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Makeup

A starting reference for trans-specific makeup considerations. Not a tutorial — there are excellent video resources for that, linked at the bottom — but the framing and the trans-specific concerns (beard shadow, masculine bone structure adjustments, undertone matching for body chemistry shifts on HRT) deserve grounding.

Pages in this section

Page Covers
Beard Shadow Color correction, layering, common mistakes, long-game removal
Eyebrows Brow mapping, sex-dimorphic differences, shaping, fill-in
Eye Makeup Shadow, liner, lashes, eye-shape adjustments
Blush Placement, color, face-shape adjustments
Lipstick Liner, overlining, dimension, lasting wear

Frame: makeup is optional

There is no level of makeup that's required. People in the community range from full glam daily to none ever. This page exists for people who want it.

Color theory & undertone

  • Undertone — cool / warm / neutral; how to identify yours; matters for foundation, lipstick, and color choices generally
  • Skin tone shifts on HRT — many users find their undertone shifts (often warmer → cooler) over the first 1–2 years; a foundation match from year 0 may be wrong by year 2

Daily routine basics

A minimum-viable everyday face for most:

  1. Skin prep — clean, moisturized, SPF
  2. Color correction (if needed) — green for redness, peach/orange for beard shadow
  3. Foundation or tinted moisturizer — match to neck, not face, for natural look
  4. Concealer — under-eye and any blemishes
  5. Powder — set, especially in oily zones
  6. Brows — shape and fill; small impact, large perceived effect
  7. Blush + bronzer — warmth and dimensional shaping
  8. Eyes (optional) — mascara minimum; liner and shadow if you want
  9. Lips — balm, tinted balm, or lipstick

Beard shadow cover

The trans-specific challenge that most generic tutorials don't address well. The strategy:

  • Reduce the underlying shadow first — laser/electrolysis (see Hair Removal); makeup compensates but doesn't replace
  • Color correct before foundation — orange or peach corrector neutralizes the blue-gray cast
  • Build in light layers — heavy single-layer coverage looks cakey
  • Set with powder — prevents transfer

Face-mapping diagram showing four feminizing contour zones (temples, sides of nose, cheek hollows, jawline) and five highlight zones (center forehead, nose bridge, cupid's bow and chin, cheekbones, under-eye and inner corner)

Facial bone structure adjustments

Contouring techniques that can soften prominent brow ridges, narrower chins, more defined jaws. Useful adjuncts to consider — and notes on when this is purely cosmetic (workable with practice) vs. when FFS becomes the more durable answer.

Application techniques

  • Tools — brushes vs. sponges vs. fingers; what each is best for
  • Application order — generally cream products before powder
  • Building vs. blocking — light layers reapplied, not heavy single coats
  • Setting — spray or powder; how to make it last

Special occasions

  • Photo / event makeup — different from daily; cameras flatten dimension
  • Long-wear strategies — primer, setting spray, blotting

Learning resources

Better learned by watching than reading:

  • Video tutorials — well-known trans makeup creators on YouTube cover both basics and trans-specific concerns
  • In-person counter consultations — Sephora, Ulta, MAC offer free
  • Community sources — r/MtFButch, r/MtFFashionAdvice, /mtfg/ general threads
  • Books / structured courses — for those who prefer text

Specific creator and product recommendations are best sourced from current community word-of-mouth — they age fast.

Sources

To be added.