No sister has it's disadvantages...

[BananaFish]

now, i'm not out with my CDing with my folks, if you see some of my posts you'd know ^_^ but i have a couple questions...

Any y'all know how to put on make-up, i'm a stereotypical guy and i dunno damn skippy about it, so yeah...and wigs...i normally would go to a halloween emporium (i'm the lucky one to have a 24/7/365 one here ^_^)

i wish to take it to the next level, so i can bring out Jennifer (my alter ego) to fruition...

[Angie G]

You must do it a lot to get good at it hun. there are sites on the web to help you along.:hugs:
Angie

[Jamie S.]

now, i'm not out with my CDing with my folks, if you see some of my posts you'd know ^_^ but i have a couple questions...

Any y'all know how to put on make-up, i'm a stereotypical guy and i dunno damn skippy about it, so yeah...and wigs...i normally would go to a halloween emporium (i'm the lucky one to have a 24/7/365 one here ^_^)

i wish to take it to the next level, so i can bring out Jennifer (my alter ego) to fruition...

That question's got alot of answers, but I'll tell you what I do and maybe that'll help.

First off, I strongly advise you try Ben Nye makeup kits for your foundations. They manufacture makeup for theatre, tv, film, etc. I've found that while using standard "girl" makeup works, it does not cover or smooth as well on those of the masculine persuasion such as ourselves. After all, it was designed for people that normally already have pretty clear skin and no coarse facial hair.

Depending on how translucent your skin is and how dark your facial hair is, you might also have to buy beard cover makeup (also made by Ben Nye) to apply underneath your foundation to mask your 5 o' clock shadow.

They make personal kits in several skin tones for about 10 to 15 dollars, which come with a foundation, powder, eye pencil, and a color wheel for shading and highlighting. It's a pretty good deal.

Once you've applied your foundation and setting powder, your face is pretty much a blank slate for you to apply your girl makeup (aka lipstick, blush, mascara etc).

[VeronicaMoonlit]

Do your homework. Books, magazines, the internet it all helps. As for wigs, I wouldn't buy a halloween wig, just head to the closest wig salon where you can get something that will look much much nicer.

Veronica
Rondelle (Ron) Rogers Jr.

[Ze xx]

We gg's have usually been practising for years since we were kids, but I still get it wrong :heehee:

Check out the interweb, or grab some magazines. The most important thing is to get your base right. A few internet companies will send you samples so you don't have to break the bank while trying if you don't want to go to a shop to try.

I'm assuming you don't have a sympathetic gg friend to help out. I would suggest going for a neutral look first and build up from there. Again check out the internet for wigs. If you want to try a style first, some hairdressing sites will allow you (for a small fee) to download a pic of your face and you can put hair styles on your own face to see what you think. Probably worth doing if you don't want to actually go to a shop.

Good luck xx

[Tracii G]

Jamie have you a link to Ben Nye?I googled but nothing came up.

[Sandra Dunn]

Checking out the web sites and magazines are a great start. You still need someone to look at you and curtique your efforts. The best I have found is going to the MAC counter in Dillard's these girls know make up and part of the procedes go to AIDS research and assistence. Even if you go to another make up counter or store I'm sure you can find someone willing to sell you what you need since most of them are on commision. With todays market it is not uncommon for a guy to try and buy make up. Right now is the perfect time, just tell them you want to dress up as a nice looking lady for a party. Be perpared to spend a few dollars, your first set up will cost some coin then after that it becomes very managable. I don't recommend the false eye lashes at this time, just get used to the rest of the make up first.
Depending on your beard as in how dark it is depends on what nutreulizer color to get. Most are a reddish shade which counter acts with the blue tint of the beard.
When you go shave really close and don't use aftershave, use estringent.
I've spent a few dollars and when I found a brand I like which is MAC I stayed with it and the resupply cost are about $40 every 6 weeks or so. I do dress more then average, say 60% of the time.
HUGS Sandra

[Sandra]

this place (http://www.crossdressers.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=21) might help, lots of advise and tips

[Nicole Erin]

I remember when I started and I didn't know diddly squat. I read stuff but just got more confused. I would ask for advice but got very little. So here is where to focus YOUR efforts for right now, the rest comes later...
1) Figure out your colors, keeping in mind there are no strict rules. Some colors are "safer" to use cause they tend to be more forgiving.

2) Don;t worry about all the crap about skin care or a skin care routine. Eventually you want to learn that but right now you just want to pretty up...


A simple start -
first makeup purchases should be inexpensive. For learning and getting a feel for the colors that work and you like, no need to blow a ton of cash on mall brands like I did years ago. Brands at walmart, Target, or a drug store are fine, don't hit the mall until you know what you are doing, and even then it is not necessary...

Do these first -

Foundation - covers your face with makeup a similar color to your skin. CDs do best with cream and not liquid since cream covers better. Unless your skin is really good. Liquid is for those who need minimum coverage.

Powder [pressed or loose] - "Sets" your makeup. Powder is messier but easier to use. Choice is yours.

Now you can -

Eyeshadow - goes on the eyelid. Geting it to look good is the hardest part of makeup. Dark on lower lid, light on upper. Like I said, this is the most complex part, especially if you get fancy with it. LEarn the basics first.

Mascara - coats eyelashes with ummm, mascara. YOu can never go wrong with black, but other colors are available.

Eyeliner - This one is tricky too, and if you are not used to doing it, your eye will flinch a lot, just be REAL careful. Eventually you get used to it and do it no problem. While learning, use a pencil eyeliner, the liquid one is a pain in the butt. You don't really need it on the upper lining of your eye, unless you are going for a dramatic look.

Blush - pinkish makeup that goes on the cheeks. Use the powder kind. The cream type sucks. Smile real big and apply it with a brush to the apples of your cheeks [the part that protrudes when you smile,]

Lipstick - Self explanitory.

You don't really need a lip liner, some say it helps but it is personal choice, I don't use one.

Now for colors, I don't know your face so here is what I use. If you are white with a slight bit of a tan, these could be a start for you too -

Foundation and powder - that don't matter but it matches my skin color well.

eyeshadow - dark brown for the eyelid and light brown for the upper.

Mascara and eyeliner are both black. [this is ALWAYS a safe bet to use black]

Blush - darker pink. light pink looks bad on me. With darker pink, you can always use less. Err on the side of too dark.

lipstick - I like darker shades of red. The best thing to do - if your are real light skinned, use lighter colors or pinks. Darker skins colors like me, I like a bit darker. Me using a pink would look bad, or a real light skin using too dark would be too loud.

If you have no problems spending a couple hundred $$$ right off the bat, you could talk to a Mary Kay consultant and let her choose your colors and get you started. MAry Kay consultants are VERY professional, and will not judge you for being CD. They do not charge for their services but the makeup is a little pricey, [Not as bad as the mall brands.]

The mall makeup counters provide this same service BUT their products are pretty stupid expensive.

So what specific Q's have you? Send a PM if you like. I am not an expert but I will try to give you a bit more solid advice than "Go look in a book". All I can really tell you is what I have learned, and that will save you some aggrivation

Erin

[VeronicaMoonlit]

1) Figure out your colors, keeping in mind there are no strict rules. Some colors are "safer" to use cause they tend to be more forgiving.

That's the only reason I'd recommend going to a department store, Sephora or MAC counter, because they can figure the colors out (espcecially in regards to foundation) and once you have some idea, then you can go to Target and Walgreens. It's also good to know your basic skin type: Dry, combination or Oily.


CDs do best with cream and not liquid since cream covers better.

Unless you have oily skin, then creams won't work well on you. There are liquids that do heavier coverage but it can be difficult to figure out which liquid is sheer and which isn't. Powder foundations can also do good coverage, but might not be good for a beginner. (They're also more expensive)


Eyeshadow - goes on the eyelid. Geting it to look good is the hardest part of makeup.

Yep. This is where the pictures in books/magazines come in handy.


Blush - pinkish makeup that goes on the cheeks. Use the powder kind. The cream type sucks.

The cream type sucks on me too, I've been wanting to try gel but stick with powder. It's easy to overdo blush. You can also use the v-finger thing to help get it in the right place.



Lipstick - Self explanitory.

It helps to use a lip brush, it looks better that way than straight from the tube.



eyeshadow - dark brown for the eyelid and light brown for the upper.

Two good neutral eyeshadow sets are the Revlon Sandstorm and Coffee Bean eyeshadow quads.



Blush - darker pink. light pink looks bad on me. With darker pink, you can always use less. Err on the side of too dark.

Unless you're have fair coloring, then you should go light.


MAry Kay consultants are VERY professional, and will not judge you for being CD. They do not charge for their services but the makeup is a little pricey, [Not as bad as the mall brands.]

The formulations and color choices aren't really up to snuff, they don't modernise their formulations fast enough.



The mall makeup counters provide this same service BUT their products are pretty stupid expensive.

Except for MAC which is only slightly more than L'Oreal, which is getting a bit pricey lately.


I am not an expert but I will try to give you a bit more solid advice than "Go look in a book". All I can really tell you is what I have learned, and that will save you some aggrivation

Erin

Good point there, I mostly learned the old fashioned way pre-internet, though AF (alt.fashion) helped later on, so I gave what was essentially a Linux guru style RTFM answer (Read The Bleeping Manual) Sorry about that.

Veronica
Rondelle (Ron) Rogers Jr.

[Jamie S.]

Jamie have you a link to Ben Nye?I googled but nothing came up.

Really? It was the first thing that came up on my google search.

Their site:
http://www.bennyemakeup.com/

A very good supplier:
http://www.stagemakeuponline.com/

[Tracii G]

Thanks Jamie I got nothing when I did it.I'll check it out.

[Bethany_Anne_Fae]

I always recommend buying a copy of "Making Faces" By Kevin Aucoin. There is a TON of great information within those pages that will give you a good idea on the How to.

It may not be what you are looking for but it works well for me.

*hugs*

Zara