Femulate Reviewed

This old blog gets reviewed by this new blog.

home alone with Catherine Hickland

I was home alone for a few hours, so I decided to try doing my makeup per Catherine Hickland's DVD Simply Gorgeous, which I wrote about here earlier this week.

I brought my portable DVD player into the bathroom and parked it next to my makeup kit. Then, I put the DVD on the turntable and followed along with its instructions (after applying beard cover). Despite stopping and replaying a few parts of the instructions, I finished applying my makeup in record time: 25 minutes, which is about half the time I usually need.

Ms. Hickland's makeup routine is minimalist, so that accounts for the faster than normal makeup application.

I can't believe that Ms. Hickland looks as good as she does only using the makeup techniques she expouses in her DVD. I have been experimenting with makeup for over 40 years and I see more makeup on her face then she puts on the clients on her DVD. Or she is one of the most naturally beautiful women in the world! (I doubt that.)

I just looked up Ms. Hickland's bio and she is only 5 years younger than I am, which puts her at the ripe old age of 51. Now, I am certain that she puts on more makeup than she puts on her clients.

After following her instructions, I was satisfied with the results considering the amount of time to accomplish my makeup application. I will definitely use her techniques when I do my makeup in the future, but at my age (and hers), I think I have to do a little more makeup work than Ms. Hickland recommends.

ADDENDUM:

I posted a post-makeover photo on flickr.

simply gorgeous

Recently, I received an e-mail asking me to provide step-by-step instructions on how I do my makeup.

I was flattered, but being a professional writer, I was not confident that I could quickly compose a set of instructions that would accurately describe what I do. Not to mention that my makeup regime is a work in progress; I am always trying out new techniques when I do my makeup.

An aside: As a writer, I have often thought about writing a crossdressing how-to book. I already have a title, Be A Babe, with the tagline, Instead of looking like "the Babe," look like a babe! The question is, if I write it, will people buy it?

Getting back to the providing step-by-step makeup instructions, I started researching sources for instructions and in my quest, I discovered a video titled Simply Gorgeous. It was highly rated, so I rented the DVD from Blockbuster.

Here is the product description from Amazon.com:

Actress and television personality Catherine Hickland (from ABC’s One Life To Live) is also one of the most sought-after beauty authorities in the country, and finally shares her makeover secrets. Put your best face forward with Simply Gorgeous, the new video that teaches you how to go from out-the-door beautiful in the morning to drop-dead gorgeous at night. A great gift for teens or that bride-to-be who wants a perfect wedding day. Simply Gorgeous will delight soap opera fans and makeup junkies alike. Get the inside scoop on looking as fabulous as a daytime diva in no time at all.

I don't watch soaps and I was not familiar with Catherine Hickland, however, her makeup instructions were very simple, but very effective. Ms. Hickland is gorgeous and using makeup to improve her looks is gilding the lily.

In order to prove the effectiveness of her technique, she performs makeovers on average-looking women and the results are outstanding.

Just add beard cover and I think that Ms. Hickland's techniques would be just as successful transforming average-looking crossdressers into passable women. I highly recommend this DVD to anyone who wants to learn how to apply makeup in a simple, yet effective manner.

nightmare girls

My spouse and I watched Dream Girls last night. It was excruciating! I can't believe it was considered for the Academy Awards best picture! Jennifer Hudson was good and probably deserved the various awards she won for her role in the film, but I dunno for sure because half way through the film, I asked my spouse if she thought the film was as bad as I thought it was. She agreed and we stopped watching it.

The music was not my cup of tea. I wanted to hear a Motown-like sound. Instead, I heard a Broadway sound, not that there is anything wrong with that. I like show tunes as much as the next guy wearing a sequins dress, but the movie was supposed to be about Detroit music in the 1960s, not NYC. What a disappointment!

On the positive side, Beyoncé Knowles was gorgeous and the retro gowns that the Dream Girls wore in the film were to die for! I will probably fast-forward the second half of the film to catch any other Beyoncé and evening gown highlights.