Daniella's Ramblings

So as some of you may already know, I have something of a love-hate relationship with makeup. That being said, I must say that I am starting to become more enamoured of makeup. I am enjoying it a little more than I used to.

For what it is worth, I have some thoughts and insights as a result of a few years’ experience with the stuff that I thought I would share with you. These titbits are obviously aimed primarily at the transgender woman and/or crossdresser who wants a more ‘authentic’ look, but hopefully cisgender women will also get some value from these insights.

First off, I strongly recommend using the best quality product you can afford. The main reason for this relates to health and ethics. Often (but obviously not always) the cheaper and poorer quality product has been produced using less than ethical production methodologies. Animal testing is rife in the cosmetics industry and this can be a serious issue. Of course, price alone does not guarantee ethical behaviour and some of the big brands are just as guilty, so please always be informed about what you are buying. Also, a better-quality product that is made well will usually be better for you than other products. Again though, don’t be guided by price. Do your research. Work out what ingredients are good for your skin and what are not, try different products and see which products your skin tolerates and which it does not. Finally, a good quality product almost always provides better coverage for the same volume of product than less good quality varieties. This means that whilst you may pay more per gram/millilitre the fact that you get better coverage means that you will use less product and the more expensive product may work out to be more economical. Better coverage also means you end up with a better end product. If you must place layer upon layer of foundation on your face, it will end up looking caked on and less natural and attractive. A better-quality product will hide the blemishes and give you the highlights you need without making you look and feel like a geisha. Again, this will help your skin’s health and that is a good thing.

The second thing to consider is getting a good quality concealer. In the case of transgender women who still must deal with facial hair and crossdressers, I am talking primarily about beard cover. But the principle is true for everyone. If you have a good concealer/beard cover you will need far less by way of foundation and that means a better end product, less product used and of course far healthier skin. An important insight here is not to use a concealer that matches your skin, but to use a concealer that conceals that which you are seeking to conceal. Sounds obvious right? Not everyone does this. Basically, think about the colour of the blemish you want to hide, then get a concealer that is on the opposite side of the colour wheel to the blemish. If you want to conceal a dark blackish beard (looks blue under the skin), you need to go with an orange to red concealer. If you need to conceal a brown or red-brown mark (scar, birthmark etc) you want a blue-ish concealer and so forth. Once you have concealed the blemish (just blend the concealer over it, you don’t need to completely cover the blemish), you can cover with foundation and it will magically disappear.

Thirdly have fun with your eyes. Eyes are always the things that you can perhaps have the most fun with. Take advantage of this. There are so many different looks that are fashionable right now, try them out. Don’t be afraid to try a few things out. But also, be prepared to fail. Eyes are tricky and subtle differences in shape, size and colour can make a huge difference. What works on one person will not work on everyone. Also, don’t be afraid of gel eyeliners and such things. They won’t kill you. They may take your soul and crush your will to resist, but they won’t kill you. On a more serious note, if you are a closeted crossdresser please be do careful of gel eyeliner. It can be very difficult to remove and often leaves black stains and other marks around your eyes that can take days to disappear. Not ideal if you are trying to keep a secret. And on a very serious note please look out for eye makeup that has expired. Expired eye makeup can lead to nasty reactions and even infections. These are never attractive and can lead to your vision becoming impaired or even blindness. Finally, never ever share eye makeup applicators with a friend. Make sure you have your own and even then, wash those applicators (or replace them) frequently.

I hope that this was of value to you. No amazing insights, no in-depth knowledge, just some information regarding what I have learned.