makeupj

Let's get one thing straight from the get-go.....You're not going to learn how to apply make up on a web site. There is one and only way you're going to learn to do make up. BY DOING IT! Practice, Practice, Practice!

Now that I've gotten that out of the way....I'll give you all the help that I can.

One day, I got an email from a friend who had some make up questions. So I sat down and wrote a LONG email back. When I'd finished...I realized that I had the beginnings of the Make-Up page...So.....here it is!

Let’s begin with a little *theory*. (and please remember *Theory works in Practice...but only in Theory...*)

Make Up Theory

Why make up is worn and why it works

Our eyes see shapes because of highlight and shadow. Highlight and shadow allow us to see things in 3 dimensions.

Make up is a way to enhance what people see when they look at us, creating artificial, more visible highlight, shadow and color.

It can also *fool the eye* into *seeing* things differently, by changing the way highlight and shadow APPEAR to be falling on the face. In other words...if we change where highlight and shadow are placed on the face, we change how the human eye sees the shape of our face and it makes us look different! For example...one can make the eyes look bigger, or smaller, lips more full or thinner, nose narrower or wider, forehead higher or less prominent.....etc.

Should a GG help you with your make up?

They can certainly help with basics....however.......

T-Girls have special needs that often GG's are not aware of, if they do our make up FOR US. Our features are stronger and need more attention. Just slapping a "street make up" on us that they would ordinarily do for themselves won't make us look our best.

In general...we have bolder features and we need to go BOLDER with our make up. So unless you've got REALLY fem features or delicate bone structure to begin with, when you do make up, *paint with BOLD strokes*. We also need to disguise and soften our "male" characteristics...so some of the techniques that I'll be discussing in a later up date, GG's might just plain not know.

Is a BOLD make up going to pass close inspection...?????

Nope. But hell...NO make up is going to pass close inspection. Part of the fun of *being a girl* is being GLAMOROUS!!!! While the type of make up that you see in most of my pictures probably won't be appropriate if you want to blend in to a crowd on a sunny Sunday afternoon at the Mall...it is great for an evening dinner out, clubbing or for pictures.

A Philosophy for Make Up

Doing make up is a LOT like painting a picture...but instead of canvas...you use your face. If you’ve never gone to a museum and looked at a portrait painting close up....DO SO! It will help you understand make up application, color and blending. It will also show you that something can look WONDERFUL from 2 feet away...and look like the dog barfed up-close. LOL!

Don’t freak out. You don’t have to be an artistic genius to do make up. ANYONE can be taught to draw and paint. It is a skill that you can develop. Please remember that over half the human population does make up on a regular basis and thinks not a thing of it.

Remember, MAKE UP IS YOUR FRIEND! It is the most powerful tool that you have (short of cosmetic surgery) to make you look like the woman inside you.

Make the time you spend in front of the make up mirror SPECIAL. Make up should not be a chore...but rather a time to connect with the girl inside. See what can make her more beautiful and DO IT!

Some basic make up rules

(which of course are made to be broken)

What sticks out on your face and catches light.....gets *highlighted*. (Use a light color foundation or powder)

What sinks in on your face or doesn't catch light....gets *shadowed*. (Use a darker color foundation, color, eye shadow or blush)

I'll be going into more detail on these rules later...but for now...COMMIT THESE TO MEMORY!

Before Instruction

Stuff you're going to need
Every good make up starts with a good FOUNDATION

Using foundation is basically like putting a primer coat of paint on raw wood. It gives you an even tone and smooth surface to start with.

You'll want to get a basic foundation color (I'd recommend getting a shade darker than your natural skin tone) and something lighter to cover that bad old 5:00 shadow. You'll also want to get powder to set the foundation with, so that it doesn't *slide off your face*.

Two T-Girl favorite brands of foundation are....

M.A.C.

M.A.C is high fashion make up with VERY trendy, upscale stores. A lot of T-girls use their products. (In point of fact Raven, a famous Drag Queen is sponsored by M.A.C....Gawd...wouldn't THAT be a dream come true...LOL!)

I've been to a M.A.C store, and the sales folk were VERY helpful! I went in boy mode ...and nobody (the other customers included) batted an eye. I had a cute little Goth sales girl who treated me very well and was very helpful.

*UPDATE* 09-21-02.......The store that I went to was in Cinci. The other day, I hit the MAC counter at a local department store. I got the same excellent service and dropped a BUNDLE. But I'm SOLD on MAC products now.

Dermablend

This is an old T-girl favorite. It was originally formulated for people with severe skin problems (birth marks, burns, bad scars etc....) and covers really well. They have a great cover stick that does well to hide one's beard. You can get Dermablend at most large department stores that have a make up counter...JC Pennys, Lazarus (or whatever the hell they're calling it now...LOL)

Be prepared to shell out some bucks. This stuff isn't cheap! But as the old saying goes...the finished product is only as good as the tools you use....*G*

Other *tools of the trade*

You'll need lots of other stuff as well

Blush and lip color:

Here, go with reds that are more toward the brown rather than true red. They seem to look more "natural" on us.

Mascara:

This really makes a difference to the final product. One or the other is the finishing touch for any make up and really help to *showcase* your eyes.

False eyelashes:

These come in a variety of lengths and styles. Some have metallic gold or silver highlights and some even glow in the dark! Lashes come in single strips or individual lashes. You'll also need eyelash adhesive. Check out sales after Halloween! You can score some really outrageous fun styles!

Liquid Eye liner/ eyebrow pencil:

I tend to favor pencils. However, the liquid is more *permanent* and stays in place better.

I stay away from pencils that need to be sharpened. It's a pain in the butt...and I always manage to break off the tip. I've YET to find a decent sharpener. I go with a eyebrow pencil that rolls out like a lipstick, or mechanical pencil. I use black for really dramatic looks and a brown for a more *natural* look. (I don't do *natural* much...LOL) Remember that black eyeliner is ALWAYS going to look *artificial*.

Lip liner pencil:

Renee Reyes suggested a color called Vixen...I believe Revlon puts it out. I've been very happy with it. I have no bottom lip to speak of so I have to draw one on...LOL. Lining your lips looks artificial as hell...but from 2 feet away...WOW! and for pictures...you can't beat it.

Blush brush:

Get a BIG one....this will help get off excess powder and will be asset in *blending*.

Eye shadow:

Whatever color you're in the mood for...*G*

Make up remover:

I use Ponds make up remover towelettes. Oil of Olay also puts out a similar product. They're great. They get rid of everything except the lipstick I use. To get rid of the lipstick...Almay puts out a oily eye make up remover that works really well to get rid of the Max Factor Lipfinity lipstick.

Sponge applicators, cotton balls, etc

You can never have too many of these. They are inexpensive and disposable. Great for blending! Using these isn't necessary, but it's always good to have them for when you need them.

False Nails

Another *not necessary*, but nice to have. You'll also want to get a remover. If you plan on wearing false nails...be prepared to spend a good long time getting them off. Also...false nails HURT!!!! or at the very least can be uncomfortable. The should also be the LAST thing that you put on. Doing the most SIMPLE tasks become a chore when wearing LONG false nails. Another thing to bear in mind is that these nails can be trimmed shorter....*G*

Nail Polish

I try to always wear clear nail polish on my fingernails and have my toes painted most all the time. Painting one's nails is one of the most relaxing *girl* things to do. It's a great way to pass the time while watching television. Remember that RED polish will stain and be difficult to get rid of. If you have people asking about it...just tell them you were spray painting something....*G* Check out the sales right after Halloween. You can score kewl weird colors (including BLACK...for when you're feeling Goth).

Nail Polish Remover

Nail *Polish* is really not an accurate term....Let's be frank...what you're doing is putting a coat of PAINT on your nails. It doesn't like to come off. So...get remover. It's inexpensive. Soak a cotton ball with it and rub away. It comes in various *scents* or *unscented*, but once again....let's be frank...it STINKS. The Goddess told me to throw the used cotton balls in the toilet and flush them so it wouldn't stink up the bathroom. It's good advice.

My first makeover

My first attempt at make up after my first makeover

Applying Make Up

Ok...so you want to know how to do make up? Do yourself a favor and go here...

www.goddessraven.com

Order Raven's DRAG 101 Video. It's only $20...and you will never spend your money more wisely.

*WHAT???? *, you say? *You want me to order a make up video from a DRAG QUEEN??? I want to look *natural*!*

MAC Cosmetics sponsors Raven, so THAT should tell you something right away! I've been doing theatrical make up for 20 some odd years...and I learned TONS from this video. This is definitely a *glam* look...but the techniques carry though. You can apply them as subtly as you want. TRUST ME! You can't go wrong.

Raven takes you step by step through her whole make up. It's easy to follow, fun and packed with great information. She also covers 3/4 and full coverage wigs, how to create *cleavage*, and that biggest of T-Girl bug-a-boos, TUCKING and TAPING. (Don't worry...you won't SEE anything...she just explains it. *G* )

Also...spend the money and buy MAC Products. Remember that you're only as good as the tools that you use. I didn't realize that MAC colors are made of almost PURE pigment. What would take you 4 layers of cheapie shadow or blush, takes only 1 with MAC. It's expensive to start off with...but the results are worth it...and you don't use as much...so money wise...it's really about the same. In addition, they have a *recycling* program. Bring in six of their empty foundation, blush, eye shadow containers and you get a free lipstick! Sweet!

Check out the MAC website. They are a real class act...and cater to our community!!!!

www.maccosmetics.com

Making what I've learned *My OWN*

Some Products I Like and Use

Air Shave Gel

While a good foundation is essential to a good make up....a good SHAVE is essential to a good foundation.

A good friend of mine, Sarah West of the UK, turned me on to this FABULOUS shaving product. Air Shave Gel is, as the name indicates, a gel for shaving. It has a number of wonderful qualities about it. First, it doesn't foam....so you can see what you're doing. Second, it has incredible lubricating properties. When using Air Shave, I can take five or six HARD strokes AGAINST the grain of my beard and my skin is STILL slick! Third, I have yet to experience ANY razor burn, nicks or cuts!!!! Last, you only need a tiny bit of it to do the job.

The cost of this product is high...$34.00 including shipping for a 16oz pump bottle. But...the fact that my face doesn't hurt after I shave is well worth it to me. Plus...you don't need much to do the job...so it lasts a LONG time.

One more thing that really sold me on this product. I ordered directly from the company. On the bottom of the order form was a space for comments. Liking the product immensely, I sang it's praises. The day after I placed my order...I got a personal email from the President of the company thanking me. It was obvious that this email was not a canned response, but a heartfelt personal thank you. Barring the fact that I love the product...that email would have made me a life time customer.

A chat friend that I'd told about this product found it for about $8.00 less at another website....but I think I'll continue to buy right from the company. Hey...the President is my friend...*giggle*

Click here for Air Shave Gel

LIPFINITY by Max Factor

The Goddess turned me on to the idea that...when one is feeling blue...and you don't know what to do....go to the make up counter and stalk the elusive "PERFECT SHADE OF LIP STICK"! Last week...I got feeling that way and headed out to Wal-Mart. I'd seen the ads for Max Factor's LIPFINITY. They claimed that it won't come off and lasts all day. I of course was intrigued...so I picked some up. I told the Goddess about it, and SHE was intrigued as well. So the next night we went together to pick out a color for her. After much fashing and debate...we settled on a color for her, brought our purchase home, and BOTH tried it. IT WORKS!!!

NOTHING came off of the Goddess' lips at all...I just got tiny, pin-prick size spots of color that came off on my cigarette and Tab can. However, I think that was due to me not letting it dry enough.

The color choices aren't that great, but that seems to be a general rule with ALL the *long lasting* lip colors.

TIP : How to apply. Lipfinity comes in two parts...Color and a clear shiny top coat. The color is a rather thick liquid/gel that is applied with a foam headed applicator stick. One doesn't need a whole lot of it...(and for what you pay...that's a GOOD thing). Apply the color and let it dry for about 3 minutes. The directions say 1 minute, but that's VERY optimistic. You can tell when it's dry when it's no longer "tacky". It's important to let the color dry completely! Then, apply the topcoat which comes in the more traditional lip stick form. Use the topcoat after eating, drinking, smoking, or "whatever"...LOL. The topcoat prevents your lips from feeling "dry" and gives a very nice shine. The beauty of this system is that you don't really need a mirror to use the topcoat. If you don't "stay in between the lines", it's clear...so who's gonna know? You'll be using a lot more of the topcoat than you do the lip color, but old Max has taken that into consideration. You can buy more topcoat separately (but in my opinion you'd do better just to buy another color...the prices aren't that much different.) This is a very KEWL product...GIVE IT A TRY!!!!!