easily smudge off. I allow five minutes after I powdered before I dust off the excess. This gives the powder time to set. Don’t worry if your skin appears a little light right after you powder because after about a half hour the oils and moisture from your face will absorb much of the excess. I have found that translucent powders seem to work best for me.
Eyebrow shaping and filling can make a huge difference in your appearance. I brush my eyebrows down with a eyebrow brush and then pluck any stragglers that have appeared since my last brow work. Next I add on to the ends of my eyebrows to form an arch. If you take a ruler and place it against the side of your nose you can tell where your eyebrows should start. With the ruler still against the side of your nose pivot the top of it to the outer corner of your eye. This is where your eyebrow should end. The high point of the arch should be just to the outer side of your pupil. If there are any gaps in your eyebrow hairs fill them in using short strokes of the pencil.
There are too many ways for you to do your eye shadow for me to list. Be sure and take the size and shape of your eye into account when applying makeup to your eyes because depending on how you apply it you can make your eyes look bigger or smaller or even change the shape totally. Done right these things can enhance your eyes, but done wrong you can end up looking like Ricky Raccoon. Here is where reading a book or watching a makeup video will help greatly in aiding you in determining what is best for your eye type.
Like eye shadow, depending where eyeliner is applied will affect how big your eyes look. I line the bottom lid and top outer third to make my eyes look larger, but this will likely be different for you. When applying eyeliner be sure and apply it as close to the lash line as possible (but be careful!). Eyeliner comes in two different forms, a pencil or liquid. I use a pencil because I find it easier to handle and correct when I make mistakes. Liquids tend to be able to give you a finer line though then pencils. One other thing to consider is the color of the liner you use. Being a dark blond with blue eyes I use charcoal colored liner. Again read up to find the best color for you.
Applying mascara, like applying most makeup takes practice. I find that it is better to have too little then too much. Be careful not to go too dark. Most of us girls use black, but that is often too dark for lighter skinned people like myself so I use a black-brown colored mascara. Also depending on your lashes you might not even want to apply mascara to your bottom lashes. Curling your lashes with a lash curler really helps to open up your eyes. In fact just curling them even without applying any eye makeup or mascara will make a big difference in how you look.
Lips were probably the easiest part of makeup for me to learn. I start by lining my lips with a color close to the lipstick I will be wearing. Simply trace the outline of your lips. Be sure and not go all the way into the corners of your lips. Then I apply the lipstick to both lips being careful not to go beyond the lining of my lips. Next I use a small makeup brush to blend the lip liner into the lipstick. Many people advocate drawing your lip line outside of you natural lip line to make your lips look bigger. This is hard to pull off and often you will end up with a Joan Crawford look instead (not a pretty sight).
The real trick to blush is placing it correctly. I place mine starting at about one inch below the outer corner of my eye and brushing backwards towards my hairline. Never bring blush below the level of the bottom of your nose on your face, that would be too low. Also it is VERY important to blend your blush to avoid looking like you have stripes on your face. Too little is way better than too much with blush.

Using the basics I have outlined above you should be able to get yourself started in applying makeup. When you first start out leave yourself plenty of time to do your makeup. The speed will come in time. Also please do not feel discouraged if your face does not turn out perfect at first. It will take plenty of practice and patience before you get it right. Before you know it though, you will be expert and giving advice to all the newer girls.