hey #trans fedi, what's the best makeup for covering up a post-shave face?

i can't do HRT yet but i wanna take more steps to present myself as more feminine.

uhhh hi i wasn't expecting so many responses and shares haha

anyways i'm a transfem who's been dealing with homelessness with her family since 2023, so if anyone ever wants to help it's appreciated <3

@pastelfluffyfox I don't often bother and am far from an expert but I use the following:

* L.A. Girl HD Pro Concealer
* Maybelline Cheek Heat Gel-Cream Blush
* Maybelline Fit Me Powder Foundation

Mustache shadow is the biggest problem for me, so I mostly put concealer on my upper lip and mix it with a bit of the blush as a kind of color corrector to cancel out some of the shadow's blue tones. Then foundation over the whole face, which is enough to mostly take care of the remainder of the beard shadow.

It's not perfect and probably applied all wrong, but it does help a fair bit when I go through the trouble.

@pastelfluffyfox this is the video that I watched early in transition

https://youtu.be/EOgRZBqVW3c
How To Cover A 5 O'Clock Shadow Completely (On Any Skin Tone) | MtF Trans Tutorial

YouTube

@pastelfluffyfox Grimas' Camouflage Makeup.

- Not cheap, but very common in professional circles (theater, TV and movie production) as it's effective, easy to (un-)apply and like stealthy af.

@pastelfluffyfox mac liquid foundation and conceal and correct, tone matched to your skin
@goowose @pastelfluffyfox
I'm a huge fan of the MAC concealer. Foundations, both liquid and powder, are really good too.
for some advice I gave to a transfem friend of mine:
1. wash your face after shaving
2. lotion it up, wait on it to absorb
3. apply color-matched concealer and blend it in using a blending sponge or a brush if you're efficient.
4. ensure that it's got a good gradient around places like your mouth and nose, or it'll look like a bunch of hard edges
5. apply color-matched foundation all over it, I personally use powder foundation in lieu of liquid foundation (cue the infamous powder-versus-liquid debate that'll never end, like vi and emacs)
6. while you're here, you might as well do a little mascara and eyeliner (also liquid eyeliner is infinitely better than those moronic dry pens, which require sharpening and therefore lose a lot of the product)
7. if you wear hats like I do, darken your eyebrows with a brow moose or however it's spelt
8. put on some eyeshadow to recover color behind your glasses if you wear them, since they do change the way light shines on your face

hope this is useful advice!!

@pastelfluffyfox From my experience when I was in that situation, definitely something that is not too opaque/concealing. It’s tempting to want to cover up every trace of facial hair, but if you look like a cake, it will just draw way more attention and look weird.

Try a few options for liquid foundation, until you have something that fits your skin tone. I used Maybeline a lot, applied with my fingers. Ofc still use aftershave before and wait for it to soak in.

I wish you all the best.

@pastelfluffyfox concealer and foundation work

what you do to find the right shade for your skin is to put a little on the inside of your wrist (makeup stores like ulta have samples to test)

the foundation should blend into your skin pretty close and the concealer should be a shade lighter than your skin

apply concealer to areas you shaved and foundation over that in a way that blends into your skin

like a few other people said here I would be careful to not add too much, you might want to practice it a few times to kinda dial it in

you should get a makeup sponge to apply it and some makeup wipes/micellar water to remove it
@pastelfluffyfox literally just a bit of liuid foundation goes SO FAR