Makeup tips for beginners - Part Two

By Christine (704)

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Foundation

Like building a house, getting the foundations right is the most important part.

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Selecting the correct foundation

When it comes to buying your first bottle of liquid foundation, do not take a wild guess at what you think is the correct colour for you (like I did at the beginning). In most department stores and chemists, they have small tester bottles to sample and to find your right colour. It varies from brand to brand, but most will be labelled something like Light 1 to 5, Medium 1 to 5, Dark 1 to 5. Apply a little of the most likely ones on your wrist, until you find on that matches your skin colour as closely as possible.

Do not feel shy about asking the sales staff for advice about what would suit you best. Most experienced staff have served many crossdressers before and are usually very comfortable dealing with us whether we are in boy-mode or enfemme. If you have a supportive female in your life, take her along for advice.

You can use either liquid or powered (mineral) foundations. You may need to experiment to see which suits you best. Liquid foundation tends to give a better coverage, while mineral foundation is easier to apply,

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Applying foundation

The aim is to apply the foundation as smoothly and as evenly as possible, using the least amount necessary to cover the skin. Less is Best.

Empty a small amount from the bottle onto your left wrist (if you are right-handed), so that it is easily accessible. There are several ways to apply liquid foundation:

1. You can use your fingers. This is easiest and most common way, but it can warm the product up too much make it streakly and may not give the smoothest look. Also, it gets under your fingernails.
   
   
2. You can use a make-up sponge. This gives a smoother effect, but uses up more foundation. Wet the sponge before you use it to reduce the amount absorbed by the sponge.
   
   
3. You can apply it with a foundation brush, as many professional makeup artists recommend. This tends to be slower and means thoroughly cleaning the brush after each application.

Start applying foundation from the middle of the face and slowly work outwards. Blend the foundation into the hairline, the ears and down and around the sides of the neck, and finally onto your upper chest if this is uncovered.The aim is that there be no obvious line of demarkation where the make-up finishes. Take care to apply foundation in any creases and around the nostrils.

Also cover the eyelids and lips with foundation, as eyeshadow and lipstick will stick better over foundation.

After you have covered your face go back and carefully smooth out any uneven spots or smears.

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Concealer

Select a concealer that is the same colour as your foundation. This is useful for trouble spots like darkness under the eyes. I also apply it over the entire upper lid to get a smoother look with the eyeshadow.

You will need to use only tiny amounts of concealer. Dab a few small spots in the areas needing attention, then gently blend it. I use a a small sponge brush for the job.

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Face Powder

Again, select a colour that is the same as your foundation. The function of face powder is to "set" the foundation, not to act as a cover. It is helpful for touch ups during the evening to remove any shine that develops. Again Less is Best.

You can apply face powder with either the powder puff or a large brush. I prefer the latter for a more even application.

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Beard cover

For those cursed with thick dark beards, close shaving and foundation may not be enough to hide a beard. Special beard covers, such as "Dermablend", are available, usually from theatrical make-up suppliers. They are typically orange-red in colour to counteract the blue of a dark beard.

A cheaper alternate is to just wipe a bit of orange lipstick on your beard area and dab it in with a make up sponge, this will give a sun burnt look to your beard, but when covered with concealer it eliminates the blue showing through.

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