Top 10 Crossdressing tips

Forehead

The forehead isn’t usually the first feminine facial feature that comes to mind – but it’s a key indicator of gender. There are 3 major differences between male and female foreheads:

  • Men’s foreheads tend to be higher and wider than women’s foreheads.
  • Men have a bony ridge called “brow bossing” that runs across the forehead above the eyes. Women have smooth foreheads.
  • Men’s foreheads tend to slope backward while women’s foreheads are more vertical. Fortunately, there is an easy, non-surgical fix for disguising a masculine forehead: bangs. Bangs are a great choice for crossdressers and transgender women. Here are some tips:
  • Go for wispy bangs. Wispy bangs hide your forehead while softening the rest of your facial features.
  • Avoid blunt cut bangs. Blunt bangs create a horizontal line across the face, emphasizing the angularity of your features.
  • Say “no” to short bangs. Instead, go for bangs that are long enough to fully cover the brow ridge.

Eyebrows

It’s no secret that men have thicker eyebrows than women. But beyond that, there are other important differences:

  • Men’s eyebrows tend to have a straight shape; women’s eyebrows are more arched.
  • Men have lower eyebrows than women. The eyebrows sit below the orbital rim bone in men and above the orbital rim bone in women. Updating your eyebrows can change the appearance of your entire face. Here’s how to feminize your eyebrows:
  • Visit a salon to have your eyebrows professionally shaped. While it’s easy to pluck your own eyebrows, it’s also easy to overdo it. I recommend having a professional create your ideal shape. Then you can maintain that shape yourself.
  • Create beautiful eyebrows with makeup. Here’s a great tutorial on creating feminine eyebrows – even if you can’t pluck.

Eyes

Your eyes are the first thing people notice about your face. Beautiful, feminine eyes are a must! Here are the differences between male and female eyes:

  • Due to the brow ridge, men’s eyes appear more deeply set than women’s eyes.
  • Men’s eyelids tend to be slightly closed, giving the eyes a narrower look. To feminize your eyes, you need to create the illusion of larger, more open-looking eyes. Here’s how to do it:
  • Enhance your lashes. Lush lashes are the key to larger looking eyes. Use an eyelash curler to help open up the eyes and invest in a great mascara. Also, check out my article on 4 Eyelash Innovations that Will Transform Your Face.
  • Master the art of eye makeup. Learning how to apply eye makeup correctly is one of the most important skills a girl can possess. Here is a great tutorial on creating bigger, sexier eyes:

Nose

First of all, if you feel self-conscious about your nose, relax! There are loads of beautiful women with prominent noses. That said, here are the differences between male and female noses:

  • Men have longer, wider noses, while women’s noses are shorter and narrower.
  • The bridges of men’s noses tend to be straight or arched, while women’s noses tend to be more concave in profile. Here are some tips for feminizing your nose:
  • Bring attention to your other features. The best way to downplay a prominent nose is to enhance your eyes, lips, and cheeks. If you do a good job with the rest of your makeup, your nose should fade into the background.
  • Contour your nose with makeup. Nose contouring can be tricky, but it’s a great option for the evening or for photoshoots. (Contouring makeup usually looks too obvious in daylight.) Here’s a tutorial to get you started:

Cheeks

Cheeks are very important to the overall proportions of your face. Here are the differences between male and female cheeks:

  • Men tend to have flatter cheekbones, while women have prominent cheekbones.
  • Women have more facial fat, giving the cheeks a fuller, rounder appearance. Here are some tips for creating fuller, more feminine cheeks:
  • Apply blush correctly. A common mistake is to apply a stripe of blush along the bottom of the cheekbones. This enhances the angular appearance of your face. Instead, blush should be applied to the apples of your cheeks. This gives you a feminine glow and creates the illusion of fuller cheeks.
  • Try injectable cheek fillers. While this is definitely a more invasive option, dermal fillers such as Restylane or Voluma can give you fuller, softer-looking cheeks within minutes. These treatments are costly ($650+), but they last 1-2 years and make a huge difference to the overall appearance to your face. An added bonus is that filling your cheeks can make you look younger as well.

Lips

Lush lips are a symbol of beauty and femininity. Here are the specific differences between male and female lips:

  • Men’s lips tend to be thinner than women’s lips – particularly the top lip.
  • The distance between the base of the nose and the top lip tends to be longer in men. Fortunately, it’s very easy to create fuller, more feminine lips:
  • Use a lip plumping device. For an instant boost, try a lip plumping tool like Candylipz. Candylipz uses suction to temporarily plump the lips, with results lasting for several hours.
  • Avoid dark lipstick. Dark lipstick makes your lips look even thinner, so opt for lighter, brighter shades instead.
  • Enlarge your lips with makeup. Here’s a great tutorial on creating the illusion of larger lips:

Chin and jawline

While a strong jaw tends to be associated with masculinity, many of the world’s most beautiful women have square jawlines: Angelina Jolie, Demi Moore, Gweneth Paltrow, Salma Hayek, and Gisele Bundchen. Here are the specific differences between male and female chins and jawlines:

  • Men tend to have longer chins than women.
  • There is often a sharp angle between a man’s chin and jaw, giving the chin a square look.
  • Men’s chins tend to have a flat end, while women’s chins come to a point.
  • Men have wider, heavier jaws than women. Here are some tips for downplaying a masculine chin and jawline:
  • Choose a soft, shoulder length hairstyle. Go for wavy, layered hairstyles that gently cover the jawline. Short or chin length hairstyles that reveal your jaw should be avoided if this is a problem area for you. Shoulder length hair is most flattering.
  • Contour your jaw with makeup. You can also soften the angles of your chin and jawline with makeup. Here’s a tutorial on contouring square faces:

Accept it

This is who you are. Regardless of what anyone else might think, there is nothing wrong with wanting to dress/look like a woman. You are not a freak. You are 100% the standard, normal, wonky human being that everyone else is. There is nothing wrong with you. I’ve never heard of anyone whose urges to dress dried up completely. Trying to bury or ignore a fundamental part of your personality will only lead to depression and darkness. It took me a while to accept myself, but if I can do it, so can you :)

Figure out what you want, and work towards it

Some people only want to take things as far as wearing panties under their regular clothes. Others, such as myself, feel it necessary to go out and about into the world fully dressed. And there’s plenty more people in-between. These things are all OK. If these are things you want to do, but you feel like you can’t do them… you’re probably wrong. It’s been done. If you want to go out dressed, you can! But take baby-steps, and always consider your safety. If you feel like you’re in an area where you don’t think you’ll be accepted, take a vacation to somewhere better! Move! Change jobs! Meet new people who don’t care what you wear, but only care who you are as a person. It’s your life. You’re not hurting anyone. You have the right to be happy, and ability to make it happen.

Don’t obsess about passing

Some girls will always be prettier than you. You might be thinking “But Liz, you’re so pretty!” – and that may or may not be true, but I still have severe issues with how I look, and will always look at other girls and think to myself “I wish I was as pretty as her”. I’m pretty certain I don’t pass in real life, but you know what – that’s ok. I’m taller than most girls when I’m wearing flats, and I almost always wear high heels, which puts me way above the norm. I have somewhat wide shoulders and an indelicate jaw, and I don’t even try doing a feminine voice. But, as it turns out, most people will either not notice at all, or glance over curiously for a moment or two before they get back to their own lives.