I went out for the first time!!!!!!!

[AmberCDinNC]

I'm pressed for time, and I'll add more details later. I know I haven't been very active on the forums, as I just haven't had the courage to "further" my adventures in crossdressing. But..... today I went out in FULL DRAG shopping!!! I was incredibly and amazingly nervous, but it was one of the most awesome experiences of my life!!!! I had a pro to give me a makeover--wig, makeup, etc., and I actually looked beautiful. I was so excited and confident that I made the 1 hour drive home completely in drag. I even sat at a stoplight on the way and reapplied my lipstick and powdered my face while I waited for the light to turn green. Do I EVER really have to wash this makeup off?????????

P.S. The moderator needs to modify the spell check on this site. Why is "crossdressing" considered a misspelled word on crossdressers.com?!?!???!!! LOL!

[RADER]

Amber; Welcome to the forum, Glad you found us. You accomplished what I wish I could do,
That is go out dressed. So I stay in the closet for now.
As far as the spell checker, Maybe you want to talk with MR Webster, He is in charge of those things.
Rader

[Cynthia Anne]

Hi Amber! Welcome to the forum! You know once out like that there's no stopping you! Enjoy! Hugs!

[tall sam]

Hi Amber

wow what a rush - in both senses. I know just how you feel, looking perfect and feeling so femanine you jsut dont want to spoil the moment and have to take off the clothes and makeup.
I hope you had a great experience and enjoyed every second. When is the next outing planned??

Sammy

[BobbieBrooks]

Welcome!!! And, What did we buy????

BobbieB

[Antoinette]

Hey! Sounds like you had fun! It's great to hear happy stories of people's first time out. I could just picture that smile on your face when all went well. (v^-^)b

[Ally 2112]

Welcome to the site and congrats on going out !:)

[AmberCDinNC]

Okay--here goes! Sorry it has taken me so long to reply, but things have been quite busy here. I would love to get any input and/or opinions on my look. Of course, the wig has to go--it was a wig I bought on eBay 10 years ago for $19.99...!!!! That will (hopefully) be remedied tomorrow.

http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/jj524/Skirts_n_Dresses/2012-06-24_20-34-04_3965.jpg

[Kathi Lake]

Opinions? Sure!

Overall, your look is incredible. You have nice bone structure, are good with makeup, and dress stylishly. The one thing I can think of is that your blush looks to be a bit pink for your skintone. There, scathing enough criticism for you?

:)

Kathi

[Kate Simmons]

"Drop dead" gorgeous seems to me Hon. Forgive me while I cool down. ;):)

[kimdl93]

When you wrote'i actually looked beautiful' my initial reaction (before seeing you) was yeah, sure, m too. But then I saw your picture and you actually look beautiful!

[Shelby]

Not bad, you look good. BTW, we say "enfem" rather then Drag. Drag is what some do at the clubs and do the over the top makeup. For those of us who want to blend in as a woman, we go out dressed enfem but when dressed as our male self, we are in "drab." There are lots of lingo and phrases to learn, welcome to the forum to lots of people just like you.

[AmberCDinNC]

Thank you all for your wonderful comments!!! It makes me feel so much more comfortable with my look :-)

Kathi... thank you for your input! When you say "too pink" for my complexion, can you give me a bit more detail? Do I need to go a bit more brown? Or just a bit lighter overall? This is a work in progress, so any input is greatly appreciated!

Kate--I very much appreciate the compliment.. smiling ear-to-ear!

Kimdl93--that was my biggest concern. Everyone has eyes of their own, and I know we all want to see ourselves at our best. My fear was what looked good to "me" was "ugh" to others. Thank you!

Shelby--thank you for the comment, and if I offended anyone in any way saying "drag" please understand that I never meant to do so. I will certainly use "en femme" or "enfem" from this point forward! And yes--"drab" is a word that fits the bill perfectly!

[Shelby]

No offense taken girl. Welcome to the party!

[NathalieX66]

Amber, congratulations! You look great.

It's two and a half years, out in the public eye, for me, maybe I'm out & about more than I need to be, but i wouldn't give it up for the world.

i will say that definitely invest in a really good wig if you can, it's well worth the money. Get something that is closest to your own natural hair to match your complexion.
A woman's hair is her most important accessory.

[Eryn]

You look great! Pretty soon you'll learn how to do your own makeup and realize how much skill it takes to achieve that look!

Concerning spelling, the site doesn't have a spellchecker. That is a function of your browser! You can add the word to your dictionary by right-clicking it and selecting "Add to Dictionary"

[Debglam]

That is great Amber and you look just lovely!

It IS so much fun just being out and about!

Debby

[AmberCDinNC]

Well, I do have to brag a bit :-) The makeup in the pic is what I did on Sunday. The wig, which is synthetic, holds the same shape even if I drive over it with a lawn mower ;-) I can't begin to tell you how many youtube videos, books and articles I've read on makeup, so I'm a quick study when it comes to learning a new technique. Here are my shortfalls:

Hair: Need a new wig, probably get a human hair wig, and THAT will be difficult... no idea how to style it
Mannerisms: I have always talked with my hands, which is a feminine trait, but other mannerisms come soooo unnaturally to me
Walk: I almost have that nailed down. I have struggled for YEARS trying to walk in heels, but someone told me "one foot in front of the other (literally)." Oh my goodness... doing this I could walk in heels perfectly, and my hips sway!
Body: I'm small boned, and thin by nature. My upper body has become "built" a bit more as I work out. My legs are veeery long and lean. I need to lose a bit of weight which will help this, as well as thin down my face a bit

I'm still frustrated about body hair. We have a house at the lake, and during the summer we're out hanging with friends, etc. To shave my legs would be an absolute slap in the face.... very obvious. Is there some skin condition I could be diagnosed with that would require me to shave my legs?!??! The rest of my body is easy. I've never had facial, chest or back hair, and very little underarm hair. But my LEGS...!!!!

BTW--I changed my profile picture to the pic I posted earlier... wait... just realized that maybe I need to change my avatar....

That fixed it! Now the pic is my avatar ;-)

[TGMarla]

Good for you! I'm very glad for you. And did anyone mention to you that you look like a girl? LOL! YAY!

Oh....and I'd not necessarily opt for a human hair wig right off the bat.

[AmberCDinNC]

Well, that's a good question... synthetic or real hair and why?

[Lynn Marie]

Congratulations. Good for you. Find some CD friends. It's even more fun with friends. Don't give a thought about "passing" or getting "made", it's always going to happen no matter how good you look. Ignoring the funny looks and odd stares is the very heart of getting out comfortably. Be you're own person and strut your stuff.

[AmberCDinNC]

Well, that's a good point. However, I'm mortified at the idea of offending someone. I know that may seem silly, but keep in mind that I was raised in the heart of the Bible Belt. When I first started crossdressing, it terrified me. I thought I was the only guy in the world that did this. As I got older and a bit more brave, I truly thought that if this was found out about me I'd be carted off to a mental institution and be put under shock therapy. I'm serious.

Anyway, I know that many people out there might not like it and/or be uncomfortable with it. I think that's what held me back all these years... the fear of offending someone. That's why I worked so hard to get a look that is as "passable" as can be.

The good side is, I live an hour from Asheville, which is one of the most Gay/Les/Bi/Trans friendly areas in the country. Still... I can't stand the thought of offending!

And TGMarla--thank you!!!! I can't imagine a better compliment!

And Bobbie B... A pair of jeans and cover-up. I don't even like them! Will prob return them.... but it was worth it! LOL!!!!

[Kathi Lake]

Amber, it could merely be the lighting, but your blush looks a bit pink to me. Maybe try something a bit more orange-y. Experiment! Play! Makeup is supposed to be fun.

As for the condition that requires you to shave your legs, it's called personalis praelatio (personal preference).

:)

Kathi

[AmberCDinNC]

LOL! Of course, the problem with "personalis praelatio" is that I have family and friends that would be very... shocked? My wife is wonderful about my crossdressing... she has known about it since the first month that we dated. But... I do have to work within the confines that make her comfortable, as well. Why does society have to be so hung up on such things??? ;-)

[kellytea59]

I was in Vegas and had a full blown transformation .. I looked so convincing that I finally got the nerve to go out and walk around .. It was wonderful .. Gambled as a woman, went to a nightclub and just had a great time .. Amy at "just you" rocks !! I felt the rush you felt .. it was great ..

[AndreaS]

Amber:

Now that you're on your way, it sounds like you ought to consider coming down to Atlanta for Southern Comfort at the end of September, especially since you're so close! Look it up at www.sccatl.org when you get a chance. If you did manage to come to SC, then there would be a lot vendors there that would have wigs for sales, as well as shoes, forms, jewelry, etc.

Btw, I think you're doing a really good job with your makeup and I can't wait to see some more looks from you with respect to clothes and hairstyles.

Andrea

[Sometimes Steffi]

I think the expression is, "If you're too weird for Ashville, tou're too weird."

There's a nice corset place in Asheville that I really wanted to go into, but I couldn't find a way to "ditch" my wife for a couple of hours.

[lori m crawford]

hi but i like what you said why did you say in full drag glad you went out but i thank all of us wood not call it that drag wen we are women not in a drag show i know bad words but wen i see someone try to a drag queen with us i think we as crossdressers are better than that an so are you to call your self that you look to good for that

[Maddie22]

The good side is, I live an hour from Asheville, which is one of the most Gay/Les/Bi/Trans friendly areas in the country. Still... I can't stand the thought of offending!


LOVE Asheville!! I went out in Asheville once when I was living in Knoxville, TN. It was a few years ago, but I had a great time! It's so liberal and nice there (well in the city, I wouldn't venture out too far into the sticks). The LGBT bars there are very nice and welcoming. I was asked to come back and do a show by a number of people. (I didn't though, performance is not my thing. Although I do get that request/suggestion a lot).

Anyways, I think you're makeup looks great. The wig didn't look too bad, but a nice wig will go a long way. My suggestion to you would be to go to a wig store dressed and try some on. Keep track of the wig names that work for you. When you go back home, order online, because you'll more than likely get a better price. It's semi shady, but it's much cheaper that way. I would also go for synthetic and not real human hair. Synthetic is cheaper and easier to maintain. I've worn synthetic only, and I've been asked if it's my real hair before. If you drop a could bit of money on a synthetic piece, I think you'll be pleased.

Glad you had fun on your first trip out. Now you got to go on your second!

[Tasha McIntyre]

Good for you Amber, your really do look very convincing. Great job learning and practising your make up skills, I bet you can't wait to get out again.

Awesome that your wife is so comfotable with your CDing as well.

Tash

[Kathy4ever]

In the picture the wig looks good. In a way you made a good investment 10 years ago on the wig for it still to be useable after all this time. I think you will enjoy a new look with a new wig as well. Congratulations on your transformation.

[Beverley Sims]

No you did not go out in "Full Drag", you went out as a lady.:)

[Tara D. Rose]

wow, you really look very good. It's so great that you went out and had a makeover. Only just a few of us wish that we could experience doing something like that. I have gone out from my home just three times, just to fast foods and convenient stores and to SCC in ATlanta. I would love to do what you have had the pleasure of doing. To be able to go out to a mall and be treated like a GG and given all of the curtisies that only women know of but take so for granted.
You look very good and sexy in your makeover picture. You look so happy. I can only imagine that you didn't want to ever take it off. You are so lucky. One day some of us on here may follow you. Can or will you take me with you the next time you go out like that, together it would be so much joy immeasurable.
Tara

[Thera Home]

Amber

Your picture is fantastic. Im so happy for you and the rush you expierenced. I get it when I just walk around my place(at night mind you) but the euphoria is beyond explanation. I could only imagine what it would be like going out in public. Good luck and happy venturing.

Thera

[cindychan]

Congrads on your outing Amber. I can't believe you are not a G-girl!I rarely go out anymore due to being so busy in guy (m)-mode, but when I DO IT IS ALWAYS fun. 99% of the people out there don't give a hoot. The big thing is to not concern yourself about people staring at you because it usually turns out your staring at them which will get a response.

[jillleanne]

Great! Just what we need; another one doing their makeup in the car! lol Happy you had fun.

[daviolin]

You could of fooled me Amber. I see a 100% woman. Very impressive. Three cheers for pretty Amber. Daviolin

[AmberCDinNC]

Thank you so much for all of your wonderful responses. It's truly encouraging, and definitely gives me confidence to try going out again very soon!

One thing I desperately needed was some casual clothes, and although I bought a pair of jeans, etc., from shopping that day, they just didn't fit "me". So... off I went back to the DB (in drab), and met a WONDERFUL sales lady who spent two hours with me putting together a perfect outfit. It's an ankle-length skirt (no need to shave legs!) that is *beautiful*, and a nice, casual white top to match. I'm going next week to look at the wigs that came in, so hopefully I'll be blending just a bit better next time :-)

Again--I can't say enough about the wonderful responses to my post. I'll definitely try to get back to the forums a bit more often!