Less is More

Greetings, my dear readers. I’ve been thinking about makeup, hence the title of this blog. I’ve been exploring the subtle art of makeup for some years now, and I have a wonderful wife that has helped me learn the art of makeup. As the title suggests, less is more. When you think of makeup, you might think of drag queens, with their flamboyant makeup and hair styles, but that doesn’t really work for us who have to interface with the conventional world. Still and all, we can indeed wear makeup without fear of social ostracism.

I find it interesting that companies are now marketing facial and body moisturizers for men with names that are macho enough not to make them cringe. I’ll bet you a dime to a dollar that the products they are marketing for men come out of the same vat as the moisturizers for women; just under a different label. I will say, however, that Xdress has some very nice makeup products for us of the gender fluid persuasion. Go in and take a look. You can also go online for some good tutorials simply by typing in “men’s makeup.”  Having said that, let’s dive into the wonderful world of makeup.

Let’s start with the face in general. I have a rather ruddy complexion, and my dear wife introduced me to the pleasures of foundation makeup. I won’t name brands here, as that would be inappropriate. Go to your favorite store and check out foundation makeup. The trick is to match it to your skin tone. As I said, my facial skin is a bit ruddy, so I wanted to tone it down a bit. I found that mixing equal measures of foundation with a basic facial moisturizer brought down the tone of the foundation so I don’t look like a clown. A note to you that are clean shaven: be sure to blend the foundation into your jaw line. If your facial skin tone is different from the skin below your jaw line, it will shout “MAKEUP!” Again, less is more.

Product: Smooth Satin Bodysuit

Next, let’s consider eye liner and eye shadow. Here you want to be very discreet. If you walk among the gender binary of our society, you want to be very cautious regarding eye liner. You don’t want to end up looking like the pirates of the Caribbean!  Less is more. Regarding eye shadow, match it to your skin tone. Again, less is more. You don’t want marked contrasts – you want colors that enhance your natural beauty.

Next, let’s move to eyebrows. I have mine waxed in a nail salon on a regular basis. I find that the salon techs don’t even raise a lovely eyebrow at my request. I like a nice arch. I will warn you that the first time hurts like a bad dog, and the area around your eyebrows will be flaming red for the rest of the day. Also, be sure that the salon tech waxes between your eyebrows. The last thing you want is a unibrow. I occasionally also pluck between my eyebrows. Get a nice pair of tweezers for that.

Speaking of nail salons, get yourself to a nail salon/spa and get a manicure and pedicure. You’ve not experienced pampering until you do. The leg massage is heaven! It wouldn’t be surprising if you see other men in the salon getting the same treatment. I like clear polish on my fingernails, and frost pink on my toenails. Again, most salon techs don’t freak out – they’ve seen it all before. I’ve had clear polish on my fingernails for many years, and all I get from other folks (ladies) is a compliment on my manicure. If men notice, they don’t say anything. Bare in mind that I live in a very conservative part of the country, and I’ve never had an adverse comment from anyone. As far as my toenail polish, well, I keep that to myself.

Product: The Supreme Satin Robe

Lastly, let’s consider lipstick. As with eyeshadow, it’s important to match your lipstick to your complexion. Here “less is more” is really important. I find that a shade just a bit deeper than my natural lip and complexion color works best. If you want to feel comfortable in general society, flaming red or pink is probably not going to work.

Attending to the subtle parts of our femme side – the beautiful side – can be a wonderful experience. I love nothing more than getting ready for the day, standing in front of the mirror after my shower, wearing my matching satin panties and bra from Xdress while applying my makeup. It really sets up my day to be truly who I am.

What about you? Have you discovered this wonderful side of your inner femme? Are you still exploring it? Have you not yet entered this part of your femme side but are curious? I would love to hear your input. Your stories are always so fascinating and entirely welcome.

Fond regards,

Angie