The Trans Woman How-To's: The "Starter Pack"

The sentiment “We all start somewhere” is more often than not labelled as a conceited kick to the head when you’re trying something new. I recall this being said to me often when I was in beauty school; I was 23, and the only person in the entire class who had never touched makeup before in a productive way. I was trying to develop the skills my other classmates begin building on since they were no older than 12, and when I would step back from my “canvas” Id feel the same familiar churn in my stomach Id usually get when I put the brush down.

My lack of skill was nothing but apparent on the poor girls face. Everywhere I looked, there was another something I wished I would have noticed before I stepped back; another smudge, another lack of blending… another failure.

Id see my instructor come up behind me and all but disintegrate and fall to the floor. Even she stopped trying to point out the positives, either because there wasn’t any, or she simply knew that if I was given the positive traits, Id easily forget about the not-so-positive ones that were much more apparent.

It truly never made sense to her or me. I was doing the work, every test came back over an %80, I was studying, I was watching tutorial videos we were given in class when I was sitting in bed learning the material for next week. There was just some sort of disconnect between my knowledge and my application.

Id see her walk up close to my model, write a few notes, and then like clockwork, she would turn to me and say “We all start somewhere. You’ll get it though. I promise.”

Luckily, she was right. One day I began to improve, and suddenly I was passing both written and practical exams. Things made more sense, I had more common sense. It all fell into place and suddenly, I was on fire! I mean here I am,only a few years later blogging about it, when I figured I’d never touch a brush again

So I’ll assume if you’re here, you want in on all the fun too. You want to open a new door to self-expression like everybody else does, but you have no idea where to start. That’s where I come in!

Step #1: Find Support

Now this is a super touchy subject… unfortunately not everybody is going to be able to complete this step. Not everybody has that type of support in their lives when they come out, which makes even making a basic starter pack so much harder. Don’t stress on this too much though, because we are a resilient community, and we know how to handle going it alone. There’s plenty of YouTube videos out there that can help you, or if you’re a touch more confident, go visit a professional at a cosmetics counter. They’ll be able to assist you with finding the right foundation shades, products for your skin type and maybe even a couple bits and pieces of advice for achieving results that closely resemble your vision. Do what is safest and most comfortable for you. While this entire idea may be about stepping out of your comfort zone, please don’t go through anything too harsh or drastic. This is supposed to be about you. Make it fun!

P.S- I’ll be more than happy to FaceTime, iMessage, or even e-Mail anybody who needs to at least have somebody with them when they go to a store for the first time. I’m only a message away. Even if I’m not around, just pretend to be on the phone with somebody.

Step #2- Create The List

I’ll be the first to tell you, that there’s so many different products out there. It so easy to get lost in the sauce, and you find yourself even more lost than you were before. This is why we start off with your starter pack, not your entire vanity.

The Starter Pack is designed for you exclusively. It enhances the beauty you have and conceals what you’d rather people didn’t see. The clearer of an idea you have of what to enhance and direct attention away from, the more clear your idea of what you want/need. It’s going to feel hella vain… but make a list of what you think makes you pretty, or what you want makeup to emphasize. For the dysphoric of us, that might be a bit tough… but be patient with yourself. This is supposed to be fun, but it’s also meant to broaden your sense of self, so if things take a bit of extra time, don’t worry! Theres no time restriction on being yourself.

My list looks something like this:

Conceal:

-Skin irritation/ redness from shaving.

-Facial hair shadowing around the lower part of the face.

-Eye bags

-Acne

Emphasize:

-Eyes

-Full Lips

-High Cheekbones

As a professionally-trained makeup enthusiast, I have done makeup for both cisgender women and myself, and so I have a pretty good understanding of what both have to contend with in regards to skin concerns.

Cis Females have more of what is called subcutaneous fat all over their bodies. This is what gives women skin its softness and suppleness. If you are an individual who is planning to undergo HRT, then you will experience that feeling too! (Coming from someone who’s been on hormones for a bit over 3 years now, its my favourite part of any of the features Ive gained.)

Oh and just in case, if you’re really not feeling confident enough to even come up with a single feature you would want to emphasize, I’ve never seen an “ugly” pair of eyes once in my life. Start there, and you’ll be surprised what you begin to see differently!

Step #3: Determine What You Need

So once you have your list of features, and you know whether to emphasize or conceal them, its time to begin picking out your products! This is always the super fun part. Don’t worry about finishes, or whether or not this product is going to work for you just yet. You’re going to find out all of that stuff before you even go to the store, or checkout on Sephora. Determine what outlets are going to be best for you and your budget. I was “into” makeup for a good 2-3 years before I ever made my first Sephora order… and it wasn’t even for makeup! It was for hair products.

While some may not agree, there are plenty of drugstore brands that produce super high-quality products! The main difference between the $10 foundation and the $90 foundation is the ingredients (and maybe slightly the name depending what brand you’re talking about). The more expensive options usually contain a lot more skin-protecting ingredients and benefits. The cheaper (not “cheap”) foundation can often times have the same benefits, but the ingredients used to give that effect are either not as potent, or not as healthy.

Now, we have a store in mind… lets window shop!

I prefer to do my window shopping online because its easier to not overspend. My standards are not met in regards to instant gratification when I don’t have the product in my hands right away, so sometimes I actually can take some time to budget, make conscious decisions and maybe remove a couple (dozen) things from my cart.

Most stores have an option where you can see their selection online. This is also perfect for those who may have worries about going to buy makeup in person. No stuffy old lady to breathe down your neck as you shop either!

Refer back to the list you made, and figure out what products you will need for each item on the list. The list I wrote previously would then look like this:

Conceal:

-Skin irritation/ redness from shaving.

Product:Moisturizer

-Facial hair shadowing around the lower part of the face.

Product: Color Corrector

-Eye bags

Product:Concealer

-Acne

Product: Foundation/Powder

Emphasize:

-Eyes

Products:Eyeliner, Mascara, Eyeshadow

-Full Lips

Products: Lip Gloss, Lipstick, Lip Liner

-High Cheekbones

Products: Bronzer, Blush, Highlighter

Now, look up each of the products in your list, and browse, look at each of the reviews and people will be mentioning how it worked according to their skin type, preferences and more. This is where you will absorb as much knowledge as possible. This is where the fun starts! Everything is through trial and error, and even the errors can possibly turn from errors to full on, never-before, exclusive brand new approaches to makeup! Every approach was once just an idea, right?

The next best part? Finding the actual pack to keep it in! Makeup bag shopping is always the best part of the entire excursion!

Leave a comment down below on more things you would like to see written! Have a blessed day everyone! Let me know how getting your starter pack pans out. I want to see product recs people!!

Blessed,

Christy