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Cross Dressing Makeup Tips: No Stubble, All Lippy
Eight steps, chemist makeup and no pro kit. Your first full face starts here.
Get the Base Right and the Rest Is Play
The secret to cross dressing makeup is the base: a close shave, a thin layer of peach or orange corrector over any beard shadow, then a foundation matched to your jaw. Get those three right and brows, eyes and lips are the fun bit. Everything here works with makeup from the chemist; you don't need a pro kit to look good.
Some older crossdressers still call this transvestite makeup. The phrase is dated, the skills haven't changed, and they come with practice. Your first full face might take an hour. By your tenth you'll be nearer twenty minutes.
Your Full Face in Eight Steps
- Prep the skin. Shave as close as is comfortable, ideally an hour ahead so any redness settles. Moisturise, then add a primer to fill pores and give the makeup something to grip.
- Cancel the shadow. Dab peach corrector on fair skin, or orange on medium to deep skin, over the blue-grey on the jaw, chin and top lip. Pat it thin with a finger or a damp sponge. Overdo it and you'll glow orange through the foundation.
- Match the foundation. Swatch three shades along your jaw and check them by a window. The one that disappears is yours. Go medium to full coverage, pressed on with a damp sponge rather than rubbed, building up only where you need it.
- Conceal and soften. A concealer one shade lighter under the eyes and down the centre of the nose brightens the face. A soft contour under the cheekbones and along the jaw, blended well, makes the features read finer.
- Lift the brows. Feminine brows sit a touch higher and arch towards the outer third. Brush them up, fill gaps with short pencil strokes and set with a clear or tinted gel. Rather not pluck? A glue stick under foundation flattens them so you can draw a new line above.
- Open up the eyes. A neutral shadow across the lid, a deeper shade in the crease and a thin line of liner that kicks up at the outer corner. Curl your lashes and add mascara, or try strip lashes once you're confident: nothing changes a face faster.
- Define the lips. Line on, or a hair outside, your natural lip line for fullness, then fill with lipstick. A rosy nude is easy for daytime; a classic red means business after dark. Blot and add a second coat so it lasts.
- Blush and set. A touch of blush on the apples of the cheeks, swept back, adds warmth. Dust translucent powder over the T zone and jaw, then mist with setting spray so it holds through dinner and a dance.
Dodge the Four Classic Makeup Fails
First attempts tend to go wrong in the same few places, and every one is easy to fix.
- Thick foundation over stubble. Heavy layers settle into hair and look cakey. A thin corrector plus a thin foundation beats one thick coat every time.
- Bathroom light. Bathroom bulbs lie. Check your face by a window, or under a daylight bulb, before you head out.
- The tidemark. Blend foundation down past the jaw so there's no line where the colour stops.
- Everything turned up to eleven. Strong brows, heavy liner and a bold lip all at once can tip into drag. Pick one feature to be the star.
Your wig and outfit change how the face reads, so do a full dress rehearsal in the clothes you plan to wear. Our guide to crossdressing clothes and shoes covers wigs, forms and heels.
Take It All Off Before Bed
Long-wear makeup on freshly shaved skin is a recipe for breakouts if it stays on overnight. Start with a cleansing balm or micellar water to melt foundation and mascara, use an oil-based remover on lashes and waterproof liner, then wash with a mild cleanser and moisturise. Need to switch back fast after a night out? A pack of makeup wipes in the glovebox gets the worst off until you're home.
Treat Yourself to a Transgender Makeover
Want someone else to do it the first time? A professional makeover shows you what your face can do and hands you techniques to copy at home. Look for an independent makeup artist in your city who teaches private one-to-one lessons, in a studio or at your place, and ask up front whether they've worked with crossdressers or trans clients. It saves any awkwardness on the day.
Peer groups swap skills too. The NT AIDS and Hepatitis Council's monthly Darwin group, open to trans women, transfemmes and the questioning, includes makeup skill-sharing; you need to book. Our guide to crossdresser support groups lists groups in every state. Then put the new face to work: our profile tips show you how to photograph it, a first date en femme gives it somewhere to go, and our other guides cover the rest.
Makeup Questions, Straight Answers
How do I hide beard shadow with makeup?
Shave close, then pat a thin layer of peach or orange colour corrector over the shadow before foundation. The warm tone cancels the blue-grey, so the foundation can stay thin.
What makeup should a beginner crossdresser buy first?
A colour corrector, a medium to full coverage foundation, translucent powder, a brow pencil, mascara and one lipstick. Add eyeshadow, liner, lashes and contour as you get the hang of it.
How do I make my makeup last all night?
Primer first, foundation pressed on in thin layers, translucent powder to set it and a mist of setting spray to finish. Carry your lipstick and some blotting papers for touch-ups.
Can I learn makeup without anyone knowing?
Yes. Online tutorials, a decent mirror and practice behind a closed door will get you a long way. When you want feedback, a private one-to-one lesson with a makeup artist keeps it between the two of you.
Where can I get a transgender makeover?
Book an independent makeup artist who offers private lessons and ask whether they've worked with crossdressers or trans clients. Some trans peer groups share makeup skills too, such as the NT AIDS and Hepatitis Council's monthly group in Darwin.
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