In Your Eye

[Foxglove]

Hi, Girls!

Do some of ye have the same problem I have? Some days you do yourself up and when you look in the mirror, you look so beautiful and you feel all warm and comfy inside. (Seriously narcissistic there, yes, I know, but we can speak honestly on this forum, can't we?) Then other days, you take a look and don't see much of anything at all. In fact, you see some things you'd rather not see. "Hmm. Yeah, well, tomorrow is another day."

I can't even figure out the reason for it. I do my makeup the same way every time--keep it simple, don't get too ambitious, you'll get yourself in big trouble in a hurry that way. I've done some experimenting, and at this point I've discovered pretty well what will work and what won't.

You can look exactly the same as always and completely different at the same time. Maybe it's just a question of your mood on a given day. But I have those times when I say to myself, "I know I'm beautiful. (Of course I am.) I just don't look very beautiful."

You know what they say: "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." So a lot of days I simply shut my eyes.

Best wishes, Annabelle

[AllieSF]

Yeah, sometimes we see the truth and other times the fantasy. I actually like both and have decided not to let it bother me. Does it bother you??

[Cynthia Anne]

I know what you are talking about Annabelle! I do think 'mood' has a lot to do with it! Things going on in your life at a perticular time may factor in also! I also think health is a factor! Many things to consider! You are only as pretty as you feel; though they say!

[Foxglove]

Yeah, sometimes we see the truth and other times the fantasy. I actually like both and have decided not to let it bother me. Does it bother you??

Yes, but which is truth and which is fantasy? (Maybe you'd better not answer that.) Aye, it does bother me. I do like to look good in my own eyes. But maybe it's not so important. I have trouble figuring these things out.


I know what you are talking about Annabelle! I do think 'mood' has a lot to do with it! Things going on in your life at a perticular time may factor in also! I also think health is a factor! Many things to consider! You are only as pretty as you feel; though they say!

Maybe you're onto something here, Cynthia Anne! Maybe I should keep a record of these things. If I've had a bad day, does that affect things?

[Celeste]

Same here...would you believe I've found that changing the color I'm wearing can change me and that feeling or you can change up on your hair to break out of the doldrums.But yea some days are rough and are good for taking a break from it all.I think the worst is probably having a planned event to go out to and then having one of those bad day's,you just hate to cancel.

[steftoday]

It happened to me yesterday. I got all my makeup on, looked in the mirror, and was so let down, I removed it all. For whatever reason, my mustache shadow showed through my foundation, and it pissed me off. (I think it was a switch in concealers that did it, but I'll have to try again to know for sure.) Some days are definitely like what you described.

[Karren H]

I always see an old guy in a dress...... sigh........

[Beverley Sims]

Beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder.
These days I see the beauty slipping a little bit as reality bites.

[Cheryl T]

I've been through that cycle as I believe most have.
Since being able to accept myself about 7 years ago I try not to be that critical any longer. I just enjoy the fact that I can express who I am. Everyone has days when they feel they don't look their best and that's not restricted to us. I see my wife go through that at times and try to bring her to a different level when she's feeling that way.

Try not to fixate on the image in the glass. Try to hold on to the feeling inside.

[Stephanie Miller]

Don't let it get you down. The imagination is a better reflection of yourself than a mirror. Mirrors only see the outside.

[Angela Campbell]

This happens with me in more ways than in dressing. I am a musician and some days I record myself singing and it sounds awful, or maybe I can't get my guitar to sound good no matter what I do. If I keep the recordings and listen another day it sounds fine...go figure.

[Foxglove]

Try not to fixate on the image in the glass. Try to hold on to the feeling inside.


Don't let it get you down. The imagination is a better reflection of yourself than a mirror. Mirrors only see the outside.

This is true. The look is one thing. The feeling is another. Funny, too, how the feeling can evolve.

[Megan Briana]

Momma always did say there'd be days like this. Yes, there'd be days like this....and then tomorrow comes :)

[Rachel Morley]

Some days you do yourself up and when you look in the mirror, you look so beautiful and you feel all warm and comfy inside. Then other days, you take a look and don't see much of anything at all. In fact, you see some things you'd rather not see.
So true ... and when I mentioned this to my wife her reply to me was "Welcome to my world. No woman feels good about herself every day.". That kinda made me feel better about it as I was apparently experiencing something all women go through (according to my wife that is).

[StarrOfDelite]

I am sure that millions of genetic girls and transgendered girls will agree when I say there ought to be a law against overhead fluorescent lights in bathrooms!

[Foxglove]

So true ... and when I mentioned this to my wife her reply to me was "Welcome to my world. No woman feels good about herself every day.". That kinda made me feel better about it as I was apparently experiencing something all women go through (according to my wife that is).

Well, yeah, I can see that. I don't feel so bad now.


I am sure that millions of genetic girls and transgendered girls will agree when I say there ought to be a law against overhead fluorescent lights in bathrooms!

This is one problem I don't have. Actually the problem I do have is that generally the light is poor in my place. It does make it that bit harder for me to do my makeup. Or at least that's one excuse I can use.

[Tina B.]

Annabelle somedays I put in a lot of work and love what I see, somedays I put in a lot of work, and hate what I see, even if I do the same thing both days, just the same. I think it's all in my head!
Tina B.

[KellyJameson]

The first bite of cake tastes the best and than every other one fails by comparison because the first bite is the something compared to the nothing, we measure so
limit by measuring what we are experiencing.

Try not to always reproduce what you have already done but go somewhere with it that you have not yet been.

Find an empty beach and let the wind blow your hair and dress in every direction, feel the thunder of the surf coming through your bare feet and lick the spray of salt water off your lips.

[ArleneRaquel]

Every day, after getting gussied up, and look into the mirror, and say I'm beautiful, then I take another look into the mirror, with my glasses on & :eek:

[BLUE ORCHID]

Hi Annabelle, The first time that happened I thought that it was the mirror so I went out and bought a new mirror.

[franny lin]

So times I think I look so beautiful and other times not so much

[Kathi Lake]

Some days you do yourself up and when you look in the mirror, you look so beautiful and you feel all warm and comfy inside?Ahahahahahahaaaaaaa! Thanks for the laugh. If, by 'warm and comfy' you mean 'not totally likely to hurl' then yeah, I feel like that sometimes. :)


Yeah, sometimes we see the truth and other times the fantasy. I actually like both and have decided not to let it bother me. Does it bother you??Awesome question and attitude, Allie! I have very little fantasy in my opinion of myself, but a lot of truth. What I see in the mirror agrees with what the world sees - a skinny old guy wearing makeup and fabulous clothes. You know what? I'm fine with that. :)


I always see an old guy in a dress...... sigh........Yyyyyup!

Kathi

[Tracii G]

Sure I feel that way sometimes but then again I'm not all that good with make up.

[Foxglove]

Every day, after getting gussied up, and look into the mirror, and say I'm beautiful, then I take another look into the mirror, with my glasses on & :eek:

Yeah, well, I always leave the glasses off. Things could really get out of hand otherwise.


Hi Annabelle, The first time that happened I thought that it was the mirror so I went out and bought a new mirror.

I tried that, too. But I think the two mirrors were in league with each other.

[Sarah Doepner]

Annabelle, it happens to me more often than not. In practice, it's rare that the girl I look forward to seeing shows up in the mirror. Unfortunately, when I dress beliveing that's the image I'll find, I usually end up disappointed. I used to go back time and time again with unrealistic expectations and kept trying new makeup and different clothing to get her to show up.

It turned out that it wasn't the actual reflection I was trying to achieve, but the feeling that moment carried with it. When I really think about the process of crossdressing it becomes apparent that it's not as much a physical thing as a mental one. It's even possible it's not an intellectual goal but an emotion that washes over us. Everything we apply to our skin and drape over our bodies is there to help find that great feeling, that feminine emotion that just can't seem to be found in any other way. We dress to overcome that mental resistance to believing we can be different from who we are. And somehow, looking at ourselves from that gender changed perspective can make us feel better for a while.

I'm not saying it's not worth doing your very best to look as much like a woman as possible. That's fun stuff. And in this context, the time invested in that process is almost a meditation. By the time I'm fully made up, dressed, perfumed and ready to leave the room I've been feeling wonderful for a long time, well before I stand in front of the mirror looking for external validation of what I feel inside. If I've done a good enough job of preparing there aren't enough male tells to break the feeling down. In fact it may be best to just look at the mirror to see if your slip is showing or if there isn't a chunk of mascarra on the tip of your nose and not worry if the girl you expected is there outside, just as long as she is there inside.

[Foxglove]

It turned out that it wasn't the actual reflection I was trying to achieve, but the feeling that moment carried with it. When I really think about the process of crossdressing it becomes apparent that it's not as much a physical thing as a mental one. It's even possible it's not an intellectual goal but an emotion that washes over us. Everything we apply to our skin and drape over our bodies is there to help find that great feeling, that feminine emotion that just can't seem to be found in any other way. We dress to overcome that mental resistance to believing we can be different from who we are. And somehow, looking at ourselves from that gender changed perspective can make us feel better for a while.


Hi, Sarah! This is a good post. I know what you're saying. I'm looking for that feeling, too, and of course it isn't just makeup that gives it to you.

I've been lucky: I found "my look" pretty quickly--the sort of hair I want, especially the type of clothes I like to wear. I haven't wasted too much money buying stuff that didn't suit me. In a lot of ways, I'm very comfortable with myself these days.

Unfortunately, makeup is a bit more difficult than the rest of it--at least I've found it so. So I don't always get the results I want. Maybe I'm just vain.
But on those days that I get everything just right--pure magic!

Best wishes, Annabelle

[RebeccaLynne]

It turned out that it wasn't the actual reflection I was trying to achieve, but the feeling that moment carried with it. When I really think about the process of crossdressing it becomes apparent that it's not as much a physical thing as a mental one. It's even possible it's not an intellectual goal but an emotion that washes over us. Everything we apply to our skin and drape over our bodies is there to help find that great feeling, that feminine emotion that just can't seem to be found in any other way. We dress to overcome that mental resistance to believing we can be different from who we are. And somehow, looking at ourselves from that gender changed perspective can make us feel better for a while.

Annabelle, Sarah has said it well, at least from my perspective. We've achieved a transformation from who we are perceived to be, to who we really would like to be.

And I'll take the femme me over the male me everytime... despite whether I look as pretty as I'd like; it's still better than that guy! :heehee:


I'm not saying it's not worth doing your very best to look as much like a woman as possible. That's fun stuff. And in this context, the time invested in that process is almost a meditation. By the time I'm fully made up, dressed, perfumed and ready to leave the room I've been feeling wonderful for a long time, well before I stand in front of the mirror looking for external validation of what I feel inside. If I've done a good enough job of preparing there aren't enough male tells to break the feeling down. In fact it may be best to just look at the mirror to see if your slip is showing or if there isn't a chunk of mascarra on the tip of your nose and not worry if the girl you expected is there outside, just as long as she is there inside.

So eloquently stated; describes the same euphoria I experience everytime I dress as a woman. It just keeps getting better... and, I can apply my makeup a lot faster, too. Just one of the perks to frequent CD'ing... I highly recommend it!