Growing up in community theatre, Jemma loved any chance to dress up and step into a character. But there was one small frustration that never went away: she always got cast as “the moustache-twirling villain, never the ingénue” and was relegated to wearing trousers instead of the “beautiful, era-specific costumes” of the girls and women. Meanwhile, she was falling in love with the style and glamour of golden-age Hollywood: Rita Hayworth, Hedy Lamarr, and Jean Harlow. “Personally, I felt I was missing out on the fun,” she said.
When Jemma came to my Takoma Park, Maryland MtF transformation studio in February, she finally got to write her own role. This time she was not the villain or a Hollywood starlet, but a girl who was comfortable, casual, and completely herself: the girl next door. We decided on a simple look that read, “I just woke up like this.”
And when she looked in the mirror at the end? “I felt like I finally saw myself — ‘there she is’ — and I couldn’t stop smiling.”
The Girl Next Door Look: Wardrobe from the Studio Closet
Jemma pulled her look from my studio wardrobe. She wore a stretchy, olive green ruched button-up blouse, blue straight-leg jeans, and white canvas sneakers with a fun leopard-print heel accent. She paired it with her own silver necklace.
For her hair, we chose a Jon Renau Scarlett wig in Raspberry Twist from my collection, a dark shoulder-length style with a natural wave that framed her face beautifully and felt right at home with the casual vibe.
Natural MtF Makeup Look: Barely There and Beautiful
To match the girl-next-door aesthetic, I kept Jemma’s makeup soft and understated. I applied brown eyeshadows blended for an everyday look with brown pencil eyeliner worked in with a brush so the definition stayed gentle rather than stark. A soft pink lip with no visible liner, blush, mascara, and a touch of contour completed the look.
“Going into my session with Beth, I was very nervous having never done anything like this,” Jemma said. “She was kind and helped me articulate the ‘Girl Next Door, I just woke up like this’ vibe. She offered thoughtful tweaks based on what we discussed, which all contributed to the end result. During the makeover we talked about travel, movies, and life, and I was just able to relax. Beth was also very helpful and patient in working with my disability to make the photoshoot comfortable, and we still got some great photos.”
When the makeup was done and Jemma stepped to the mirror, her reaction said everything. “The softness of hair and being seen as a woman in an everyday ‘girl next door’ way felt both calming and exciting.”
En Femme Photoshoot: A Bookworm at Heart
One of my favorite things about my work is getting to know the whole person, and Jemma loves nothing more than curling up with a good book. So for her photoshoot, that’s exactly what we did. She settled onto my studio sofa with a volume from my home library: a history of Sir Arthur Chichester, Lord Deputy of Ireland, a nod to her Irish ancestry. “Just my luck he’s a moustache twirling villain!” Jemma said. “History is wild, complex, and can be uncomfortable to read about, but that’s why I love it so.”
The brick wall backdrop gave the whole scene a warm, lived-in feeling, as if you’d wandered in on a woman completely at ease on her own couch or at a local coffee shop. We also photographed Jemma standing against the white walls of my studio, which made her look radiant. We captured a shot of her looking down at her book to give the feeling of her reading while standing in line at a train station.
What’s Next for Jemma: An Accompanied Outing En Femme
Jemma is already looking ahead to her next visit, and she’s considering an accompanied outing. “I think next time, I’ll plan a makeover and then an outing,” she said. “Beth shared some great ideas for things to do. I’d love to connect with others out there.” In the meantime, she plans to practice her makeup skills and embrace her femme side at home.
Book Your MtF Makeover near Washington, DC
Whether you’re dreaming of a dramatic male-to-female transformation or a comfortable, casual look that’s purely and simply you, I’d love to help bring it to life. At Makeovers with Elizabeth Taylor, I offer one-on-one, personalized MtF makeover experiences including makeup artistry, photography, total makeovers with access to a full studio wardrobe, feminine deportment coaching, accompanied outings, and more.
My private transformation studio in Takoma Park, Maryland is a safe and welcoming space for transgender women, MtF crossdressers, and femme-presenting genderfluid and non-binary people to explore their style and build confidence. My studio is located just two miles from Washington, DC in the heart of the Mid-Atlantic. I regularly see clients from Maryland, Washington, DC, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, North Carolina, Tennessee, New York, and New Jersey.
Whether this is your very first time seeing yourself en femme or you’re coming back for a fresh look and a new adventure, I’m here to help you look and feel your best. Book your makeover online anytime. Contact me by email, phone, or text (202-803-3231) to plan your experience.
More Makeover Stories You’ll Love
“Major Turning Point”: Roberta Joan’s Crossdresser Makeover Like Jemma, Roberta Joan is a book lover whose first full MtF makeover turned out to be a major turning point in her femme journey. She enjoyed an accompanied outing to the bookstore in downtown Takoma Park.
Winter Wonderland Confidence: Jenna Steps Outside Jenna arrived nervous for her third makeover, much like Jemma on her first, and ended up taking that confidence right out the door and into the snowy neighborhood.
Tiffany: “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” Tiffany’s joy at the mirror moment — “Hello, Tiffany!” — will feel very familiar to anyone who has experienced their own “there she is” reveal.
Melanie Like Jemma, Melanie wanted a soft, natural makeup look. She tried on several outfits in the studio and then enjoyed a short walk with me in historic, downtown Takoma Park.
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