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 have trouble with eye makeup , and then removal is difficult
You are correct Lucille Sorella i also feel that to much make up sometimes ruins our looks and a little could have a wow effect !! But lipstick for me at times goes away in a few kisses and i gotta keep checking on the same…i m not a rank pro in make up but getting there a step on step !!
with love and kisses,
kavita
Well i will admit that at first i had a hard time with my makeup, and overall look. But i practiced and listed and watched many boys become girls on the internet, and i talked with other girls at the beauty shops and now i thank i have it down. However, there is still room for improvements, so if you like have any tips to better my look please share
Danielle, You don’t too bad.
Your photo though, is showing some beard shadow
If you can deal with the beard shadow, you will not
need a lot of make-up to look pretty. Goodluck.
Just me with make up.
You are very passable and lovely.
You look good Samantha.
Just me with make up.
Good Top-5 Lucille. The professional gal who helped me with my make-up years ago strongly encouraged me to ALWAYS go for a very normal “everyday” woman’s look – so not natural/no make-up (because with make-up I look much more feminine and passable) – but also never too much, too pronounced, too obvious.
With my very fair skin and very little facial hair, I can get silky smooth easily and my super easy daily routine is just a little concealer under my eyes and then a light dust of bare minerals. Add eye liner under my lower lashes only and then neutral tone eye shadow (peach, gray, white, muted pink, smokey) just to define a bit, then mascara lower and upper lashes, with a very fine touch-up to my very thin brows (no dark or obvious drawn-on look). Finish off with neutral lip stick that matches eye shadow (never tracing my lips in 2-tones, and no bright/loud colors). She also showed me a great tip to add a quick line-stroke of lipstick right on cheekbone and then blend it in with my finger for a hint of color, but not a heavy blusher. Then long soft feathery bangs in front to right over my brows, and matching jewelry ensemble (earrings + necklace match rings, watch, bracelet). Last – a few spritzes of elegant/timeless perfume.
If I can look like any average gal at the bank, the library, an office receptionist, an attorney or law office assistant, university business teacher, then with similar “everyday” outfit, I always fit right in.
For all you ladies, do I like I am doing go and have a professional do your make over. I am going tomorrow afternoon all dressed up. I am having a facial done and then the make over. Will be bringing a camera for that before and after pic. I will be going next Friday afternoon to have my hair professional done; so I will be set.
Dianne, you will love the experience, you may have
butterflies for first the quarter hour, don’t worry about it. I’ve just had my hair curled, am I going back you bet ya I am.
Laurie, I did go all dressed up and looking good. I walked right in to Dillards department swaying my ass like it was nobody’s business. I was not nervous just overly excited. I got a very nice facial first and it was great and then I walked out to the counter where Grabrial did my face, and he did a wonderful job. This was last Friday afternoon and yesterday I went and had my hair styled and it was beautiful. I went back to Dillards to pick up my other make-up and showed the lady who I was working with and she loved my hair as it made me look even better. I am going back in 2 weeks have another one done. I can only say that all girls need to have it done several tines.
Laurie have wonderful weekend.
My biggest fear is working with mascara and around my eyes. Getting the right products to start with and so on.
However, I work in a grocery store and I stock in the cosmetics area and we just recently had everything reset and some new stuff has been put in and Cover Girl now has a clear mascara that I have been considering starting with to learn with using mascara.
As I am not out; the color, or lack there of, I think would be perfect to start learning how to apply. After all you have to start somewhere, right?
As for daily skin care I have been working with that aspect quite a bit for a while. The best stuff I have found that really works for me is coconut oil for moisturizing. That stuff is great and as a plus, it can used to remove my makeup when I need to.
Another thing I have been wondering about is not necessarily how to put on my makeup, but color and the order in which some of it is applied. Like for example, do you put on foundation and then if you use a primer does that go on next and where does it go?