An experiment of sorts

[Cristi]

I've been going out shopping after HOURS of work on makeup, hair and nails and haven't had any problems at all.

Now my curiosity is getting the better of me. Just how much work DO I have to do to get the effect of being seen as a woman? I hear of some girls in this forum that only spend a few minutes on makeup, but so much of that is genetics!

Today, I took a slightly different approach. I had to travel quite a ways (200 miles on the highway) and decided to go dressed, but I didn't have time to go 'all out'. I spent about 20 minutes curling my hair, did a close shave, put on some foundation, powder and lipstick and considered myself done. (I didn't do eye makeup, relying instead on sunglasses). All in all, 'prep' work took a total of 40 minutes, about 1/3 of what it has taken me in the past.

The makeup done, I put on tights, a burgandy skirt suit, overcoat and headed out. This was the first time I'd worn this skirt suit in public. The skirt was above the knee and only an inch or so longer than the coat, so at first glance it almost looked like I was ONLY wearing the overcoat over black tights :)

From the (lack of reaction) I got, it didn't make any difference! I stopped at two rest areas on the long trip to use the women's room. In one I actually got a 'have a nice day, now!' from the tourist information desk attendant as I walked out!

Finally, I ended up with a walkthrough at a small mall just before I got to my destination and had to change back into a guy.

So I had plenty of time to think on the 200 mile drive home after the visit. Just how 'little' CAN I get away with? I'm going to try to get my nerve up to go with less and less makeup and prep until I feel the balance tip (I think I'll be able to tell when I start getting long curious looks).

I'd also like to try going 'gender neutral'. Some very light makeup (just enough to cover the beard shadow), slacks, a generic top, sneakers and a coat. It would be interesting to see if I can pull this off and still get a "Ma'm" out of somebody.

Who else has played with the boundries like this?

[Karren H]

WOW Hours!!!!

Me... usually 15 to 20 minutes if I had pre-dressed with my lingerie under my civies.... That includes dressing, makeup, accessories, out the door and in the truck headed to the mall... If I do have time I could spend hours but the end result wouldn't be much better than my "just-in-time" quicky method... hehe

Monday I was extra rushed because someone kept trying the unisex restroom handle... think it was the custodian... She has seen me there many times and I think likes to pull my chain!! lol

Loev Karren

[Tasha Meredith]

Probably hours for me because of the inexperience. I know a female illusionist who learned it all from entertainment and is now pro makeup artist. She does hers in about 15 minutes.

[Cristi]

WOW Hours!!!!

Me... usually 15 to 20 minutes if I had pre-dressed with my lingerie under my civies....
Loev Karren

yeah, I think 'hours' is mostly due to the fact that I'm still learning. Once I get a look I'm happy with I'm sure I'll be able to cut the whole process down to 1/4 of that. That was one of my goals for today's quick job.

BTW: I have the luxury of getting ready at home with one 'gotcha'. There is only one street out of the nieghborhood and I know ALL my neighbors and they know my car, so if I happen to drive past any of them as they are driving in, they'll get a good look at me :( I haven't worked out how to deal with that yet, I've just been lucky so far. I DO cary my cell phone so I can hold it up next to my face and pretend to be talking on it, which would block a lot of my face from view. I don't know how I'd explain the curls, though.

[marie354]

I've been working with my makeup for what seems forever, but never got it down to where it didn't look a bit too much. Until I got some help from my SO.

While she was doing my makeup for me one day, she told me three things...
1. The eye-shadow color that you want is not always the one that works.
2. Less is more.
3. Makeup is not so much for coverup as it is for enhancement.

I try to keep these things in mind when I'm putting on my face, and I'm down to anywhere from 10-15 minutes. I still haven't got the eyeliner down right, so I just skip it most of the time.

[Karren H]

Well if your neighbors start calling curlie!!! lol

When I step out of the restroom, enfemme, I never know who will be waiting there... usually no one, but sometimes truckers, older couples... the custodian... and since we have a regional office just down the road I'm always afraid that when I step out there could be a coworker standing there... But then again that's half the fun!!! Kind of like Russian Roulette only in a dress.... :D

Love Karren

[Billijo49504]

First, let me say not every GG looks as good as Karen does. Go to the mall and just people watch, and then go to the grocery store and look at the GG that are there, some are pretty good, but a lot are really rough. Don't go by what I say, look for your self....BJ

[Cristi]

While she was doing my makeup for me one day, she told me three things...
1. The eye-shadow color that you want is not always the one that works.
2. Less is more.
3. Makeup is not so much for coverup as it is for enhancement.


I'm already understanding the 'less is more'. Even now, I look back at what I was doing a few months ago and there is a HUGE difference. Back then, I was using so much foundation that my face didn't look real. Now, I use enough to cover my beard shadow on my chin, but on the rest of my face I can still see my natural skin tones coming through a light cover of foundation which just 'evens things out' a bit.

I still haven't found 'my' eye shadow color. Right now I'm using some shades of brown. I'm a bit afraid to try something more colorful that might be 'too much', though a woman at Walgreens suggested some subtle shades of green to me one time. I bought what she showed me, but haven't gotten it to work for me yet.

[stephanietv]

WOW Hours!!!!

Me... usually 15 to 20 minutes if I had pre-dressed with my lingerie under my civies.... That includes dressing, makeup, accessories, out the door and in the truck headed to the mall... If I do have time I could spend hours but the end result wouldn't be much better than my "just-in-time" quicky method... hehe

Monday I was extra rushed because someone kept trying the unisex restroom handle... think it was the custodian... She has seen me there many times and I think likes to pull my chain!! lol

Loev Karren

Girl you must write a book i'd buy it

huggs
Steph

[susie evans]

practice is what it takes and experiment and the speed will come in time it took me a couple of years and i still have bad days :hugs:

susie

[Robin Leigh]

Right now I'm using some shades of brown. I'm a bit afraid to try something more colorful that might be 'too much', though a woman at Walgreens suggested some subtle shades of green to me one time. I bought what she showed me, but haven't gotten it to work for me yet.You can't go too wrong with shades of brown. :)

I mostly use browns on my eyes, but I often add a little contrasting colour on the eyelid itself on top of the brown base. I do this with pink, green, blue or violet. An interesting effect can be achieved by applying the contrasting colour only onto the outer half of the eye. The transition between the two halves can be sharp or blended, but do try to keep it central & vertical.

Robin

[PaulaJaneThomas]

Less is often more. I subscribe to the keep-it-simple school of makeup especially in daytime. When I was having my laser treatment, which involved a 10 minute walk from where I parked the car to the salon, I used to just put on a bit of mascara, some lippy and a touch of makeup on the upper lip. Eventually I was able to do without the upper lip makeup. No-one ever batted an eyelid. Those with a noticable beard shadow will need to wear foundation though.

[Kate Simmons]

Good gravy, I didn't know there were any boundries. In my case, as long as I have a good beard shadow cover and foundation, light makeup works. I also use this method when I'm Salandra CDing as a guy. My enemy is time. Even with the best shave, I'm only good for 10-12 hours tops. If I'm going to pull a 24/7, I have to shave twice a day. Otherwise, I don't seem to have many problems.:happy:

[Robin Leigh]

When I was having my laser treatment, which involved a 10 minute walk from where I parked the car to the salon, I used to just put on a bit of mascara, some lippy and a touch of makeup on the upper lip. Eventually I was able to do without the upper lip makeup.I'm extremely envious, Paula! :) How long ago was the laser treatment, and over what time span? How permanent have the results been?

I usually do my makeup for night wear, but it's not too unusual around here to see women with quite heavy makeup on during the day, although they do tend to be the younger ones.

I'm trying to master the art of less is more, but it is hard when you have beard shadow to cover.

Robin

[Melinda G]

I've said this before, and I'll say it again. I think we are too hard on ourselves. Many of us feel guilty, or that we are doing something wrong, or bad. The truth is, most people don't care. It's no big deal anymore.
I think there are probably plenty of instances where someone knows, or 'Makes" us, and doesn't say anything. Most people don't want to be rude, or embarrass anyone.
And not to be nasty, but there are a lot of very unattractive women out there, that look more like men, than women.

[Emily Ann Brown]

As far as how long for makeup, under 20 minutes usually unless I am trying to be super perfect for pics.

I once had a makeover at the mall, and decided to not put ANY of my face on, so I went in with just sunglasses.....nobody seemed to notice at all. A few times I have done just lipstick (soft shade), eyeliner and a touch of blush. Again, no visible reaction.


Emily Ann

[Rhonda Jean]

I spend about 20 minutes on makeup at the max, including Dermablend. If I forego the Dermablend, which I'm doing more and more, it's alot less. My downfall as far as time is concerned is my hair. After shampooing I blow dry it with a using a big round brush, then flat iron, then a curling iron to flip the ends up and the other layers down. about a 40 minute process! For all the bad things people say about sleeping in rollers, which I haven't done in years, at least your hair is pretty much ready to go.

[SANDRA MICHELLE]

I am slow with my make up but i can still achieve the look in less than 40 minutes. I am getting better at it but still have a long way to go. I would wear make up and lipstick every day if I could get away with it. i am sure it would come easier with practice.

[Kristen Marie]

When getting ready for my last event, it took me well over an hour just for the make-up. But most of that time was spent on trying to make it look just right. I was amazed at how good we can look by just having Dermablend for beard cover and a good foundation and lipstick. In the car you can add some mascara and blush.

[sandra-leigh]

I am slow with my make up but i can still achieve the look in less than 40 minutes.

It still takes me 90 or more minutes to get ready, and that's without trying for eyeliner or mascarra or doing my eyebrows.

A noticable fraction of that time is in shaving. My facial hair does not grow particularily quickly, and it is not corse -- but my skin tones are fair enough that I'd have beard shadow even if I took a microplane to it. And getting the hair on the curve on the bottom of my chin is always a joy.

I am getting lighter on the foundation, and noticably faster on it too...

But the time just keeps slipping away. I had those pantyhose just a moment ago... darn, my nail polish scraped off there... Drats, I left those shoes at work!... Ohhh, this wig is all knots, where did I put the wig spray? This pair of pantyhose is slipping down, I'd better pick out another pair; Arggh, I put a run in that one!...