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Tag Archives: Cross-dressing

Diana Loves her Keystone Look

Diana made her first trip to The Keystone Conference last month in Harrisburg, PA. On Friday, she got a makeover from me. We used a range of browns and coppers to bring out the blue in her eyes. We used black gel eyeliner and fake eyelashes to add drama that would carry her from afternoon seminars into the evening. She selected Pink Cherié lipstick with a touch of icicle lipgloss for shine. For photos, we used natural light and a bounce flash with a white backdrop. Diana’s favorite photos from our shoot are below.

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Posted by on April 12, 2014 in Images, Makeovers

 

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Taking Flight: Ann Shares her First Experience Flying En Femme

By Ann M.

Last month, my client, Ann, traveled en femme via commercial airline for the first time. Here she shares her experiences and emotions, providing us with inspiration and insight into the life of a trans-woman.

The satisfaction of accomplishing a substantial personal goal, any nervousness about spending the next eight hours fully cross-dressed in public with no way to back out, or thoughts about my long term future were pushed out of mind by the absolute frustration of trying to get to Dulles airport during rush hour when accidents were tying up traffic in both directions.

The poor woman inside my GPS went into conniptions as I tried alternate routes, my ears straining for any helpful nuggets from the traffic reporters on the radio, and making abrupt turns when it looked like traffic was gridlocked ahead.  I never heard the word “recalculating” so many times.  The sweet, nice woman I feel that I am deep inside gave way and I drove like a suburban tiger mom trying to get her kids to soccer practice.

The reason for all this was that I was finally taking, for me, the big step of flying on a commercial flight as a woman.  I needed to travel for personal reasons and decided now was the time.  My journey across the transgender spectrum has been a series of baby steps, each building on the other.  Each time, as I have experimented with pushing the boundaries just a little further, I have found that I feel right when I let my femininity shine and I have been very pleasantly surprised by the many positive reactions I have received.  Each time has validated who I am and shattered my own limits and fears.

This time, I would be working without a safety net.  Once I checked my bag with my boy clothes, there would be no turning back.  I would have to wait in line, go through security, and sit next to whomever took the seat next to me on the flight.  While I expected things to go smoothly, my mind was filled with the “what ifs…”  I also entertained fantasies such as a cute guy sitting next to me who found me adorable, but I didn’t expect that to happen either.

Shopping, Accessories, and Makeup

To allay my fears, I prepared for my trip almost obsessively, as is my wont when trying something new to expand my boundaries.  I had bought a new foundation garment from Classic Curves International that gave me curves proportional to my body.  I happened to find a perfect top, bought three pairs of jeans before I was satisfied (checking to see what might show when bent over to take my shoes off at security) and searched for the right accessories.  I tried everything on to make sure I had my look down and carefully packed so I was sure I didn’t forget anything.

The last thing I wanted was to draw attention because of a makeup problem.  While I consider myself reasonably proficient at doing my own makeup, I didn’t want to take any chances, so I scheduled a make over with Beth Taylor before my flight.  I knew that not only would I leave her studio looking fabulous, but that with her warm, accepting personality and positive energy, I’d be feeling good inside as well as looking good outside.

I was a little behind schedule when I got there, so Beth got right to work. Don’t know about anyone else, but I find it so soothing and relaxing to have someone applying my makeup as I sit and chat.  It makes me feel like a model getting ready for a photo shoot.

The great thing about Beth is that she “gets” trans-women of all varieties.  She creates an absolutely safe space where one feels free to let down her guard and revel in all things feminine.  While her business is makeup, she really is a confidante, coach, friend, and advocate, who, oh by the way, can create the look you have always dreamed of but never thought possible.

Ticket Counter, TSA, and Airborne!

So what about the flight?

After I left Beth’s, feeling fantastic, and fighting the traffic, I made it to the airport with enough time that I wasn’t too stressed about making my flight.  I am quite tall, so I stand out in a crowd, and noticed I did get a few looks from passerbys, but for the most part everyone was wrapped up in their own business or didn’t notice me.

There turned out to be no line for the ticket counter, and I checked my bag.  I showed my ID, which has my male name and photo.  The woman at the counter said I might have a problem at security, but I told her I had looked up the TSA policy for transgendered passengers and had a letter from my therapist explaining why I was traveling as a woman.

The TSA screeners didn’t blink an eye.  I showed my boarding pass and ID at two checkpoints and was called “ma’am” in spite of what my ID said.  I did get a pat down after the scanner, and they didn’t even ask me if I wanted a male or female screener, they just sent me to a woman.

As I waited for my flight, I was struck by my lack of feelings about what I was doing.  Everything had been so routine, that it just seemed like any other commercial flight.  I sat in the waiting area feeling very ordinary and very comfortable. Since the flight was only about a quarter full, I had a row to myself and settled in to relax for the flight.  I had a glass (okay, a plastic cup) of wine, and was a bit surprised that the flight attendant never asked me to pay for the drink.

After we landed, I wanted to document my accomplishment, even though by that point I was wondering why I had thought it was such a big deal.  I asked the flight attendant to take my picture to which she enthusiastically agreed. She posed me in front of the Southwest Airlines logo on a bulkhead and took several photos.  We started chatting, and I told her that it was my first time flying en femme, to which she replied, “Now I’m really glad I didn’t charge you for the drink!”  All the other passengers had long since left, and the pilots looked like they were ready to leave, so the flight attendant wished me good luck on my journey to womanhood.

Hotel Room Reflections

I took the shuttle to my hotel and checked in, again showing my male ID, and again receiving nothing but respectful and empathetic courtesy from the clerk at the desk.  We chatted a bit, she told me about breakfast, and I found my room.  While it pained me to have to remove the beautiful makeup Beth had applied, it felt great to take off my wig, earrings, and all the other accouterments I use to tell the world that there is a girl under here.

As I lay in the bed, reflecting on my experience, I was struck by how underwhelming it had all been.  I was simply one woman among thousands of drivers that afternoon trying to get somewhere in the area with the second worst commute in the nation.  I was just another airline passenger going through the routine of boarding a commercial flight.  I was the glass of red wine in row 32, the lady going to the Quality Inn, the guest in room 231.  When my gender did come up as a result of my ID not matching my presentation it was treated as a minor discrepancy and quickly resolved.

I had spent weeks thinking about what I was going to do, planning, shopping and building my resolve to carry through with traveling as a woman, but afterwards, it seemed like a very ordinary, rather dull, exercise in getting from one city to another. And that was the most validating, wonderful experience I could have dreamt of.

 
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Posted by on April 11, 2014 in Makeover Studio, Makeovers

 

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tgirlnation Bar Rouge: Destiny and Victoria Steal the Spotlight

Destiny and Victoria show off their looks at October’s tgirlnation Bar Rouge. I love the first photo where they both make a kissing face with their matching pink lips and look up at me. In this photo shoot, I experiment with the vantage point and use no flash as required for the 8-week photography class I’m taking.

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Posted by on October 31, 2013 in Images, Parties

 

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Halloween: The Crossdresser’s Favorite Holiday

It’s the happiest time of the year here in my tgirl world! Halloween is just around the corner with tons of fun opportunities to dress, including a perfect time for many first-timers to debut.

The excitement starts tomorrow, Oct. 26, when the DC Trans Ladies Meetup group heads out in two groups. The Classy DC Sisters will be hitting up four straight bars in Chantilly with their Tour de Force while Diane, dressed as Malificent from Sleeping Beauty, leads the way to Town Danceboutique for a 10:30 p.m. drag show and midnight costume contest. I have two girls coming for makeovers for the big night plus two more girlfriends coming to get ready at my place before we head to meet Diane and friends at Town.

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People show off their costumes at DC’s 2012 High Heel Race.

On Tuesday, we have the DC High Heel Race, where genetic males dress as women, don high heels, and run two blocks while surrounded by throngs of onlookers. Participants include drag queens, gay guys in dresses and other costumes, and trans-women both in dresses and in costumes. What a great opportunity for the closet crossdresser to dress and blend in! I attended last year and loved all the pageantry, excitement, and throngs of onlookers. This year, I’ll be giving a makeover to a client who will be attending the race with me, and she may even decide to run in the race! Then I’m pregaming at a friend’s condo in walking distance of the race before I meet up with my client to walk over together.

Thursday is officially Halloween! I originally had a client who wanted to go out dressed for the first time but she’s had to reschedule due to work. I hope another brave girl will decide to debut on Thursday!

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Three of the 2012 High Heel Race contestants show off their looks.

Saturday I’m hosting my next makeup party where girls can come practice their makeup and create a new look for fall. My makeup party has a waitlist already! I have one guest who hopes to have a total makeover before the party and then attend so she can meet some girls in a safe, laid-back environment. This will be my second official makeup party that I will have in my upstairs studio instead of at my dining room table. The lighting is so much better in the studio than downstairs and all the makeup and skincare is in arms reach.

Happy Halloween and Happy Dressing everyone!

 
 

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Tiffani Debuts at September’s Tgirlnation!

Tiffani made her debut on the tgirl scene last month at September’s tgirlnation. In these photos, she’s modeling a black miniskirt with her favorite pink sweater top, a blonde bob wig from Revlon, J Vincent black patent leather shoes, Coach wedge shoes with laces, and a small, black Coach bag perfect for clubbing. For makeup, she’s chosen to complement her gorgeous blue eyes with gold coast, honey spice, amber blaze, and copper glow mineral eye shadows with two coats of mascara on her curled lashes. For drama, she’s wearing firecracker red lip stick with a touch of icicle lip gloss for sheen.

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Posted by on October 24, 2013 in Images, Makeover Studio, Makeovers

 

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All eyes on Kim after her latest makeover with Elizabeth Taylor!

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Posted by on October 18, 2013 in Corsets, Images, Makeover Studio, Makeovers

 

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Sexy, sultry Kim enters the Scene

Sexy, beautiful Kim entered the scene this summer.  She is showcasing a red, curly wig accented with green eyeshadow and green mascara. More to come!

Sexy, beautiful Kim entered the girlie DC scene this summer. She is showcasing a red, curly wig accented with green eyeshadow and green mascara. More to come!

 
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Posted by on October 12, 2013 in Corsets, Images, Makeover Studio, Makeovers

 

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One Woman Can…

One Woman Can... accomplish anything she sets her mind to! Mary Kay Sapphire Seminar 2013

One Woman Can… accomplish anything she sets her mind to! Mary Kay Sapphire Seminar 2013

One woman can… give trans-women the skills, tools, and confidence to express their natural and inner beauty! ~Elizabeth Taylor~

One woman can… increase awareness, acceptance, and inclusion of trans-women! ~Elizabeth Taylor~ 

One woman can… live by her core values while running her own business and changing the world around her!

“One Woman Can” was the theme for Mary Kay’s 50th Anniversary Seminar, which I attended last month in Dallas, TX. Our first motivational speaker inspired me to come up with my own “One Woman Can” phrases that embody who I am and why I love my Mary Kay business. National Sales Directors told stories upon stories about how their Mary Kay business changed their lives for the better. I took these ideas to heart.

The King of Personal Sales sits on a white throne that lowered from the ceiling. He is the first male Mary Kay consultant to be crowned King of Personal Sales twice.

The King of Personal Sales sits on a white throne that lowered from the ceiling. He is the first male Mary Kay consultant to be crowned King of Personal Sales twice. His partner joined him on stage for accepting the award.

One woman can… give trans-women the skills, tools, and confidence to express their natural and inner beauty!

As a Mary Kay consultant who works primarily with the trans-women community, I believe I can change women’s lives for the better. I’ve seen client after client who thanked me, hugged me, and cried in front of me after their makeovers, telling me they have never looked so beautiful or felt so good about themselves! I love seeing the huge smile on the girls’ faces as they look in the mirror after fastening their corsets, donning feminine attire, and having their makeup applied. I love coaxing them to pose for the camera and to embrace who they are including their beauty. I encourage them to see and embrace the many beautiful and positive feminine traits that they have.

Many of my makeover clients have become my friends. Yesterday, I went shopping with four girlfriends at Pentagon City Mall, including three transgender clients who have become friends. Two presented as female and the other as male. First, Kerri insisted on introducing us to Belle at Michael Kors. Belle had helped Kerri find a gorgeous pink and black dress when Kerri was in “drab” (boy mode). Then we went jeans shopping for Kerri at Macy’s, jewelry and dress shopping for Allison at Icing and Forever 21, and accessory shopping for Jasmine (in drab) at Icing.

One woman can… increase awareness, acceptance, and inclusion of trans-women! ~Elizabeth Taylor~ 

Because of my makeover business, my team members in my Mary Kay Unit based in Lancaster, PA, have increased their awareness of transgender women. Many of my friends have increased their awareness, acceptance and inclusion my trans-women friends and hang out with my trans-friends with and without me. I will continue to share my story and business concept with others.

One woman can… live by her core values while running her own business and changing the world around her!

Elizabeth Taylor poses on the Lip Couch at the July Mary Kay Seminar.

Elizabeth Taylor acts silly on the Lip Couch at the July Mary Kay Seminar.

I seek to never have to work for someone else again while running my business and life by my core values. My core values include the following: authenticity, rewarding relationships, diversity, passion, warmth, and fun.

Authenticity: I love to be able to be honest about who I am while continuing to explore and learn more about myself. I want to create that environment for my clients as well, especially as it relates to exploring their gender identities.

Rewarding Relationships: I’m a big believer in friendships and community. I love helping girls get introduced to other trans-ladies in a comfortable environment where they can learn from each other.

Diversity: I invite people from across my social circles to parties and events, seeking to build understanding, acceptance, and inclusion across the LGBT and allied communities.

Elizabeth Taylor poses in a signature Mary Kay pink Cadillac SUV.

Elizabeth Taylor poses in a pink Mary Kay Cadillac SUV.

Passion, warmth and fun: These traits really make up much of who I am. I’m excited about life, my work, and people. I love bringing happiness and acceptance to my clients. I seek to be approachable so girls can feel comfortable almost immediately. I love to meet new people and make new friends.

 
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Posted by on August 25, 2013 in Makeovers

 

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Cheers to a Girly Weekend!

What a fun weekend! Here’s my weekend in a nutshell: transformation makeover, makeup party, Freddie’s with the girls, makeup makeover outcall, makeup makeover plus dressing tips/assistance, tgirlnation, makeover studio updates, and transformation makeover all from Friday to Sunday. What a blast!

Makeup Party: I absolutely loved my makeup party! All five girls who RSVP’d showed up and practiced their skincare and makeup. One girl came out to an event for the first time ever with the exception of a one-on-one makeover with me. She borrowed an outfit and wig for the party since she’s still waiting for her girly items to arrive.

We went through skin care and beard coverage and then moved on to color application. The girls loved using the Sunny Citrus lipstick to neutralize their beard shadow instead of the yellow concealer that I offer as a less-aggressive option. Once we got to the eyes, I checked each girl’s progress and gave them tips on how to improve their look and complimented their handiwork. The most common problem: Girls would apply eyeshadow or eyeliner only about halfway or 3/4 of the way across their eyelid, skipping the outer corner. Once corrected, the girls caught on. 🙂 We all tried the Lash Love Lengthening Mascara, my new favorite mascara, and my first time demoing it at a party. Next we moved on to blush, bronzer, and highlight power to create the illusion of a round, full cheeks. Finally, we picked out lipstick colors and applied them.

Following snacks, three of us went to Freddie’s Beach Bar to watch karaoke and hang out in a safe, accepting, and comfortable environment. 🙂

tgirlnation: I arrived at tgirlnation quite late at almost 11 p.m. after completing two makeovers to prep girls for the party. 🙂 As soon as I walked in, I saw girls everywhere that I knew! How fun is that! tgirlnation and the DC Trans-Ladies MeetUp group are really starting to feel like a fabulous extended family! As soon I walked in, Brandy, Destiny, and Pamela greeted me and showered me with hugs. Next up, I saw Rhonda and Sarah and that means more big hugs! I love Rhonda’s positive and fun outlook on life. The first time I met her she told me a story about swimming in a lake in full femme attire and losing her wig! I first met Sarah at tgirlnation in March, and I count her as a good friend. 🙂 From there, I saw Lynette and Giselle, both of whom I made over for the event. 🙂 From there, the night turned into a whirlwind of greeting and catching up with friends, acquaintances, and newcomers. So much fun! If you haven’t been to tgirlnation, you should check it out!

 
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Posted by on July 15, 2013 in Makeovers, Parties

 

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First Corsets, Cocktails, and Conversation Party a Hit!

Life is good! I’ve met so many new girls from the crossdressing and transexual community this month! I’ve been honored to fit them with corsets to give them an instant hourglass shape, pamper them with makeup makeovers, and completely transform girls who have no clothes or accessories into beautiful women!

First up, the June Corsets, Cocktails, and Conversation Party was a hit! Girls brought a beverage or food item to share and most were fitted with corsets and some with panty reshapers. The girls loved their hourglass shapes and many purchased their shapewear and wore it home with them.

One girl, Vee, arrived wearing an attractive though completely shapeless dress. After being fitted for a Slim Shaper and Panty Reshaper, Vee couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw her curves! I raided my crossdresser wardrobe and created a new look for her for the evening with a form-fitting camisole and miniskirt. Vee said it was the first time in her life she had worn a tight outfit like that! She loved it and kept on the improvised outfit until she departed later that night with her shapewear.

After thoroughly enjoying the cocktail party, five of us hit up Ziegfelds/Secrets to enjoy the drag shows, male dancer entertainment upstairs, and dancing. We closed down the bar and wished each other goodnight!

To being absolutely fabulous, ladies!

~Elizabeth Taylor~

 
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Posted by on July 1, 2013 in Corsets, Parties

 

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