Leslie Langford
07-09-2009, 11:58 AM
When I look back over the last several years, I can't believe how far I've come in embracing my crossdressing needs and pushing the envelope of my personal comfort level in bringing "Leslie" out into the open.
There are many reasons for this - a growing (albeit somewhat reluctant) acceptance of this part of me by my wife, grown kids who are now married and out of the house, more free time on my hands than I ever expected (thank you, recession :doh:!), and on-going efforts at improving my looks to the point where I now feel totally comfortable in presenting as a stylish woman of "a certain age" and shopping en femme for all my female wardrobe and make up needs. I interact readily with female SA's, use women's fitting rooms and washrooms without any hesitation, and have had nothing but positive experiences all around.
Much of the credit for this goes to the ladies of this Forum, who have inspired me by going down the same paths before me. Where I once thought that some of these stories of being out and about were works of fiction and wishful thinking, they gave me the inspiration to actually try some of them myself. Baby steps, naturally, but lo and behold! - I was eventually able to engage in many of these activities as well, and I never would have believed the level of tolerance and acceptance I encountered out there among SA's, wait staff, and ordinary GG's if I hadn't experienced it first hand. After all these years of hiding in the closet, it all ended up being so incredibly easy once I simply adopted the Nike "Just Do It!" attitude. More's the shame that I will never get those "lost" years back, but it also makes me more determined than ever to work through my personal "Bucket List" to compensate for that .
All that said, the one thing that had always eluded me was the courage to have a professional makeover done by a regular GG makeup artist rather than go to a drag transformation studio. Having read so many positive reports here about MAC make up artists and their affinity for the TG community, I was all set to go that route, but still had some concerns about having this makeover done in a public setting. It then occured to me to contact ladies in my immediate geographical area who typically have their studios in their homes or else provide mobile make up services for bridal parties, special events, portrait shoots etc. I contacted over 20 such local artists via e-mail explaining my situation and desired services after doing an initial internet search.
To say that I was stunned by the result would be an understatement. Over 80% responded favorably to my request and were more than willing to work with me. Some quoted rather steep prices, and while my initial reaction was that they were probably trying to take advantage of my situation as a CD, more than likely it was really only a reflection of the particular niche in which they were trying to position themselves in a very competitive market.
One lady in particular stood out with her enthusiasm in wanting to provide this service to me, as she had worked with TG's in the past and was open to gaining a foothold in that market again. And bonus! - she would be able to do this discretely in her own home while my wife was out of town this week, her rates were eminently reasonable, and she was only about 20 minutes from my house.
Well, I went at the appointed day earlier this week, and it ended up being one of the most delightful encounters that I have ever experienced. The lady was (I'm guessing here) in her late 30's or early 40's, bubbly, friendly, and enthusiastic, and totally put me at ease. She apppeared to be equally comfortable with me, treated me just as she would any other female client, and by the end of the session we were chatting like two girlfriends about clothes, shopping, and what kind of looks generally worked best for both herself and I.
More importantly, this lady did an excellent make up job on me, walked me through the entire process step-by-step, explained in detail what she was doing and why, made many recommendations on what type of products I should be using in future, and generally managed to feminize my face to a degree that I would never have thought possible. I daresay, "Leslie" actually looked "hot", and since I was planning to go on a shopping trip later that same day and try on clothes in some upscale downtown ladies' boutiuqes that I never had the courage to enter before, this was just the ticket. I'll do a separate post on this equally amazing experience at a later date.
And no, before any of you ask, unfortunately I don't have and pictures to share. I actually went and purchased a separate SD memory card for our digital camera for my personal use for this very purpose, but as luck would have it, my wife decided to take the camera with her on her trip, unbeknownst to me :doh:.
For those of you who haven't had a professional makeover yet, I can't recommend it highly enough. Along with choosing a wedding dress or having one's nails or hair done, this has to be one of the ultimate girly "me time" experiences there is. As males, we typically don't get to enjoy that level of absolute pampering and self-indulgence, and I loved every minute of it :):thumbsup:. And seeing how well my make up artist and I seemed to hit it off, I can't wait to do it all over again!
So, now I can strike one more item off my "Bucket List". I've decided that the next one will be a full professional manicure and pedicure, and my make up artist has already recommended a colleague who would be equally pleased to work with me.
There are many reasons for this - a growing (albeit somewhat reluctant) acceptance of this part of me by my wife, grown kids who are now married and out of the house, more free time on my hands than I ever expected (thank you, recession :doh:!), and on-going efforts at improving my looks to the point where I now feel totally comfortable in presenting as a stylish woman of "a certain age" and shopping en femme for all my female wardrobe and make up needs. I interact readily with female SA's, use women's fitting rooms and washrooms without any hesitation, and have had nothing but positive experiences all around.
Much of the credit for this goes to the ladies of this Forum, who have inspired me by going down the same paths before me. Where I once thought that some of these stories of being out and about were works of fiction and wishful thinking, they gave me the inspiration to actually try some of them myself. Baby steps, naturally, but lo and behold! - I was eventually able to engage in many of these activities as well, and I never would have believed the level of tolerance and acceptance I encountered out there among SA's, wait staff, and ordinary GG's if I hadn't experienced it first hand. After all these years of hiding in the closet, it all ended up being so incredibly easy once I simply adopted the Nike "Just Do It!" attitude. More's the shame that I will never get those "lost" years back, but it also makes me more determined than ever to work through my personal "Bucket List" to compensate for that .
All that said, the one thing that had always eluded me was the courage to have a professional makeover done by a regular GG makeup artist rather than go to a drag transformation studio. Having read so many positive reports here about MAC make up artists and their affinity for the TG community, I was all set to go that route, but still had some concerns about having this makeover done in a public setting. It then occured to me to contact ladies in my immediate geographical area who typically have their studios in their homes or else provide mobile make up services for bridal parties, special events, portrait shoots etc. I contacted over 20 such local artists via e-mail explaining my situation and desired services after doing an initial internet search.
To say that I was stunned by the result would be an understatement. Over 80% responded favorably to my request and were more than willing to work with me. Some quoted rather steep prices, and while my initial reaction was that they were probably trying to take advantage of my situation as a CD, more than likely it was really only a reflection of the particular niche in which they were trying to position themselves in a very competitive market.
One lady in particular stood out with her enthusiasm in wanting to provide this service to me, as she had worked with TG's in the past and was open to gaining a foothold in that market again. And bonus! - she would be able to do this discretely in her own home while my wife was out of town this week, her rates were eminently reasonable, and she was only about 20 minutes from my house.
Well, I went at the appointed day earlier this week, and it ended up being one of the most delightful encounters that I have ever experienced. The lady was (I'm guessing here) in her late 30's or early 40's, bubbly, friendly, and enthusiastic, and totally put me at ease. She apppeared to be equally comfortable with me, treated me just as she would any other female client, and by the end of the session we were chatting like two girlfriends about clothes, shopping, and what kind of looks generally worked best for both herself and I.
More importantly, this lady did an excellent make up job on me, walked me through the entire process step-by-step, explained in detail what she was doing and why, made many recommendations on what type of products I should be using in future, and generally managed to feminize my face to a degree that I would never have thought possible. I daresay, "Leslie" actually looked "hot", and since I was planning to go on a shopping trip later that same day and try on clothes in some upscale downtown ladies' boutiuqes that I never had the courage to enter before, this was just the ticket. I'll do a separate post on this equally amazing experience at a later date.
And no, before any of you ask, unfortunately I don't have and pictures to share. I actually went and purchased a separate SD memory card for our digital camera for my personal use for this very purpose, but as luck would have it, my wife decided to take the camera with her on her trip, unbeknownst to me :doh:.
For those of you who haven't had a professional makeover yet, I can't recommend it highly enough. Along with choosing a wedding dress or having one's nails or hair done, this has to be one of the ultimate girly "me time" experiences there is. As males, we typically don't get to enjoy that level of absolute pampering and self-indulgence, and I loved every minute of it :):thumbsup:. And seeing how well my make up artist and I seemed to hit it off, I can't wait to do it all over again!
So, now I can strike one more item off my "Bucket List". I've decided that the next one will be a full professional manicure and pedicure, and my make up artist has already recommended a colleague who would be equally pleased to work with me.