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My Second Makeover

On Wednsday, I wrote about my first makeover. I was flabbergasted by the results. The makeover completely changed the way I looked. 

I was caught up in the moment and enjoyed my makeover. However, I thought it was over the top. It was fine for attending the First Event banquet that evening, but it was too much for sashaying around the hotel the following morning. So after the event, I used many of the techniques that Jim Bridges used during my makeover, but toned it down considerably.

Eleven years later, I was ready for my second makeover. This would be completely different than my first makeover which occurred in the safety net of a trans convention. My second makeover would take place in a local mall out among the civilians. Not only that, it was my first solo outing en femme!

I dressed appropriately to fit in with the other women shopping at the mall. I wore a long black tunic sweater, “heather-gray” leggings and pant boots, as seen here:

My goal was to go to Sephora or M·A·C for makeup advice. After entering the mall, I encountered Sephora before M·A·C, so I went into Sephora. Immediately, a sales associate asked me if I needed assistance and I asked her if she could provide makeup advice. She was happy to do so and sat me at a makeup table for consultation. I talked her out of performing a complete makeover. Instead, I asked her just to improve what I had done.

I was concerned with my eyebrows, but she said I had done a good job with them and that they did not need any work. But she did suggest some other improvements. She said I needed to draw my eyeliner out further towards the outside of each eye to give them more of an almond shape. She also said I needed lip-gloss and a little more mascara and blush. She implemented the suggestions and I was so happy with the results that I asked her to take my photo. Here it is:

During my makeup consultation at Sephora, I mentioned that I had beard cover under my foundation and that I was wearing beard cover because I was a crossdresser. The sales associate probably knew that already. She sensed my uneasiness and tried to settle me down by saying “You only have one life to live and you should live it like you want. If someone has a problem, then it is their problem, not yours.”

I have been living those words ever since!

Wearing Boston Proper

Șerban Copoț femulating Taylor Swift on Romanian television’s Te cunosc de undeva!

My First Makeover

By January 1995, I had been regularly attending support group meetings for over 5 years, but I was still closeted, that is, not going beyond the safe confines of the support group’s meeting place.

A few girls in my support group attended First Event, an annual transgender convention held in the Boston area and recommended it to me as a way to expand my horizons. I was ready, so I registered for the convention and when the big day arrived, Elaine, another ham radio girl who I knew as a ham long before I knew her as a girl, drove us to the convention hotel in Natick, just west of Boston.

After settling in, I began exploring the hotel and here I am in the photo above, trying out the catwalk that was set up for the First Event fashion show. Wow, my hemline is short! I guess some things never change!

Later that day, I sat in and watched Hollywood makeup artist Jim Bridges perform a makeover on another First Event attendee. The transformation was amazing. I was so impressed that I made an appointment for a makeover late Saturday afternoon, so I would look my best for the Saturday night banquet.

It was my first makeover and I was a little nervous going in. How would I look? Would I be disappointed?

During the makeover,  I asked Jim which actresses he had worked with and he rattled off a few names. Then I mentioned that I thought Jaclyn Smith of Charlie’s Angels fame, was one of the most beautiful women among the current crop of stars (circa 1985) and he responded that he had done Jaclyn’s makeup a few times and that she had lousy skin that required a lot of work! After bursting my balloon, he patched it up by adding that I had better skin than Jaclyn Smith!

Anyway Jim’s transformation of me was as impressive as the transformation I witnessed earlier. I literally did not recognize myself when he was finished. “Is that really me?” I wondered when I looked in the mirror for the first time after the makeover.

After the makeover, I returned to my room to get dressed for the banquet. I was anxious to show off the new me and when I finally made my grand entrance, my friends and acquaintances did not recognize me either… in a good way.

Wearing Boston Proper

Șerban Copoț and Cezar Ouatu femulating on Romanian television’s Te cunosc de undeva!
Click here to view this femulation on YouTube.

Fantastic Film Femulations

Lee Pace in Soldier’s Girl

A few days ago, Mikki commented that Mehdi Dehbi in the film He’s My Girl “does the best job of female impersonation I’ve ever seen in a film. Unlike very many of these films, there’s no reason to go into ‘deliberate suspension of belief’ when perceiving Naim/Habiba as a female.”

I admit that my trans-radar did not sound off immediately when I first saw Mehdi Dehbi in that film and he should receive two bra cups up for his femulation. On the other hand, there are other film femulations that can compete with Mehdi Dehbi. 

Lee Pace in Soldier’s Girl, Romain Duris in The New Girlfriend and Matthias Schweighöfer in Woman in Love come to mind immediately and I am sure there are others that are just as good. (For a long time, I thought Tony Curtis’ femulation in Some Like It Hot was excellent until I discovered that his very female voice was dubbed in – by a man, Paul Frees.)

That’s just my opinion. So who do you think was an excellent film femulator? Let us know in the Comments below.

Wearing Retro Stage

Matthias Schweighöfer femulating in the 2011 German film Woman in Love (Rubbeldiekatz).

Very Comfortable

A reader commented, “You must feel very comfortable in your skin to be able to go into the situations you go into Stana.”

Yes, I am very comfortable.

I admit that before I take that first step out the door en femme, I am a little hesitant. Part of it is due to fear and part of it is due to awe.

 “Fear” that something may go wrong. (Except for wardrobe and automobile malfunctions nothing has ever gone wrong.)

“Awe” that I am actually going out en femme and functioning as a woman in society.

I hesitate for only a moment or two, then push myself out the door.

As soon as I hear the click of my high heels on the floor, pavement, sidewalk, or wherever I take those first steps, I stop thinking about being en femme because at that point, I am femme.

Wearing New York & Company

Ronnie Barker femulating on British televisions’s The Two Ronnies.

Separated at Birth

In an email titled, “She looks just like you...,” Tami wrote, “when i first saw this short video i thought it was you!”

I was flattered and responded, “Separated at birth! LOL”

Tami retorted, “You should post her video and link to her site... see if others see the resemblance that I saw. She also seems to have a similar fashion sense, with pretty feminine clothing. She also has very feminine mannerisms - she’s someone all of us 'gurls' should strive to femulate!”

Do I resemble her, who BTW goes by the name “Deborah Boland”? 

In my opinion, there is some resemblance especially when my hair is blond. But I should be so thin – Deborah probably weighs 70 pounds less than me! 

I do agree that our fashion sense is similar – emphasizing pretty feminine clothing – and my mannerisms are comparable to hers. And absolutely yes, she is someone all of us should strive to femulate.

By the way, Deborah also has a YouTube page, which I now subscribe to.  Coincidentally, I also am subscribed to Schellea’s Fabulous 50s YouTube page. (Wonder if there is a Fabulous 70s YouTube page. If not, maybe I should start one!)

Wearing New York & Company

Abdel Moneim Ibrahim femulating in the 1960 Egyptian film Sukkar Hanem (Lady Sugar).

"Your Face Sounds Familiar" Observations

By Yamini Argo

Follow are my notes regarding some of the quirky things that happened on the Your Face Sounds Familiar television franchise.

The show has produced so many wonderful femulations over the last decade. The number of challenges the femulators have overcome is something all of us would have gone through. But the support they receive for the transformations is phenomenal. I like to look at the backstage makeup process and their physical and psychological aspects during the week of preparation.

Apart from bending the gender, many participants crossed racial boundaries. Few even successfully twerked and danced around muscular men. Not that everyone enjoys such performances; Romanian actor stated he felt violated when the male dancers touched him all over.

Carlos Marco femulating on Spain's version of Your Face Sounds Familiar.

Almost all the contestants had to walk in high heels and almost none fell on their rears, thanks to the practice they have at the studio and also at home. A few girlfriends and wives have supported this endeavor by lending them shoes or simply encouraging them. One Spanish contestant was given the original dress worn by the singer to lend authenticity for the performance. 

Makeup artists give them flawless appearance, which combined with their fine features can have unintentional outcomes. One such transformation found the Brazilian actor Victor Kley being mistaken for actress Meghan Fox. In the same show, another actor had to be censored by Instagram when he showed off his new assets. 

The actors need not always wear the panties that go with their bras, but they don’t seem to mind. Few have flashed inadvertently, few intentionally. And they had to tuck their bits for the duration of the show. Some have showcased their bodies in revealing attires including bikinis.

Things get interesting when these men have personal relationships with the singers. These instances include when the son became his mother, brother became his sister and the times when boyfriends became their own ex-girlfriends. Fiancés have swapped roles and weirdly, brothers have danced as couples on two different shows.

Quite a few amusing things happened in the Bulgarian version this season. One contestant went on to kiss the judge deeply in the mode of the character he was in. Another actor had a mishap of his lifetime when the tube top slipped and revealed his fake breasts. He was described as a pornstar on national television. 

The psychological aspect of this observation also questions how do they feel when they had become a sex symbol that they had wet dreams about in their teenage years. They learn dance moves to seduce the male dancers during the song and they also get voice training, which leaves them with sultry voices. These are potential tools they can use at any point in time with anyone. I'm not sure how many did venture outside the studio in full glam; at least once it was noted that Romanian singer Florin Ristei went home in between takes. 

Overall, I'm glad this show exists and continues to provide some crossdressing entertainment for all of us.

P.S: I'd like to give a shout out to Vlad Nicola who has been amazing as a cosplayer and hostess. He’s got an appreciative girlfriend just like Zach Scuderi.

Wearing Ann Taylor

Joel Grey femulating in the 1972 film Cabaret.

Metamorphosis Balls Revisited

March 2020, I wrote about Catherine the Great's “metamorphosis balls” in which the male and female attendees crossdressed under orders from the Russian empress herself. I researched the subject, but only found an article from Vogue magazine, which was sparked by the metamorphosis ball scene in the HBO series Catherine the Great (photo above).

Yesterday, an article came across the mojo wire via Atlas Obscura, “The Weekly Cross-Dressing Balls of 18th-Century Russian Royalty” by Sarah Durn, which goes into much greater detail than the Vogue article. 

The men would be required to wear the stockings, corsets, petticoats (up to five was customary), ruffled lace sleeves, hoop skirts, and elaborate sack back gowns that, on any other occasion, the women of court would’ve worn. The women, on the other hand, had to wear men’s embroidered waistcoats, full-skirted coats, breeches, white silk stockings, shoes with ostentatious buckles, a powdered wig, and an unwieldy sword.

In the metamorphosis balls, in which both men and women dressed as the opposite gender, there are two power shifts going on. First, Cole says, “there’s the power of somebody making you dress outside your gender.” Second, there’s the power play that “by doing it yourself, you are critiquing the power dynamics of gender and gendered dress.” By forcing their male courtiers to dress as women, Elizabeth and Catherine were reminding everyone who was boss. They made the rules. And even men had to follow them.

It is a fascinating read and I recommend it to all Femulate readers.

Wearing Madeleine.

Femulating Russian nobility in the 2019 Russian television series Ekaterina (Catherine).
You can view the femulation scene from Ekaterina on YouTube.

TV on TV (You know what I mean)

Comedy Central now has the Seinfeld franchise and Saturday evening, they kicked things off with the “fans’” top ten Seinfeld episodes. Here is the top ten list:

#10 – The Contest

#9 – The Hamptons

#8 – The Festivus

#7 – The Boy Friend (Part 1)

#6 – The Close Talker

#5 – The Yada Yada

#4 – The Little Kicks

#3 – The Bizarro Jerry

#2 – The Puffy Shirt

#1 – The Soup Nazi

Seinfeld is my all-time favorite television comedy series and I disagree with some of the top ten choices (numbers 3 and 8, for example) and the numerical order of the top ten. (“The Soup Nazi” is good, but most of the other episodes on the top ten are better than “The Soup Nazi”).  

And how can “The Chinese Restaurant” not be in the top ten?

“The Red Dot” is another episode that is top ten-worthy. Besides the humor of that episode’s plot, it also includes one of the few crossdressing references in the series when Jerry finds himself in the women’s department of a department store and he says, “I never feel comfortable in the women’s department. I feel like I’m just a little too close to trying on a dress.”

👩  👩  👩

Ninety minutes after the Seinfeld top ten, Kim Kardashian guest-hosted Saturday Night Live. 

I am not a Kardashian fan, but she is Femulate Her-worthy and she fills that slot in today’s post primarily because I love her hairdo in the Lotto Drawing segment of Saturday’s broadcast. 

Where can I get a wig like hers?

Kim Kardashian

Saturday Night Live alumnus Terry Sweeney femulating Nancy Reagan at his book party.