Makeup Must-Haves for Every Stage of MTF Transition
Table Of Content
Introduction:
- Embracing your authentic self: A heartfelt welcome to the beautiful journey of transition.
- Makeup as a tool for self-expression: How makeup can empower you and boost confidence at every step.
Part 1: Early Stages of Transition:
- Skincare Essentials:
- Gentle cleanser
- Moisturizer for your skin type
- SPF protection (non-negotiable!)
- Foundation and Concealer:
- Choosing the right shade and formula
- Application tips for a natural finish
- Brows:
- Filling in sparse brows
- Shaping and defining your brow arches
- Mascara:
- Lengthening and volumizing options
- Finding the perfect shade for your eyes
Part 2: Exploring Your Look:
- Eyeshadow:
- Neutral palettes for everyday wear
- Playful pops of color for special occasions
- Blending techniques for a seamless look
- Eyeliner:
- Liquid, pencil, or gel? Choosing the right type for your eyes
- Mastering the winged liner look (optional)
- Blush and Highlighter:
- Adding a healthy flush of color
- Sculpting and illuminating your features
- Lipstick:
- Finding your perfect shade and formula
- From nudes to bold reds, endless possibilities!
Part 3: Advanced Techniques:
- Contouring and Bronzing:
- Defining your cheekbones and jawline
- Adding warmth and dimension to your face
- False Lashes:
- Choosing the right lashes for your desired effect
- Applying lashes like a pro
- Makeup Hacks and Tips:
- Setting your makeup for long wear
- Dealing with common makeup challenges
Conclusion:
- Celebrate your unique beauty: You are gorgeous, inside and out!
- Makeup is a journey, not a destination: Enjoy the process of experimentation and discovery.
- Resources and recommendations: Where to find trans-friendly makeup communities and tutorials.
Bonus:
- Links to your favorite trans beauty influencers and YouTubers.
- A call to action: Share your own makeup tips and experiences in the comments!
Embracing your authentic self: A heartfelt welcome from KetchBeauty to the beautiful journey of transition.
The path of transition is a deeply personal one, full of courage, self-discovery and joy. As you take steps to embrace your true gender identity, know that you are on a journey towards becoming your most authentic self.
There will be challenges along the way, but also celebrations of the woman you were always meant to be.
Makeup can be an empowering tool to boost your confidence during this exciting process of aligning your outer presentation with your inner truth.
Think of makeup as war paint - armoring you with the spirit of the warrior goddess you are.
Makeup as a tool for self-expression: How makeup can empower you and boost confidence at every step.
Makeup is so much more than just cosmetics you apply to your face. It is artistic self-expression that allows your inner light to shine through.
Throughout your transition, you can experiment with makeup looks to playfully explore and celebrate your femininity.
A swipe of bold red lipstick or flick of liquid liner can make you feel graceful, sensual and completely yourself.
Makeup is also practical, helping conceal beard shadow or accentuate feminine features. But most importantly, it is FUN! Play, practice and discover your signature style at your own pace.
Makeup has the power to make you feel beautiful, confident and deeply YOU.
Part 1: Early Stages of Transition
Skincare Essentials:
Gentle cleanser
Start your routine with a mild, hydrating cleanser like Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser to remove dirt, oil and makeup without stripping your skin. Look for formulas without sulfates and fragrances.
Moisturizer for your skin type
Choose an oil-free gel moisturizer if you have oily skin prone to breakouts. For dry skin, opt for a creamy moisturizer packed with hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid. Find one suited for sensitive skin if redness is a concern.
For Oily skin:
For Dry Skin:
SPF protection (non-negotiable!)
Sun protection is essential for preventing sun damage and hyperpigmentation. Look for a broad spectrum SPF 30 moisturizer you can apply daily. EltaMD UV Clear Facial Sunscreen is a great oil-free, lightweight formula.
Foundation and Concealer:
Choosing the right shade and formula
Head to a makeup counter like Sephora for a shade matching consultation. Test foundations along your jawline for an accurate skin tone match.
Opt for a medium coverage, hydrating formula like Too Faced Born This Way Foundation.
Use a color correcting concealer like Make Up For Ever Full Cover Concealer to neutralize beard shadow.
Application tips for a natural finish
Prep skin with a hydrating primer, then use a damp beauty sponge to press foundation into skin. Set with translucent powder only where needed. Spot conceal with a small concealer brush. Go for seamless, imperceptible coverage.
Brows:
Filling in sparse brows
Define sparse brows with short, hair-like strokes using a brow pomade like Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade. Use a spoolie brush to groom brows.
Shaping and defining your brow arches
Get your brows professionally shaped to balance your facial proportions. Avoid over-plucking! Define arches with brow powder such as Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil.
Mascara:
Lengthening and volumizing options
Maximize lashes with a lengthening and volumizing mascara combo. Use the Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara first, then layer on the Lancôme Hypnôse Drama Instant Full Body Volume Mascara.
Finding the perfect shade for your eyes.
Stick with classic black mascara shades for definition. Try soft brown mascara for a more natural daytime look. Love bold blues? Experiment with colored mascaras just for fun!
Part 2: Exploring Your Look
Eyeshadow:
Neutral palettes for everyday wear
Build an arsenal of versatile nudes like the Tarte Tarteist Pro Amazonian Clay Palette. Matte shades are foolproof for blending. Add shimmers on lids for dimension.
Playful pops of color for special occasions
Make a statement with vibrant palettes like the Huda Beauty Electric Obsessions Palette. Try unexpected shades like emerald green liner or cobalt blue mascara when you want to stand out!
Blending techniques for a seamless look
Use a fluffy brush to blend eyeshadow edges for a diffused, airbrushed effect. Sweep lighter shades under brows. Darker shades in creases and outer corners.
Eyeliner:
Liquid, pencil, or gel? Choosing the right type for your eyes
Line eyes tight to the upper lashline with a soft pencil like Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil for a simple definition.
Try a gel formula like Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner for a smudge-proof finish. Master a cat eye with the flexibility of liquid liner like Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner.
Mastering the winged liner look (optional)
Extend your liner past the outer corner and connect to the lower lashline to draw your wings. Use eye tape to guide your shape. Complete the look with false lashes!
Blush and Highlighter:
Adding a healthy flush of color
Warm up complexions with a coral blush like Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso. For fair skin, try a pinky nude like Glossier Cloud Paint in Beam. Smile to find the apples of your cheeks.
Sculpting and illuminating your features
Chisel cheekbones with a neutral bronzer like Physician's Formula Butter Bronzer. Sweep a champagne highlighter like Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed on the tops of cheekbones.
Lipstick:
Finding your perfect shade and formula
Test out lipstick colors at makeup counters to discover your most flattering hues. Cool skin tones suit berries and plums. Warm tones shine in corals and reds. Look for a creamy, hydrating formula like MAC Lipstick in Twig.
From nudes to bold reds, endless possibilities!
Line and fill lips completely for a high-impact look, or just swipe on a touch of tint for an understated stain. There are no rules - have fun and discover your signature lip!
Part 3: Advanced Techniques
Contouring and Bronzing:
Defining your cheekbones and jawline
Sculpt with cool-toned contour powder like Kevyn Aucoin The Sculpting Powder. Suck in cheeks to find the hollows. Define your jawline and temples. Blend well to avoid harsh lines.
Adding warmth and dimension to your face
Warm up complexions with bronzer like Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer. Apply where the sun naturally hits - cheekbones, nose, forehead. Buff into skin for a subtle glow.
False Lashes:
Choosing the right lashes for your desired effect
Go bold with dramatic faux mink lashes like Huda Beauty Samantha #7. Choose wispy lashes like Ardell Demi Wispies for every day. Look for lightweight, reusable options.
Applying lashes like a pro
Trim bands to fit your eyes. Apply lash glue and wait 30 seconds until tacky. Use tweezers to place lashes as close to your lashline as possible. Pinch real and false lashes together.
Makeup Hacks and Tips:
Setting your makeup for long wear
After speaking with professional makeup artists who have had the opportunity to work with several trans women, here are some go-to techniques for helping their clients achieve a beautifully feminine look.
For example, a common procedure is brow bone reduction surgery. This can leave the brow ridge looking prominently highlighted, while the surrounding areas appear shadowed and concave.
To balance this out, use a lighter concealer shade on the forehead and just under the brow bone to diminish those shadows. Blend well, without extending into the brow ridge.
Another key area is the nose. Rather than highlighting the entire bridge, which can over-emphasize width, focus on brightening just the tip with light concealer.
This helps create the illusion of the nose tip coming forward, resulting in better facial balance. Consider non-surgical nose inserts too for extra lift.
For the eyes, experts love lifting the brows with a skin-tone brow pencil, opening up the entire eye area.
Lining the waterlines with a nude or white pencil also makes the eyes appear wider and brighter. False lashes work wonders for accentuating the eyes beautifully.
Creating the illusion of full, feminine cheeks is easy with bright concealer on the apple areas.
Contouring the jawline, chin, and hairline subtly minimizes those masculine angles. They also highlight the cupid's bow and center of lips to plump them up.
A smoothing primer is a must, especially with clients concerned about visible pores or texture. Color correctors also help neutralize any beard shadow peeking through before concealer. Most importantly, take your time and build up layers gently. With practice, you'll be expertly enhancing your gorgeous natural features in no time!
Dealing with common makeup challenges
Use a color corrector like LA Girl Pro Concealer in orange to neutralize beard shadow for seamless coverage.
Combat creasing under eyes with crease-proof products like Tarte Shape Tape Concealer.
Prep oily skin with a mattifying primer and touch up midday with blotting papers.
Conclusion:
Celebrate your unique beauty: You are gorgeous, inside and out!
True beauty stems from within, shining through in your smile, compassion and spirit. While makeup can help you look the way you feel inside, know that you are beautiful with or without it.
Your worth is unconditional. Stay true to your core values and take pride in the person you are. You inspire so many other women on their journeys.
Makeup is a journey, not a destination: Enjoy the process of experimentation and discovery.
Don't stress about makeup milestones or expect perfection overnight. Allow yourself to be a beginner, play with products at your own pace and simply have fun learning new techniques.
Makeup artistry is a lifelong craft. Comparison leads nowhere positive. Honor your progress and unique gifts.
Resources and recommendations: Where to find trans-friendly makeup communities and tutorials.
You don't have to go on your makeup journey alone. Connect with a welcoming community of trans women sharing advice and celebrating self-expression through beauty.
Check out the inspiring makeup tutorials from trans YouTubers like Maya Henry, Nikita Dragun and Princess Joules. Follow transgender beauty gurus who showcase artistry while radiating authenticity.
Join LGBTQ+ makeup enthusiast groups on Facebook and Reddit. Share your makeup looks and product recommendations. Ask for CCW (constructive criticism welcome) to get helpful feedback.
For in-depth guidance from a professional makeup artist, schedule a private lesson at Sephora or MAC. Their transgender customers are important to them.
Follow hashtags like #transisbeautiful and #translivesmatter to find makeup inspiration and advocacy resources. Uplift and empower each other through the transformative power of beauty.
Bonus:
Links to your favorite trans beauty influencers and YouTubers.
A call to action:
Share your own makeup tips and experiences in the comments!
We would love to hear from you!
What were your favorite products or lessons learned at each stage of your transition?
Do you have any must-have makeup item recommendations?
Please share your experiences so we can support each other on our beauty journeys.
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