From time to time when reading crossdresser online posts they mention that they are working on their makeup skills. Often they reference it has one of the obstacles to their venturing out in public for the first time. It has been said that the more things change the more they stay the same which is definitely true in this case. Makeup for crossdressers has evolved over time from the heavy theatrical makeup female impersonators and later DRAG Queens used to more specialized products. What never changes is the crossdressers desire to buy and wear makeup to accomplish specific goals.
Makeup for crossdressers differs based on what you are trying to accomplish with it because makeup is a tool which done correctly transforms the face. I think most seasoned crossdressers will admit to learning either a little or a lot from DRAG performers makeup techniques. Many won’t be aware of it but they indirectly benefit from discoveries made by DRAG performers who learned how to feminize male faces. The crossdresser may attribute their knowledge to someone like myself with a webpage dedicated helping people wanting to look better when dressed as a woman or an older member of their crossdressing club as I did. However, if you go back to where the older club member learned about makeup DRAG will most likely be mentioned someplace because they had to figure it out for themselves why back when.
Makeup for crossdressers needs to be far more subtle than DRAG which is typically more exotic for entertainment purposes. Typically crossdressers don’t want to stand out so blending or passing is a goal often stated. This is where some thought has to go into what the crossdresser wants to accomplish and what is achievable. Makeup alone is not going to make you passable and I don’t think most crossdressers should worry about it. Passing requires fooling 100 % of the people that look at you and you never know how many read but ignored you. Attempting to blend makes for more sense to me as it is much easier to accomplish.
The biggest obstacle for crossdressers passing is the beard and how dark it is. If you remove it with electrolysis or laser passing might be possible. If you use a beard cover to make it less visible passing is most likely not possible but you might blend as a woman from a distance. If you are a petite person with a face that has a feminine bone structure you might be taken as a woman with heavy makeup. You are lucky if that is your situation because it is not uncommon for certain women to wear a lot of makeup especially the artists working the makeup counters in stores.
Makeup for crossdressers that don’t need beard cover is far easier to find and the products vary depending on the users goal. Foundations can be thick and used like a mask covering the entire face radically changing the appearance of the wearer. Many women don’t like thick foundations saying they feel heavy on the face and you look made up. The other end of the spectrum is thinner lighter foundations for those only looking for a subtle change giving a more natural appearance.
The products that go on your face after your foundation are used to enhance your features like eyes, lips, cheeks etc. None of them will have much impact on your being passable but help to feminize your face. The foundation is the key to passing or blending or just looking your best.
MAKEUP FOR CROSSDRESSERS
The area of makeup that is most overlooked by people that use it, either a woman or a crossdresser is the FOUNDATION of the FOUNDATION. It will determine the success of your efforts toward what ever your goal is. I am talking about the skin surface that you are applying the makeup foundation to. The smoother that surface the better your makeup will look. Regardless of if you pass, blend or don’t care with thin or thick foundation. If you are just starting out and looking to learn more about makeup for crossdressers you need to get this right from the beginning.
It is highly likely that crossdressers who have reached a point where they want to stop fighting the urge and embrace their crossdressing, taking it to the next level don’t focus on the skin first. They are looking at the end result the makeup will hopefully give them. Skin preparation probably won’t be on their radar for sometime until they start trying to improve their look. This is when they find out that the most expensive makeup in the world can’t fix bad skin. A sixteen year old high school girl can make inexpensive drug store makeup look good if she has young healthy skin.
I spent many years in the Southern California sun working outside for a time and playing in and on the ocean with little regard to skin damage. Even as a lifelong crossdresser I never gave any thought to my skin or how it looked with makeup. As I took more interest in the quality of my presentation and saw how good others looked I learned the importance of skin texture. More importantly I learned that it was possible to improve the condition of my skin and my makeup appearance along with it. Smoother skin makes foundation look more natural so that was my goal.
My skin was rough, dry, and had large pores that foundation and powder made more visible. Over the years I had some chemical peels and laser treatments to get rid of the dead skin on my face. My pores shrank in the process giving me the smoothest skin possible. The expense depends on the process involved and I don’t think peels are very popular anymore because laser has no downtime and results are quicker. Big cities with more competition were cheaper years ago and I actually went to Beverly Hills for my treatments instead of Long Beach. Medical office buildings in Beverly Hills had beauty clinics on every floor and hundreds in the town.
Regardless of which procedure you choose and what you pay for it the results are not permanent and you have to maintain your skin. I am not saying you need more treatments just that you need to preserve the results you gained from the treatments you already received. I use an exfoliating wash to clean my face IN the shower daily and twice a week also in the shower I use an exfoliating treatment.
The wash with Deep Clean above which has small abrasive particles and the scrub below is made up if crystals like sand which I gently scrub only using only twice a week because it really removes dead skin and can cause redness.
After drying off from the shower I immediately apply a moisturizing cream to my face that contains Aloe Vera. I think it locks in the moister from the shower but I am not an expert. I also apply an extra coat before starting my makeup process.
I know when I get compliments from the nurses at my doctors office that it is noticeable to them which is cool because I am in Duke mode when there. In Micki mode an associate at the MAC counter in Nordstroms complimented me on my makeup looking so very natural. It does not get any better than that for me.
The key to success for any crossdresser but especially those wanting to get the best results from their makeup is to get your face as smooth as you can. Regardless of which process that you use and what you spend make it last with a daily routine like the one I use above so you won’t need to pay for expensive treatments so often.
Finally, use a good sunscreen anytime you will be outside and forget the golden tan which will undo everything you accomplish. My dermatologist recommended the La Roche-Posay sun screen which I use and it works very well. It goes on white and soaks in quickly but I have not tried it under makeup.
