This week, I’m going to do some time traveling, back to Valentines Day in 2002, when we were living in Sydney, Australia.
My wife has never been very sentimental about romantic days like anniversaries or Valentines Day. Starting around 2000, I began to be more open with my wife about wanting to dress. For birthdays or Christmas, she’d ask me what I’d want, and I’d ask for a dress, or makeup, or shoes, because I was too embarrassed to shop for those things for myself.
For Valentines Day in 2002, I asked for a wig, and for my wife to give me a makeover, and she did. She also let me wear a silk dress of hers, one she bought to wear to weddings. I also had paste on nails, so I also had painted nails.
It was a fun night, a very nice Valentine’s Day present–and maybe the last time my wife gave me a makeover.
Eventually, my wife didn’t want the dress anymore, but I did. Partly for sentimental reasons, but mostly because it’s a beautiful dress, and I love wearing beautiful dresses. I took ownership of it.
In mid-April I finally had a chance to wear it out, to the monthly dinner of the St. Louis Gender Foundation. The feel and look matched my memories. Afterwards I made my normal pitstop and the downtown casino to play my normal video poker (Jack’s or Better, $.25 bets, maximum loss $20, usually a lot less).
FWIW, these days I don’t ask my wife to buy me anything girly; I’ve long since lost the embarrassment and buy everything for myself.
Looking at my old pictures, let’s say I shave my chest now, and I’m a few pounds lighter–and twenty something years older. I now also know to smile.
I haven’t done any of these for a while either, but here is another installment of Dee-It-Yourself.
The other day while I was dressing to go out I organized my makeup on our bathroom counter in the order I put it on. Usually I store my makeup away, but with my wife being gone, I have been leaving it out on the bathroom vanity counter, ready for my next outing (except when I know the cleaners are coming, when I have to put it away).
Seeing it out and in order, I decided to take a picture, and post about it here.
My makeup technique dates back to my makeover in 2016 at Sephora. I’ve written this before, but I recommend them highly. Don’t be afraid, make the appointment, go in, and learn all you can. It gives you a big leg up on doing your own makeup, with both the techniques and the right products and brushes.
Over time, I’ve simplified my makeup routine. Part of that is a time issue. Often, I need to get dressed and get out relatively quickly. Also, the less I put on, the less I have to take off, which makes cleanup easier.
I understand that even if I had makeup artist quality makeup (I don’t), people are probably going to consider me as being on the trans spectrum anyway. Even if (in the unlikely event) I get my makeup perfect, I’m still probably not fooling anyone. Thus, just easier to get it done quickly and be on with my day.
I also wear glasses, so doing intricate eye makeup is often going to be just a wasted effort, because it’s hidden by my glasses. My attitude: “Why bother?”
But in order, here is my makeup and technique, left to right.
1. Green primer. Helps offset redness and makes a better base for the foundation. I squeeze about a pea size drop on the back of my left hand and apply it to my face with the fingers of my right hand.
2. Concealer. I put this in small triangles under both eyes and a line to cover my mustache line above my upper lip. It’s applied using the applicator that comes with it.
3. Foundation and stipple brush. I give a couple of squirts of the liquid foundation, again on the back of my left hand, and I use the stipple brush to spread it on my face.
4. Foundation powder and brush. After I put on the foundation, I brush on the powder. The powder helps set the foundation and takes some of the gloss off.
5. Eyebrow pencil, stencil, two-color eyebrow powder and brush. Using the stencil, I draw a short line with the brown eyebrow pencil. I then fill it in with the two-color powder, brushing on the lighter color on the inside of my brow and the darker color on the outside, and trying to smooth it all out.
6. Mascara. I’m not sure why I bother, as I have very few lashes and wear glasses.
7. Silver and black liners, and a white eye liner. I apply the silver and white eye liner underneath my eyes, and use the black end to draw a very short black line under my iris on the waterline of my eyelid.
8. Blending brush for eye makeup. I generally give my eyelids a quick brush with the blending brush, just to give a tint of color. Again, all hidden by my glasses.
9. Blush and brush. I blend the three colors and apply the blush to the apple of my cheeks.
All in all, I can do all of this in about fifteen minutes. If I’m going out with a friend, they don’t really care. If I’m by myself, if people get close enough to see my makeup (or here me speak), they probably have determined already I’m not a GG, and even a perfect makeup job isn’t going to convince them otherwise.
If I can do it, you can too. But give yourself a head start with a Sephora (or MAC or Ulta or whatever) makeover, because you’ll love that too.
