Foundation for Fellas????

[Showgirl]

Hi there, I realise this makeup question's a little "left of field" but I'm really hoping some of you gorgeously skilled and lovely people (MAs, makeup-lovin' beautiful bois, anyone else!) might be able to help me with this:-

I have a transvestite friend who's asked me to help with choosing a new foundation for him, as he is a bit skittish about going to counters on his own. At present he uses something custom-bought from a store that specialises in products for cross-dressers, but I am *highly* suspicious of the stuff he's currently using: it seems the wrong colour (VERY orange), it smells strange, it's VERY oily in a way that I don't think is the wisest choice for someone with a complexion like his (very olive/mediterranean), gets shiny to the point of almost looking plasticy very easily.... and it is SERIOUSLY, SERIOUSLY expensive, too: like, for what he paid for his foundation, he could have bought MAC foundation + powder + base + brush and still had spare change..... if you ask for my honest opinion, I think what he's been sold is basically very, very overpriced basic stage makeup, and I'm not sure it's the ideal solution for his makeup needs.

I've just about talked him into approaching our local MAC counter on the condition that I come with him (like, visiting MAC's something I *so* need to be talked into, lol!), but I was wondering if any of you here can give me some tips and recs in advance, too, as I really don't have much experience of working with the kind of heavier foundation that would be suitable?

My boyfriend's requirements are as follows:-

- Fairly oily skin... breaks out rarely, but quite shiny, fairly visible pores

- Light/medium olive/mediterranean-ish colouring... I'm guessing maybe NC25... he's stated ideally he would like his foundation to slightly *lighten* the appearance his skintone if anything

- no requirement for SPF or moisturisers or anything as (a) we live in Scotland, so no sun, and (b) he mainly cross-dresses as "eveningwear" only... so preferably something that looks and wears well under club style lighting, and which probably will only be worn once or twice a week.

- the big problem with the foundation is the beard area. Even if he shaves well, and immediately before doing his makeup so that there's no actual beard, there very quickly gets a darker tinge to the area.... so here we need coverage, and any help at all with products for this area much appreciated, really!



At present I'm thinking the stuff we need to look at for the basic coverage is either Studio Tech (sounds kinder to skin) or Full Coverage, or possibly a mixture of both on different parts of the face.

- What MAC (or other brand) powders would you recommend for use with fairly heavy makeup?

- would using a light/white powder lighten the skintone, or just make him look like a goth?

- Should we investigate Prep 'N Prime? Fix+? Anything like this likely to help his foundation work better?

- any recommendations on concealers? particularly for the heavier area?

- brushes? (I would recommend he get a foundation brush for sure at the least)

- I've heard that Clarins do a moisturiser in their men's range that is designed to retard beard regrowth and improve the appearance of the beard area (designed for men with heavy 5 o'clock shadow) - has anyone tried or heard anything about this product or anything similar, and if so, what did you think of it?


A zillion thanks in advance for anyone that can help!

 

[contrabassoon]

I use Studio Fix, but only in the summer since in the winter my skin goes about a tone lighter. I don't know much about foundations, but you can use Bare Esenctuals' Mineral Veil, it works wonders! I have an oily forehead and this completely mattefies my skin.

 

[saniyairshad]

Foundation:I second MAC SFF.
MAC Studio Fix.
MAC Full Coverage

Concealers:
Studio Finish SPF35
Studio Stick Concealer

Prep+ Prime will help his enlarged pores appear smaller and help the foundation go on much smoother.

Brushes to invest in:
190 (Foundation Brush)
192 (I use it as a concealer brush)
134 Powder Brush

 

[ginger9]

I'm sorry I don't know of any special techniques but he definitely needs full/heavy coverage. A personal recommendation I have is Shiseido Stick Foundation. This Foundation is buildable and often used as a substitute for concealer as well.

As for powder, I would vote more in favour of heavier type of powder with actually pigmentation than say something like Blot powder.

Have you looked into Theatrical Makeup? I tried to google but I am having severe internet slowness these days. But I see that Ben Nye might suit your friend's needs. I think they will have specialty products that might address five o'clock shadows. I'm sure there's some kind of base/product that will help neutralize that. HTH

 

[caffn8me]

If you're trying to achieve beard shadow cover then the only M·A·C foundation that will really be up to the job is Full Coverage which you can get at standalone stores or via mail order from http://www.maccosmetics.co.uk. Avoid using too much moisturizer before applying the foundation and ensure that the moisturizer soaks in properly first. Prep+Prime Skin is a great product and I love it. It helps the foundation go on more smoothly.

If applied well, Full Coverage looks great. To get more coverage where you need it, apply it with a dry sponge and press well into the skin. To get less coverage, use a damp sponge or a brush (190 or 192). Set it with lots of powder and brush off the excess after letting it set for a few minutes. It may be better to use a translucent powder but the M·A·C coloured loose powders also work. Using a powder to lighten his skin will just make him look like a ghost or a goth. It won't really help disguise the shadow.

Once you've brushed the excess powder off you can use something like Fix+ to take any remaining powdery look away. Full Coverage is a durable foundation if applied correctly and can cope with sweat and oil from the face without sliding off. It looks a lot more natural than heavier camouflage products or stage makeup. You can keep shine down as oil seeps through the foundation with Blot Powder and Blot Film. Some M·A·C artists recommend using Studio Fix powder on top of the Full Coverage to add even more coverage.

The reason your friend has an orange product is that orange neutralizes the blue shadow. It's very easy to overdo this though! If he has a really heavy shadow it may still be useful in very limited quantities under a covering foundation.

A lot of M·A·C artists are trained in male-to-female and female-to-male makeup techniques and one of the M·A·C Pro master classes covers this subject too (I went to one a couple of years ago). It's probably worth biting the bullet and taking him along to a freestanding store for some advice. I think your nearest is in Liverpool.

If you can't get to a freestanding store but only a counter within a department store (Frasers in Buchanan Street, Glasgow or Harvey Nics in St. Andrew's Square in Edinburgh) then get him colour matched to Studio Finish SPF35 which is identical in composition to Full Coverage except that it contains extra titanium dioxide as a UV sunscreen. It's expensive to buy this as a foundation because it's in such small pots so check the colour at the counter and then order Full Coverage online. There is no point whatsoever in using Studio Finish SPF35 as a concealer and then applying Full Coverage on top as the concealer has no better coverage.

Good luck and let us know how you get on

PS - just remembered that I have a photo of a male to female makeover victim in my gallery;

It's not a great photo and this was taken with flash at close range. The model had a very heavy beard shadow before I did the makeup and this was covered with Full Coverage. My aim whenever doing foundation, no matter how heavy, is to end up with skin that still looks like skin! Remember also that the foundation should be matched to the neck rather than the face, otherwise they can look like their head doesn't belong to their body! It's a very common mistake.

So, in summary;

Foundation: Full Coverage
Concealer: None if using Full Coverage
Brushes: 190 or 192 (not absolutely necessary - can just use sponges)
Sponges: latex wedges
Powder: translucent powder (non M·A·C unless you can get the Pro invisible powder) or Select Sheer/Loose
Primer: Prep+Prime Skin

 

[Beauty Mark]

Has your friend considered getting his facial hair waxed? It'll be painful and possibly expensive, but it'll be easier than dealing with the regrowth.

I'd recommend a stick foundation, because they're heavier. What is his skin care regime like? That may help a lot with the oil issue.

 

[Showgirl]

Thank you for all your wonderful help, folks! Certainly lots and lots of useful help here!

Caffn8me: thanks for the tips about the MAC Pro Stores. We're going to be travelling about a bit at the tail end of this month/ start of next so I'll definitely try to find if there's a Store anywhere near where we're visiting (we'll be visiting Leeds and Manchester so far).

I'm a regular visitor(addicted who moi?) to the MAC counter in Glasgow and have mentioned my boyfriend to them before, and they said they would be delighted to do his foundation for him, but we'd need to give them a few weeks notice as (a) only certain of the staff were trained in MTF makeup, and (b) there was a special product they'd need to order in specially for his requirements: I take it this was the Full Coverage foundation, but now we know we can match him in SPF35 concealer at the counter and get the foundation mail order through the site this might be a quicker and better way to do it, if that's what works best for him.

And what you've said about the orange being designed to counteract blue shadow with yellow tones certainly makes sense to me: I happen to have quite noticable bluish under-eyeshadows that I use a lemon concealer to cover, and we've tried that on his beard area before, but it didn't work too well because the consistency was all wrong and it just wouldn't sit ... but I was on the right tracks!

ginger9: thanks for the tip about stick foundations! Definitely worth investigating too!

BeautyMark: facial waxing for men is something I've been trying to find out a bit about. I think I need to go and ask at a salon on his behalf (if he won't)... definitely worth considering...

And thanks for the suggestion to look into "tweaking" his skincare regime... at my suggestion he's switched from being a "soap and water only" boy to regularly exfoliating, using a moisturiser etc... but the one thing I know that he doesn't currently use is any kind of toner... and a quality toner might do a lot to help his makeup get oily less quickly, and also will make his pores less visible.

Thank you again to each and every one of you who responded!! You're all top stars! I'll forward all these tips on to my friend and I'll let you know how we get on!

 

[caffn8me]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Showgirl there was a special product they'd need to order in specially for his requirements: I take it this was the Full Coverage foundation, but now we know we can match him in SPF35 concealer at the counter and get the foundation mail order through the site this might be a quicker and better way to do it, if that's what works best for him.

Yes, as the coverage of the concealer and Full Coverage are ther same you'll certainly be able to see whether it covers the shadow effectively at the counter before you order it. Good luck!

 

[flowerhead]

I'd suggest Oil control lotion, full coverage and a paler shade of studio fix powder.

 

[Kiseki]

If he is a crossdresser and wants that flawless look on his skin, he's going to need to wear heavy coverage foundation, a stick one per example, the problem is that most stick foundation has oil in it and it can be disastrous on oily skin. If he does this frequently, I would suggest trying to get his hands on Laura Mercier Oil Free stick foundation for maximum coverage and a flawless result.

So here are my suggestions:

Base - Makeup Forever's All-Mat gel to control shine and oil.
Beard area - Even after closely shaven, there is a Makeup Forever's stick that is used to neutralize the shadow that emerges called Laukrom Beard Concealer, after applied you can cover it with stick foundation.
Concealer - Since I'm going for heavy coverage foundation, no need to go crazy on concealer, I'd suggest using a green concealer from the Makeup Forever Camouflage Pallete and then touching up only after foundation so it won't get too cakey.
Foundation - Laura Mercier's Oil-Free Stick Foundation
Powder - Super Loose Matte Powder will keep the shine under control and uniform the whole complexion.


Hope this helped.