Does practice make "perfect"?

[Kate Simmons]

Over the years I've honed my makeup skills to the point where I know just what I want to do to complete my look en femme. I love to try different combinations of clothes and hairstyles and colors.This is the fun part of dressing up for me. I realized long ago to make it a fun thing and the minute it ceases to be fun and starts becoming a burden, I will retire. I don't strive to be "perfect" but as long as I look halfway decent en femme, it works for me.:battingeyelashes::)

[Sarah-RT]

I certainly hope it does, my "quality" of dressing is step by step, the time it took me to get my first wig, and then forms and then shoes to fit and so on, but since I have to build my image over time, every time I reach a new point it's great but then I feel lacking, such as at the moment I have a limited wardrobe and no makeup so I always feel incomplete

[Krisi]

Practice only makes perfect if you are practicing it right. As a child, my younger brother was taking trumpet lessons. He would practice for a half hour each day but he would play wrong notes and not even know it. He never came close to perfect and gave up music for things he was better suited for.

Because my wife doesn't normally wear makeup, I seldom get the chance to try. I'll wear lipstick and beard cover but that's normally it. Because I need to wear glasses, I have trouble with eye makeup.

[carhill2mn]

Practice may not lead to perfection but it will help you to do things better if you make needed corrections. I know some girls who take hours to "get ready". Everything has to be perfect.

Since I present as a woman nearly every day, I can not spend that much time. I have developed a makeup routine that takes a few minutes and seems to work for me. I was in
an Ulta store recently looking for a certain shade of eye shadow and the young woman next to me complimented me on my makeup. Other than in a movie, on TV, the "Red Carpet" or a model's runway, perfection is not needed; just nicely done will do.

[kimdl93]

Practice certainly helps...both in results and in the time required. I can be dressed, fully made up and reasonably presentable in 30 minutes. Perfect...not really, but as good as I can get.

[CynthiaD]

Practice helps, mostly in the amount of time it takes to get a certain look.

[Brandy Mathews]

Kate,
You are right. Lots of years of practice here too. And a few times at a professional makeover, that I truly love. Feels so good to be pampered like that. An they do some things with makeup that I still can't do to this day. And I agree with you on the "being fun" part too. And for me, being "Bree" is like a release for me I think. There are times tha I can go a while without dressing, then there are other times that I can't wait to get home and get all dolled up and be in my female side. Still love to shop though, even when not in female mode so I definitely feel like I am female inside. And I lie that too.
Hugs,
Bree :)

[Adriana Moretti]

yes it does......in a week or so i am going to set some time aside to practice false lashes again....its been a year since i played with them and i would like to use them more often. ..not to men tion perfect how to apply them correctly xoxo

[Sarah Doepner]

A fellow I used to work for had a plaque on his wall that read: "Perfect Practice makes Perfect". He was a coach for all his kids sports teams, and I would have hated being on one of those teams. Practice is good enough for me and it does lead to improvement and better understanding of what you are doing and how to do it better. It doesn't matter if it's makeup and nails, working with wood or shooting free throws in basketball, a little bit of practice helps. But I don't think anyone gets any of those things really "Perfect", but some are pretty darn good.

[Joni T]

Practice makes permanent.
Joni

[SharonDenise]

I could use professional make-up lessons and a lot more practice. As a previous comment was just made, one can be practicing applying make-up wrong and not be aware of what mistakes are being made. I've also gone for professional make overs and loved how they turned out- worth every penny.

[BLUE ORCHID]

Hi Kate, I've been in this program for over 68yrs. and have been pretty much self taught and for me Practice has made perfect for me.:daydreaming:

[Pat]

I'd say practice makes proficient. Acquiring the mechanical skills takes practice and anyone who devotes the time can learn them. You can learn not to blink when the mascara wand touches your eyelashes. You can learn to draw a straight line or blend eye shadow. Perfection -- that's limited to the few with divine inspiration. For the rest of us, there's proficiency. ;)

[lingerieLiz]

Stop and think about it. Girls start young playing with makeup. Most of the time they are limited by parents as to what products they can use with more latitude as they grow up. Luckily my sisters were more than happy to have me practice along with them. We would critique each other. By the time I was in my later teens I could do pretty good. Even more was when my land lady decided to treat me like a daughter. She owned a beauty shop and was a true artist who enjoyed training me. Since I don't wear makeup much today I don't think that I could compete with the real women.

[AbigailJordan]

Liz, not all of us start that early with makeup.. yes it's great if you have sisters to help.. personally I grew up as an only child, and when I started dressing I kept it very secret. It wasn't until I was in my 30's that I was able to start buying my own makeup and wigs etc.. so I haven't been practicing since childhood.

Can I pass.. well.. not very successfully. If I spend a lot of time on my makeup I can survive the "glance test" but not the stare test.. which 3 young male employees in Domino's one night proved lol

But things are improving each time I get done up.. I keep trying different products and the ones that I find work easier or better I keep.. I just wish I was better at eyes.. eyeliner is still a nightmare for me :(

[Kate Simmons]

When I started out I sucked at both liner and nail polish. What I ended up doing was only using lower liner and lighter nail colors which are more forgiving. That seems to work for me. :)

[docrobbysherry]

I suck worse than anyone at makeup. Of course, I dressed for nearly my first 12 years without ever needing any!:tongueout

But, when I began going out dressed 5 years ago, I had to ditch the masks and learn makeup. On my first outing I got a proffessional makeover. She showed me what to use and how to apply things correctly. Didn't matter much to me, tho. I think I look like crap whether or not my makeup's done well.:doh:

[Jaymees22]

I feel I'm getting better at my makeup skills with each application. Learning that less is best took a while, though lately been trying a little more eye makeup. Even when I mess it up I can always wipe it off and start over for more fun trying!! Jaymee

[Beverley Sims]

Kate,
I also have to settle for halfway decent.

I must look respectable though no half hearted tries at it.