Stuff: Makeup Lessons

By J.J. Atwell

Let’s Consider Makeup

It seems to me that makeup is one of those things that women love or hate. I suppose most GGs accept it as just part of life. They learned how to do it as they grew up. They continue to do it because it’s just what women do. Some enjoy seeing how makeup enhances their appearance. Others prefer not to spend the time doing their makeup and go natural. 

For CDs though, I’m not sure we have a choice. With very few exceptions we pretty much need makeup to look feminine. Since most of us don’t learn about makeup as we grew up, we need to learn about it as we embark on our CD journey. How do we do that? I’ll tell you how I did it. Actually, how I’m still learning to do it. 

The Internet

One of the first things I did when I decided I needed to learn about makeup was to search the Internet. Doing that resulted in many, many results. Some helpful. Some not so much. Some directly conflicting with others. It left me more bewildered than it helped me. But it also helped me to realize that no matter what works for an individual on the Internet, doesn’t mean it will work for me.

Why is that? It’s because I’m unique. …and so are they. ….and so are you, my dear reader. Even leaving aside the fact that I’m a CD, and you may be as well, there are other things to consider. Your face shape. Your basic complexion, The major features of your face. All of those affect what you need for makeup to look your best. So I plunged ahead trying to do it myself. Some attempts were more successful than others. But soon I decided I needed personalized help. 

The Professionals

Ultimately, the best resource I’ve found is to go to the professionals: the makeup artists (MUA) at the beauty store. I’ve gone to Ulta, MAC and Sephora to chat with them about my makeup needs. They gave me very good advice about the color and type of foundation I’d need and of course, showed me where the products were in the store. 

I did most of that in guy mode, so don’t be afraid to go ahead and own it. I had no bad or even odd reactions from the MUA when I explained that I was a CD and needed information about makeup to make my presentation more realistic. After several visits to my favorite Sephora store, I became comfortable talking openly to them about makeup. 

Sephora, like MAC and Ulta, offers makeovers. One day, I decided to go ahead and book a makeover before one of our CD group meetings. I asked if I should come with makeup or without. They said to do whatever I was comfortable with. If I had arrived with makeup on, they would just remove it to start the process, so I decided to go with the absolute minimum of a color correcting tinted moisturizer and lipstick. 

During the makeover they explained what products they are using and why. You watch them apply the makeup and you can see the improvement as they do one side of the face first. 

Just a note: I was indeed presenting as female when I went to the store for my makeover. I thought I looked pretty good as I walked in. I was greeted warmly and as soon as I said I was there for a makeover, I was instantly recognized. They had seen me as a guy many times and they knew I dressed, but had not seen me en femme before. They quickly put me at ease, asked for my femme name, and treated me as just another female customer the entire time. 

I’ll Be Back

Once I clean off my makeup, I’ll be looking for more Stuff to write about. I welcome comments and suggestions here on Stana’s page or by email at Jenn6nov at-sign gmail dot com.

Wearing Bebe

Jim O’Pecko shopping out and about 

What do they think of me?

By Paula Gaikowski (paula.gaikowski@gmail.com)

As a transgender woman, I’ve often found myself pondering the thoughts of others, particularly those of other women, when I’m out in public. The simple act of being addressed as “ma’am” or having a door held open for me can bring immense joy and validation. It’s a small gesture that can make a world of difference.

For many transgender women, like myself, the desire to be seen and perceived as a woman is deeply rooted in our identity. While it may not be a priority for everyone, it's a crucial aspect of my own journey. Presenting in a feminine way, whether through clothing, makeup, or other means, has allowed me to express my true self and alleviate the distress I've felt living in a body that didn't align with my gender identity.

As a transgender woman who hasn't transitioned, I've often wondered how others perceive me. While I may “pass” as a woman in certain situations, there are often subtle cues that can reveal my transgender identity. To better understand the thoughts and perceptions of others, I decided to conduct a small experiment. 

Inspired by JJ’s recent Stuff post, I recalled a question I posed on Reddit: What do you think of crossdressers in public? I shared several photos of myself and received a variety of responses.

I posed a question to the askwomen forum with over 40,000 subscribers asking them to share their thoughts. 

The responses to the question about crossdressers in public were largely positive and accepting, reflecting a growing shift towards greater tolerance and understanding of gender diversity. A significant number of women commented that they would have assumed the crossdresser was a cisgender woman, demonstrating a growing acceptance of gender fluidity. Some even found it refreshing or inspiring to see someone expressing their individuality.

Several comments highlighted concerns about safety, particularly in areas where crossdressing might be met with hostility. There were also a few instances where women admitted to briefly noticing or judging the crossdresser's outfit, but these were generally mild and not malicious.

While a small minority of respondents expressed discomfort or disapproval, their comments were often overshadowed by the overwhelming positivity of the rest of the forum. Many women praised the crossdresser's confidence and courage and expressed a desire for greater acceptance of gender nonconformity in society.

Just to note when posed with the question, “How would you feel if your husband was a crossdresser.” The reactions are almost all negative.

In conclusion, the responses from the women’s forum suggest that the majority of people are becoming more open-minded and tolerant of crossdressing and other forms of gender expression. While there is still work to be done to ensure the safety and well-being of transgender individuals, the overall trend is encouraging and points to a future where everyone can feel free to express their true selves without fear of judgment or discrimination.

Click here to view the question, answers and links to photos of me for respondents to use as a point of reference.

Wearing Cara Cara skirt, Alaia shoes, Khaite jacket and Yliana Yepez bag.

Kandi Robbins of Kandi’s Land fame

How I spent my summer vacation

Monday, I went to the Big E with 86,000 of my friends. The weather was perfect, but it was too crowded. The drive to West Springfield took less than an hour, but the last two or three miles into the Big E site took another hour! I've been going to the Big E all my life and never saw the amount of traffic that I saw on Monday.

I did enjoy seeing all the animals at the fair as well as Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits fame. Despite his age, his voice was still very good and he sang all his hits from the 1960’s.

I did see a femulator at the Big E and only recognized her as one of us because her very visible beard shadow gave her away (to me) – maybe civilians didn’t notice. She was otherwise cute and petite – very passable.

Tuesday was our 41st wedding anniversary. My family took my wife and I out to dinner and we partied at my daughter’s domicile afterwords.

Wednesday was a girls’ day out – lunch with some of my T-girl friends. However, I was a no-show because after I said I would do lunch with the ladies, my daughter reminded me that I had promised to drive her to the airport that day. I hope my friends had a pleasant lunch – I wish I was there.

The rest of the week, I relaxed when I wasn’t doing housework. 

I thought about going out en femme solo on Thursday or Friday, but my wife was feeling ill and I did not want to leave her alone.

And so it goes.

Wearing Cynthia Rowley

Jeanette Johnson out and about at a casino in Lake Charles, Louisiana

YES!

Source: Rue La La

Vince Clarke and Andy Bell femulating in Erasure’s music video for Take A Chance On Me. Click here to view this video on YouTube.

Vacation

I'm taking a vacation. I will be back real soon now!

Stuff: What do GGs think of us?

By J.J. Atwell

I don’t really know!

So why write about it? Because I’m genuinely curious. And I encourage you to think about it, too. 

The few GGs (genetic girls) I’m out to find it “interesting.” What a great, non-definitive word. Kind of reminds me of that old curse “may you live in interesting times.”

Just because several GGs know and accept my girl side, I don’t assume that reflects on what all GGs think. In fact, my sample size is very small and it is definitely slanted towards GGs who would be favorable. After all, I wouldn’t have come out to them if I didn’t think they would be OK with it. 

Are we different?

Well, yes we are different. And it’s not just the difference in our bodies. As guys we are raised differently and have different life experiences and women, of course have very different life experiences. How we live our lives is heavily influenced by societal norms. 

As crossdressers we are in the awkward position of bridging the gap between the two worlds. Kind of like the boater with one foot on the dock and one in the boat. A challenge to hold it together without falling. We need to spend time observing and emulating the women around us. Behaving as a guy while presenting as female raises lots of questions. 

You know the typical questions we get when we out ourselves to a woman. Are you gay? Aren’t you happy as a guy? Do you want to become a woman? Why do you do this? All perfectly reasonable questions from the women. How many of us have reasonable answers? 

Have you adequately communicated that to the women in your life? I try to do that but I pretty much fail at the why question. All I know is that I enjoy it when I get dressed and present as female. I suppose enjoyment is a valid answer to that big question. At least I hope the women in my life agree. 

Respect

In the end, I suspect the answer to the question, “what do GGs think of crossdressers is all over the place.” Some love us. Some detest us. Some (most?) just don’t think about us at all. It’s not as if most GGs encounter crossdressers at all. They’ve probably seen drag queens on TV or even in person, but the ordinary run-of-the-mill crossdresser? Not so much. So they really don’t understand us any more than we understand ourselves. 

How do we handle this? Basically by being good human beings. By showing support for others. 

By helping others we can help ourselves. And maybe others will be willing to help us. In a word – respect.

I’ll be back

I’ll be back with more Stuff in the next installment. Comments are welcome either here on the blog or by email to Jenn6nov at-sign gmail dot com. JJ is always looking for more stuff so let me know what you would like to read about.

Wearing Bebe

A beautiful femulating sister out and about.

Hey Girls! I love photos of out-and-about girls like us. If you have an out-and-about photo that you are willing to share here, email it to me and I will publish it in a future post.

More Weather to Crossdress

 

Wearing Bardot

Jorge femulated Elena Gheorghe on Romanian television’s Your Face Sounds Familiar.

Weather to Crossdress

Wearing Staud

April Flowers’ night at the opera

You Are Not Alone… Far From It

 Crossdressing is more common than many people think. While exact numbers are hard to pin down due to the private nature of the practice, various studies and surveys suggest that a significant number of men engage in crossdressing at some point in their lives.

Here are a few points to consider:

Prevalence – Estimates vary, but some studies suggest that around 5% of men in Western countries have crossdressed at least once.

Cultural Acceptance – In some cultures and communities, crossdressing is more openly accepted and visible, which can influence how common it appears to be.

Online Communities – The rise of the Internet has allowed people who crossdress to connect with others more easily, creating supportive communities and making the practice more visible.

Media Representation – Increased representation in media and entertainment has also contributed to greater awareness and acceptance of crossdressing.

5% of the USA male population is 8.3 million. That’s equal to the population of New York City. So we have a lot of company. However, starting out, most of us thought we were the only person in the world who crossdressed, but as we explored our good fortune, we discovered that there are many others similarly blessed.

Back when I was slipping into my mother’s wardrobe, there were no “crossdressers;” there were only “transvestites.” I don’t recall how or when I learned that term (“There’s a ‘term’ for me!”), but when I learned it, I immediately began researching it and quickly concluded that I was not alone, but I had no idea how much company I had.

Joining a support group expanded my education. I was active in that group for about 15 years and I probably saw 200 different members come and go. 

Amazingly, two sisters in my support group were members of the same local ham radio club that I belonged to! One, in particular, I spoke with via ham radio quite frequently – long before we knew we were sisters. That made me wonder how many other sisters did I already know only in boy mode!

After I started this blog and mentioned a few times that I was a ham radio operator, the closet doors were flung open and I lost count how many other crossdressing hams came out to me… well over 100 in all.

And then there’s the Internet. Crossdressers are well-represented to say the least! Young and old, not just old ladies like me.

I even discovered that two close relatives also crossdressed!

We will never know how many sisters we have, but you can be sure that we are not alone... far from it!

Wearing Venus

Gale Gordon, Richard Crenna and Robert Rockwell femulating on a 1953 episode of television’s Our Miss Brooks.

Wrong Season

Wearing Pyramid Collection

Terry, circa 1961

Stuff: The Day After

By J.J. Atwell

How do you feel the day after?

One of my dear crossdresser friends, Kathryn, asked me that question. Picture this: you were all dressed and out with the girls, but are now back home and your glass carriage has turned back into a pumpkin. How are you feeling? 

It’s a mixture – mostly up

For me, it’s mostly positive. I’m happy to have been out. Most of my thoughts are about how much fun I had. I’ll also be thinking about the next event and what to do to improve my femme presentation. 

For example, this past weekend (well it would be a month ago by the time you read this) I was out with a group of friends. There were ten of us and we dined at a new (to us) restaurant and saw a play. The entire evening was just wonderful. We were accepted at face value and referred to with the female pronouns by the restaurant staff and the ushers at the playhouse. I didn’t notice anyone looking askance at us the whole evening. A wonderful evening. 

The next few days were filled with thoughts how nice it was at this restaurant or that play. I mentally relive the highlights of the outing. I can almost still feel the gentle hug of the bra. Pushing back my hair. The flash of color on my nails. Noticing the shoulder harness of the seatbelt between the boobs. All those unique sensations. 

It’s a mixture – a little down

I’m not one to get depressed, but there is the realization that it’s over. Then I check the calendar to see when our next outing is scheduled. With that in mind my thoughts turn to what I’m going to wear then. Do I have everything I need? Do I need to shop for something in particular?

Because of schedule conflicts, I know I’m going to miss the next group outing so I’m focusing on our October meeting which has a Halloween theme. Deciding on an outfit for that night puts me in a whole different mindset. Time to get creative!. 

So basically, I use the looking-ahead method of dealing with the sense of loss that the end of the night brings. I know others in our group have similar up/down feelings after a night out. I’d love to hear from some of you.

I’ll be back

Up or down, I’ll be back with more Stuff in the next installment. Comments are welcome either here on the blog or by email to Jenn6nov at-sign gmail dot com. JJ is always looking for more stuff so let me know what you would like to read about.

Wearing Bebe

Bernard Zette femulating in the 1998 film Last Exit to Brooklyn.