Makeup can have an amazing impact on your appearance – IF you apply it correctly.
Many crossdressers and transgender women tell me they struggle with this skill, and that’s okay!
You deserve to feel like your most beautiful, feminine self. To get started, it’s important to avoid a few common male to female makeup mistakes.
In this blog post, I’ll share the mistakes you need to avoid – and what to do instead!
1. Wearing Too Much Makeup
Wearing too much makeup is an easy mistake to make. Makeup is meant to enhance your best features while minimizing any perceived imperfections.
When you overdo your makeup, you end up accentuating EVERYTHING. This isn’t a flattering look, so remember rule #1: Apply your makeup with a light touch.
2. Applying Full Coverage Foundation on Your Entire Face
Even if you have problem areas you want to hide, you should avoid covering your entire face with a thick foundation. Heavy foundation can give your face a cakey and mask-like look.
Instead, opt for full coverage makeup in areas that require it, such as the beard area, and use a lighter foundation on the rest of your face.
3. Using Poor Makeup Application Technique
When it comes to makeup, technique matters. Some common examples of poor makeup application technique include:
- Clumpy mascara
- Mismatched foundation
- Harsh lip liner
- Overdrawn eyebrows
- Cakey concealer
If your makeup skills are lacking, look for makeup tutorials on YouTube or check out my free Male to Female Makeup Mini Course.
4. Not Selecting The Right Makeup Shades
Choosing the right makeup shades is just as important as your makeup application technique.
In fact, the wrong colors can give you a harsh and masculinized appearance faster than anything else.
The most important thing to consider is your natural coloring. For example:
- If you have lighter hair and skin, opt for low-intensity colors like soft brown, blue, pink, or coral.
- If you have darker hair and skin, go for high-intensity colors like deep brown, black, blue, or red.
Candis Cayne – Low intensity colors
Janet Mock – High intensity colors
In addition to your natural coloring, think about the occasion and time of day when selecting your makeup. Typically, higher-intensity makeup works better for nighttime when the lighting is dim.
Finally, your makeup shades should complement the colors of your clothing for a cohesive and polished look.
5. Not Taking Good Care of Your Skin
Think of your face as the canvas for your makeup. If your skin is dry and rough, it’s going to be noticeable.
Keep in mind that male skin tends to be rougher than female skin due to lower estrogen levels. This means that good skin care is critical.
Care for your skin by using a gentle cleanser, moisturizing daily, using sunscreen, drinking lots of water, and getting enough sleep.
Ready to learn more?
Check out my previous article, How to Feminize Your Face Without Surgery, for more male to female makeup tips and techniques.
For more in depth training, consider The Makeup Magic Program to learn all the essential makeup skills every crossdresser and transgender woman should know.
As always, I’d love to hear from you. Do you struggle with makeup or have you mastered this skill? Please share in the comments below!
Love,
Lucille
I think after fifty years I think I got it
Why not look beautiful always
I use a full face foundation also but once I have applied it I will wait a few minutes then take a clean makeup sponge and take the excess off before applying my face powder. I will use a lighter foundation color then the face powder. Once that is done I will then select the eye shadow depending on what color dress I will be wearing.
One can go to a remote mall and ask sales people to match a foundation for you. Nice experience, you’d buy a good matching foundation and you’d learn how to apply it too.
I do use full foundation mask to start have for years in bands and in drag.I have pictures to prove it is the perfect canvas to start with.
My biggest struggle is that I put makeup on in relatively low-light environments (at home) and use it way to often when presenting myself on a webcam… or when taking pictures and making movies 🙂 Needless to say, when going out, or moving to a more brightly lit area, I see that I have far too much makeup on…
I have had the benefit of going to my local make up artist and she has taught me a lot about applying make up and the right colours for my features. it started out with me asking how to shape my brows and that lead to her applying makeup right there in store. I was crazy nervous and had hard time relaxing but as she talked me through and asked the other girls nearby what they thought about the right colours they all made me feel at ease . and you know what in the end I truly felt beautiful. that was last year and im still trying to get it right .practice does make better somedays are better than other I think patience is a big key factor. that’s my take. xoxo girls! Lisa
here’s another attempt of me trying to get it right ??
Applying eye liners is the most difficult phase in my makeup