It's important to read as much information as possible before you start, you can find a lot of information on web. From paper books I recommend Making Faces by Kevyn Aucoin and Face Forward by Kevyn Aucoin) , Makeup Makeovers: Expert Secrets for Stunning Transformations by Robert Jones . These books contain basic as well as advanced techniques, including description and usage of materials / tools. Apart from that, Kevin Aucoin's books are full of nice & interesting experiences /stories, they're well written and interesting.

For start, I have to say some of my advice is personal and may be different to opinions advocated by stylists for general public. Drawing from my personal experience, I often change some general techniques. Again, each person is different and thus some techniques need to be modified. Some steps can be left out (day make up), while with others (draq-qeen) extra steps are added. I come from general assumption that male skin has got more imperfections ( thicker skin, larger pores, scars, acne, etc) and the whole procedure reflects that. The makeup procedure can be divided in 4 stages:

1. preparation of skin for makeup
2. makeup procedure
3. fixing mistakes
4. cleaning / after-care

Preparation of skin for makeup

• Shaving – without thorough shaving even the best makeup looks terrible! More tips and tricks for epilation / depilation can be found at Depilation and epilation for trannies
• Cleaning the skin– before starting any makeup skin has to be thoroughly cleansed and relaxed. In case shaving irritates your skin I recommend using special after-shave calming products. In my case washing my face in cold water does it, skin calms down and pores close. After that you should clean your skin with toners/cleansers, I use toners with mattifying / tightening effects. Put a little of toner on a cosmetic pad and mildly clean your whole face/ neck.
• Preparation of the skin – after cleansing the skin you apply moisturizer or primer. Type and consistency again depends on skin, but it shouldn't be too dry nor oily. If your skin has imperfections, wrinkles or enlarged pores you can use special primers which even out the color tone and surface of your skin. These substitute moisturizer, some of them can be combined with moisturizers.
• Fixing of blemishes / imperfections – if moisturizer / primer doesn't cover them, use special correctors (so called concealers). Color should be chosen according to skin type. Don't be afraid if your face ends up covered in concealers spots, it disappears after applying foundation.

Makeup procedure

What will we need? You might need following elementary items (click on images for preview):

Material:

1. makeup - foundation
2. corrector (concealer)
3. powder
4. eyebrow pencil
5. eyeliner pencil
6. eye shadows
7. mascara
8. blush
9. lip-liner pencil
10. lipstick

Tools:

1. cosmetic cotton pads
2. cosmetic cotton buds
3. makeup sponge
4. sponge tip applicator
5. wider brush for powder
6. small brush for lipstick
7. middle size brush for blush

• Application of makeup (foundation) – choice depends on color tone and skin type, as well as on usage (there is water-proof, long lasting, fixed / fluid, etc) Best you can do is ask a specialist for an advice, cause without experiences you hardly pick the correct color and type. In general, foundation color tone should be one tone lighter than skin. Moisten the sponge in warm water, rinse it, bend it in middle, hold it between your thumb and index finger. Apply a little foundation on the middle of the bent edge (sponge). With gentle, repeating moves start tapping the makeup into skin, starting from middle of the face outwards. If the makeup on sponge runs out, apply some more. Repeat until your skin is evenly covered. In case neck and cleavage is exposed it needs to be covered as well to avoid color inconsistency. If you plan to use eye shadows, make up and powder are not applied to eyelids and under eyebrows .
• Video – how to apply makeup (foundation)
• Application of powder – if you don't have experiences leave the choice to a specialist. Best way to apply makeup is with a middle sized brush with oval edge. Apply a little powder on brush, shake down the excess to avoid stains. Start tapping the powder into skin, just like you did previously with makeup. Cover all your exposed areas. Less is more is the golden rule in makeup.. Big quantities of anything make your look unnatural. Correct application of foundation and powder is the basic of good makeup. A famous stylist compared application of foundation and powder to good canvas when painting. If the canvas is bad, so will be the painting.
• Video – how to apply powder
• Eyebrow makeup – plucked eyebrow is crucial, if it's not follow the advice in Depilation and epilation for trannies. Shape and color depends on several circumstances. Mark the basic points on one of the eyebrows, then do the same on the other side. Now connect points together, for natural look paint short thin lines in the desired shape. However, for thin eyebrow line a continuous line works just perfect. Eyebrow pencil should be harder than eye-liner pencils to avoid smearing. If you have problems holding a steady hand, rest your wrist against cheek. Make sure the pencil is sharp, this applies for eye liner and lip liner as well.
• Eye makeup – eye shadows – type, number of colors and drawn shapes are subjective. In most cases 2-3 colors are used, but some special looks may require up to 4-5 colors or even more. Apart from shadows you will need sponge tip applicators or flat thin brush. A good-quality brush is much better to work with and it will last for a long time. But for start sponge tip applicator would do just fine. Apply a little shadow on applicator and wipe the excess on your other hand between the stem of thumb and index finger. It's important to get rid of any excess cause it may get into your eye, on your face, etc. Now close your eye and draw the desired shape. Storing any material on your other hand is ideal – it's always at hand and you see how it looks on your skin. I store there everything from foundation to eye shadow, during each step of makeup. Use a separate applicator for each color to avoid mixing colors.
• Eye makeup – eyeliner - for eyeliner you use pencil or fluid eyeliner with applicator. Follow the lines of the eye lid border, thickness and color is subjective. I recommend the pencil for beginners, fluid eye-liners are harder to work with. You can color you upper or lower lid border, apart from that either inner or outside line. Inside eye-lines can be can be a scarecrow for people who don't like objects near eyes, but believe me, you can overcome it. You should be careful during this step to avoid injury and smearing your makeup. If you can't draw a line well, tighten the eyelid by pushing your skin on your your temples away with your other hand.
• Eye makeup - lashes - there are numerous products on market which promise amazing look, volume, etc. Shake the mascara to stir the contents and slowly withdraw the applicator. Make sure it doesn't have any paint excess (you don't store this on your other hand). Relax your mimics, close the desired eye, and move the applicator from inside to outside of your lashes. Open your eyes, repeat the same for bottom side of upper lashes. Your eyes should be open wide so you don't get any mascara into eyes. During this step it helps if you bend your head backwards, so you see where are you applying the mascara and it prevents mascara getting on your painted lids. Third step is painting bottom lashes, I paint only the upper side. When painting lashes I try to bend then, some mascaras fix the shape and thus make them look nicer. Be careful just like with eyeliner!
• Painting your lips – one of the final steps, which helps you to change features of your face. You will need lip-liner pencil, lipstick and thin flat brush for the more precise work. Open your mouth and gently tighten your lips. Mark the outlines of desired shape with lip liner – create points which you should connect as smoothly as possible. If you are satisfied with the shape, fill also the inside of each lip, don't forget the corners. Apply a little of lipstick to brush and with the flat side apply it on your lips, first the borders then inside. When both your lips are ready, push the lips together and move them just a little bit against other to distribute the lipstick evenly. Prepare a paper napkin, put in between your lips, close them gently, open and remove the napkin – you just removed lipstick excess . After these steps I continue, what may not be necessary in your case: I put a little of powder on my index finger and apply it on the lips, then I apply the second layer. Powder helps you to fix lipstick for longer time ( harder to smear while eating or drinking). Some trannies over-size their lips by drawing contours far behind the natural lip lines. You can extend your lips this way, but be careful! If you overdo it you may end up looking unnatural in worst case tragicomic.. At the end you can apply a little of lip shine in the middle of your lips, it makes them look wider.
• Blush makeup - cheeks – emphasizes / suppresses cheek bones and ads a “healthy” look to cheeks. On a middle sized brush apply small amount of blush color and shake any excess (or use your other hand to tap off). Smile and your cheek comes forward – small pit appears. With mild strokes paint your cheek from that point towards your temples. Avoid any vibrant colors, the more natural transition, the better. Red cartoon-like cheeks are really NOT in

Highlights and shadows - or dark and light tones

You may already know from other areas that dark colors (shadows, I don't mean only eye shadows by this, but dark colors in general) suppress features, while light colors (highlights) make them stand out. This applies only in correct application of both, they don't do anything without the other. Very simplified, I can demonstrate it on an example: are your eyes set too deep? Paint the inner lid with light color, and outer border with dark color – your eyes come forward doing so. By proper usage of shadows and highlights you can significantly change features of your face without expensive plastic surgeries.

Don' forget some transitions should “fade away“, it means there should be no clearly defined line. This applies to makeup of the whole face, fixing of some mistakes, etc. Fade away transitions can be created by finger or a brush by smearing mildly outwards. Fade aways apply to general techniques and methods, not just highlight/ shadow makeup.

In my opinion one of the most advanced techniques in makeup is using 2 tones of foundation and 2 tones of powder, which allow you change your appearance very much. You see a sample on left, in “raw” state, that means without evening out/ smoothing out the transitions and applying powder. It's an extremely demanding technique which requires lot's of experiences and skills. You have to apply the correct color to the correct place and create natural transitions. Result is amazing, but I have to admit I gave up after the first try .

Fixing mistakes

• Everyone makes mistakes– even a professional stylist can make one. In such case, don't loose your head, even big mistakes can be fixed. Your angry cries can scare others, in better case amuse them, but surely they don't help your looks. So relax, take a deep breath and calm down.
• Makeup fixing - how and what with– from my experiences the cotton buds are best tools for this. They are easy to work with, you can remove excess of anything and you can use them for small modifications. Most of the mistakes is applying product beyond the desired borders (eyes or lips). If you make a mistake, method is simple:
  • gently wipe off the material at “defected” area
  • apply a little makeup on a bud
  • use bud to put draw corrected line – cover what you have over-painted by eye shadows, lipstick, etc.
  • apply a little powder over it
• What mistakes happen while fixing other mistakes
  • always check if buds don't contain any color – you can smear it and make it look even worse. Ideally use a new one for each fix.
  • don't push or you smear the mistake – move from outside towards the defected area, you avoid smearing it even more
  • apply only small amounts – or you risk creating ugly spots

Cleaning / after-care

I know you are tired after a party, but it's important for your skin really to get cleansed after such a heavy load. Besides you don't want to paint a Picasso with your face on the pillow, so even while you are lazy or dead-tired give yourself 15 minutes for make up removal and skin cleansing.

Makeup (foundation) and powder can be easily removed with makeup cleansing tissues, for eyes use special eye makeup cleanser, because eye shadows and liners are harder to remove. After that you can use cleansing milk or special nutrifying milk which regenerates your skin.

Conclusion

I hope my advice can be of any use for you, but remember that only by testing and practicing you achieve the needed experiences and skills. Don't get put off by initial failure, beginnings are always hard for trannies. Also my beginning were hard / stressful and the results were really tragicomic Don't forget how important conditions are – without good lighting you can hardly do any makeup, not mentioning well positioned and lighted mirror. Light should illuminate your face evenly, so you can see imperfections, but it shouldn't be too intense.

And a small advice at the end – don't worry about unnecessary details. For an example: if you go to a dance club, it's not very probable the light will be very intense, so no one will notice micro mistakes. The same applies for viewing distance – sure you see tons f mistakes if you are “glued” to mirror, but realize people will not be watching you from that distance. And one last advice.. If you wear glasses, don't be scared of contact lenses. After I got used to them the whole makeup was easier and more comfortable.

So prepare everything you need, put on your favorite tunes, make yourself a good coffee (my makeup ritual ) and go for it..
Good luck and steel-steady nerves wishes from Betty ]]> http://transbetty.com/tips-and-tricks/2009/06/20/make-up-guide-for-transvestites-basics/feed/ 7 http://transbetty.com/photo-galleries/2008/08/13/sexy-lingerie-and-latex/ http://transbetty.com/photo-galleries/2008/08/13/sexy-lingerie-and-latex/#comments Wed, 13 Aug 2008 22:44:56 +0000 Betty http://transbetty.com/?p=273 Teasing photos in sexy lingerie, latex, stockings and costumes. No pornography !

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Oval face

As its name implies, the Oval Shaped Face is longer than wide, with a jaw that’s narrower than the cheekbones. Because the oval shaped face has no dominant areas and is so proportional, this face looks good with just about any hairstyle, length or texture. You can buy any wig you like.

Round face

The Round Shaped Face is characterized by a wide hairline and fullness below the cheekbones. The client may be overweight and the neck may appear short. These faces look very good with a geometric or linear style. Add height, when possible, and long, wispy side areas to make the cheeks look narrow. Comb hair close to the head on the side and at the nape.

Square face

The Square Shaped Face is characterized by a wide hairline and jaw. Square shaped faces need height on top and narrowness at the sides. Comb the hair off the forehead to add height to the face. Curly texture and wigs of hair around the face break the wide, straight lines common to the square face.

Diamond face

The Diamond Shaped Face is characterized by a narrow chin and forehead with wide cheekbones. Diamond shaped faces need narrow sides and fullness at the chin. Bobs work very well for this shape. Avoid wearing height on top or volume on the sides. Use some fringe or bang to cover narrow forehead.

Heart face

The Heart Shaped Face is characterized by a wider forehead and a narrower chin. Bring some hair onto the forehead to disguise its width. Keep hair close to the head at the eyes but make it slightly full around the jaw, and below and in front of the earlobes.

Pear face

The Pear Shaped Face is characterized by a small or narrow forehead and a rather large pouchy-appearing jaw line. Comb hair to add width from the eye level through the crown of the head. Set and comb hair close to the head on the sides and at the nape.

Oblong face

The Oblong Shaped Face is characterized by a very long and narrow bone structure. The client who has an oblong facial shape often has a long, thin neck. Use a fringe or half-bang across or curls in the crown and nape areas. This helps to create the illusion of an oval.

Source: article by the courtesy Best Wig Outlet

Wig care

• First, fill a small hand sink or a large-sized bowl with approximately
  2 quarts of COOL WATER. NEVER USE HOT WATER! (hot water will remove the pre-styled curl pattern that is built into a synthetic wig or synthetic hairpiece).
• Add approximately 2 ounces of Synthetic Hair Cleanser to the cool water and swish around to mix. Then you are ready to place the hairpiece or wig into the solution.
• Allow to soak for 5 to 10 minutes, and then swish the piece around in the soapy solution for a minute. Note: If your wig has makeup build-up along the front hairline, we recommended you use an old toothbrush and hand soap to remove this.
• After washing, discard the soapy water. Rinse sink and fill up with clean cool water; sometimes you may want to rinse twice. Shake out excess water.
• After washing, simply lay the hairpiece on a towel to air-dry naturally.
• DO NOT BRUSH WIG WHILE WET.
• DO NOT USE A HAIRDRYER ON WIG.
• This kind of heat can damage fiber hair! If you have a wig, it is recommended that you place it on a wire head form so it dries in its natural round head shape. (Air can pass through a wire form. Air cannot pass through a Styrofoam head form.) Both the Wire Stand and the Deodorizing Wig Perch are excellent for this purpose.
• We recommended a special Synthetic Fiber Hair Conditioner: It conveniently sprays onto your wig or hairpiece. This conditioner should be used lightly after each washing as well (for longer hairpieces, use each time your hairpiece is worn). Conditioner build up is good and provides a longer life for synthetic hair, eliminates static electricity (which can also damage fiber) and makes fibers look healthy.

Source: Fekewigs

Putting on a wig

1. hold the wig on the inner lines and bend it slightly inside-out so the hair doesn't fall inside.
2. lean forward slightly
3. put it on starting with forehead, make sure hair doesn't get under the wig
4. pull to back and hair that got caught under the wig
5. straighten up and swing the head to back slightly so hair gets away from your face (as you were bent)
6. fix the wig on the temples so it "sits" on the head properly
7. fix the wig around the head so it doesn't press you and you can start styling your hair

My tips

• comb wigs even when you pull out some hair - this applies mainly for curly wigs. It's better to loose some hair than wearing wisps of hair on your head. Besides uncombed wisps tend to grow and at the end you might have to cut them out. So better comb hair regularly.
• for combing use thin combs or scrubs with plastic fibers (such as mild scrubs for baby hair).
• I use hair finisher spray though some sources say it's not good for synthetic wigs. I use it anyway 'cause it suits my needs, just be careful on eyes when applying it!
• electrified hair gets into place if you run it over with wet hands
• store the wigs best on stands, if you don't have one, store it loose. Under no circumstances store a wig crumpled at the bottom of your cabinet.
• from time to time it is good to do a little maintenance - applies moss to curly wigs. Generally they do that in places they sell them. They will re-style the curls, comb the hair properly and style the lines according to your needs / requirements.

To sum up ..

I hope this article helped you with a choice of a wig for you. If you still have no clue, visit a wig store - the sellers are used to transgender people and can help you well with the choice of a wig. I bought my first two wigs this way and the brown one was very successful, some people even though it natural hair ]]> http://transbetty.com/tips-and-tricks/2008/08/13/choosing-a-wig-usage-care/feed/ 4 http://transbetty.com/photo-galleries/2008/07/08/casual-look/ http://transbetty.com/photo-galleries/2008/07/08/casual-look/#comments Tue, 08 Jul 2008 23:39:35 +0000 Betty http://transbetty.com/?p=149 Regular look, no extremes From sporty look to classy stylish photos.

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Depilation versus epilation

What is the difference? Depilation is removal of hair just above the skin skin surface, for example razor shaving or chemical depilation. Epilation is removal of the whole hair together with hair root. Epilation methods are vaxing, tweezers epilation, mechanical epilators, laser epilation and electrolysis epilation. If I use "(d)epilation" I refer to both.

Preparation for (d)epilation

Key to success is preparation of the skin for all the methods. Except of laser and electrolysis epilation you should at least take a shower in a hot water. That makes the pores open up and the hair gets soft. It's much easier to pluck the hair from such opened pore. If it's dry epilation ( vaxing, tweezers epilation, mechanical epilators) don't forget to dry the skin. Generally it's better to do all procedures in the evening or a day before going out so the skin chills during night and all skin irritations can disappear.

Razor shaving

The most common method, we know it all. Basic rule: the less strokes, the less skin irritations appear.

advantages	disadvantages
time - quite quick - you can shave your legs in 10-30 minutes budget - low budget solution, but in long term measure it could be more expensive than laser epilation. can be used on all body parts, but be careful with the intimate body parts	lasting - already after several hours you could see a five-o'clock shadow shaving makes the hair stronger and darker possibility of an accident

My tip: for facial shaving I use a shaving gel that contains Aloe vera, let it work 10-12 minutes to make the hair soft, just then start shaving.

Chemical depilation

This method consists of applying special cream or foam to skin, letting it work and then washing it off (5-10 minutes depending on the type of the product) . Some products come with special plastic scrapper or sponges for washing off the cream and the hair.

advantages

disadvantages

time - relatively quick method, legs can take 20-30 minutes budget - low price, but in long term measure it's just like shaving lasting - hair grows back in a week or more can be used on most body parts, but be careful on areas with sensitive skin like initimate parts.

allergic reaction can appear, skin can get irritated. Always test each new product on a small part of skin and wait 24 hours. If no reaction appears, you can start using it. don't use any cosmetics after depilation, skin is sensitive after this procedure in most cases it's not good for intimate parts or facial hair you may have to use a razor, just to make the the look perfect it's not effective if you have strong and thick body hair, cream / foam works only 1-2 mm under skin

My tip: for armpits and intimate parts I use depilation cream for shower from Veet. You apply it, let it work (6-8 minutes) and then clean the foam together with hair with a plastic scrapper. Attention, skin is very sensitive at intimate parts, don't let it work too long.

Vaxing

One of the more effective methods - if you do it right it removes hair together with the hair root. You push the vax tape against the skin, then tear it off in opposite direction to which hair grows. Vax epilation at a beauty saloon is worth the money and time, the wax professionals use is much better than commercial products.

advantages	disadvantages
lasting - longer term hair removal, lasts a week to 3-4 weeks regular vax epilation makes the hair weaker can be used on most body parts, of course not intimate parts and armpits	painful method time - time consuming, you have to repeat the procedure on the same parts if your body hair is strong and thick budget - could be more expensive for those with lot of body hair, you might need 2-3 packages just for legs

My tip: if you decide for this method I recommend visiting specialist. In-house wax epilation is effective only for those with little hair.

Tweezers epilation

Manual plucking of hair is a proper method only for smaller areas. Tighten the skin around the hair and pluck in the direction it grows. I strongly recommend taking a steam bath or showering / bathing in warm water before plucking.

advantages	disadvantages
lasting - longer lasting effect, several days to weeks regular plucking makes the hair weaker and lighter budget - cheap, all you need is good tweezers	painful method inflammations can occur time - time-demanding method – tens of minutes to hours

My tip: if you have little facial hair, you could pluck it manually. I strongly recommend to take a steam bath to open up pores, then start plucking the hair in the direction they grow, while you tighten up the skin with the other hand. After plucking you should nurse the skin with mild disinfection product. Do it in the evening, so the skin gets some rest during sleep. Such plucked hair grows back in a week or more. Be careful, sometimes pores blemish, especially if you don't steam bath properly or improperly do disinfection.

Mechanical epilators

One of the best methods for many reasons. You use mechanical epilator which you move on skin surface, and it plucks the hair together with hair root.

advantages	disadvantages
time - quick method – epilation of legs takes 20-40 minutes budget - price wise very interesting, you can get an epilator for 10-30 dollars and it lasts like forever lasting - longer lasting effect, week to several weeks suitable for legs	painful method irritation of skin, it disappears after several hours you need electric power, only more expensive models operate on battery not suitable for intimate parts, face, armpits

My tip: suitable for legs, most optimal method of epilation (time / money / effect ratio).

Laser epilation

Laser beam, which is used in this method, is directed at the root of each hair and it burns the follicula. One of the methods with longest lasting effects. The bigger difference between the skin color and hair color, the more effective is the process. So ideal is having black hair and pale skin. You might need several sessions for complete removal depending on density of hair and color complexion.

advantages	disadvantages
lasting - you can get rid of hair for months or several years suitable for the whole body, except of birth-marks and armpits	slightly painful method, laser beams "bites" a little budget - more expensive method, price depends on the amount of hair and time of session time - time-demanding (each session takes an hour or more) , each hair is removed separately you need to visit a specialist irritated skin, you need to avoid sun for few days

My tip: suitable method if you go out regularly, you get rid of hair completely.

Electrolysis epilation

The most effective method, regardless of skin and hair type. Electric needle is directed to each hair and discharged - it burns the hair root. You might need 4-6 sessions to remove hair completely.

advantages	disadvantages
lasting - you get rid of hair forever suitable for the whole body, except of birth-marks and armpits	slightly painful method - each discharge feels like static electricity discharge time - time-demanding, just like with laser epilation each hair is removed individually budget - more expensive method, price depends on the amount of hair and time of session you need to visit a specialist

My tip: suitable method if you go out regularly, you get rid of hair completely.

After (d)epilation

Just like preparation, skin care after (d)epilation is important mainly for following two reasons.

First is immediate irritation of skin, each person can react differently, so it's important to relax skin. There are numbers of special products for skin that are designed for skin after (d)epilation. You should test each first, just like with chemical depilation.

The second reason is hair that starts growing under skin without penetrating it, especially in the armpit and leg area. It's important to avoid it, prevention lies in disinfection and avoiding clogging of pores. If the pores get clogged, hair might be too weak to penetrate skin and might even start to grow in opposite direction! In such case you can get really bad blemishes, in worst case you might need a small surgery. You can clean smaller inflammations yourself, but be careful and disinfect the skin and instruments!

But it's much better to avoid all this, disinfect the skin after (d)epilation (but watch the alcohol contents!) and keep the pores open next days by massaging them with a sponge, special creams and peeling products. Skin care after laser / electrolysis epilation is specific and consult it with a specialist, who performed the epilation.

My tip: after epilation of legs I massage Veet cream into skin, it's specially designed to avoid hair to grow inside. It contains aloe vera a grapefruit extract, regular massaging of legs protects hair growing inside.

Eyebrow epilation

Eyebrow should be epilated after steam bath / bath, it's very important to have open pores. You should use good tweezers, ideally with cut edge. You can draw the desired shape with eyebrow pencil and pluck the hair around to. But if you don't have any experiences, go and rather visit a beauty saloon, unless you want to get stuck up with ridiculous eyebrow for several weeks

To sum up ..

.. I want to mention not all trannies can (d)epilate for various reasons. It's fully understood, especially if your coming-out didn't happen yet. But please do use proper clothing then: jeans, non-transparent pantyhose, high-cut dresses! Don't expose hairy body parts … it's really disgusting Most of us start with razor and eventually try other methods. Find your own preferred method, and stick with it. Also don't forget the nose hair, Brezhnev nose hair is really not sexy Go ahead, for the smooooooooth skin!

You have 3 possibilities to stay "low":

1. go shopping with a girlfriend/ wife - but not all of you can
2. shopping in big shopping malls - many people and quite anonymous. Just pick the stuff you want to try , put some male clothes over it and head to cabin. Just be careful, don't get caught in cabin when you try some skirt
3. catalogue a online shopping - quite secure and you will avoid curious looks. The goods can be in most cases returned within several days, sometimes even without giving reasons. I recommend eBay , I 'll write about it more bellow.

Few general advices:

• buy only the stuff you need! Manny trannies, including me, have a real shopping spree fever and buy even stuff they don't need or stuff that doesn't suit them. Think over, if you need the item, and if it suits you.
• measure yourself properly! It's very important to measure yourself properly so you can buy fitting clothes and shoes. Try to find your size in women collection sizes. If in doubt, send you measures to the sop and they will recommend. Don§t forget the material - lycra materials stretch a lot, while jeans don't. While buying shoes, watch the material as well, leather stretches better than synthetic materials.
• say you are buying for a girlfriend - many regular men buy stuff for their girlfriends so it's a good cover excuse. But be careful, if you come to a lingerie shop 2x a week it will become suspicious
• let others advice you - a good advice from a friend, sales person or stylist, they might know more
• try eBay - you can buy amazing stuff at amazing prices, often at a fraction of regular prices. But beware! Read the item description carefully, if it's new or not, condition, price, delivery and shipping methods. Check also the history of given merchant, the better score the more secure you are. Disadvantage is you have to pay via Paypal with some merchants, but if you have any VISA / Master card , you can setup a new account at PayPal easily. And then you can start spending money
• consider second hand - a friend of mine advised me this option when I was complaining I'm spendig a fortune on femme stuff. I admit I have never been shopping in one, but I will consider it, you can buy very funny costumes at budget prices.

Do you have any tips on how to buy? Share them below in discussion .. ]]> http://transbetty.com/tips-and-tricks/2008/02/21/shopping-guide-for-a-trannie/feed/ 12 http://transbetty.com/photo-galleries/2008/02/14/funny-photos/ http://transbetty.com/photo-galleries/2008/02/14/funny-photos/#comments Thu, 14 Feb 2008 15:45:38 +0000 Betty http://transbetty.com/?p=280 Caught in a moment, crazy expressions and funny poses. “She” must be crazy

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Basic dictionary

• transvestite (abbreviation TV) - a person, that dresses into clothes of opposite sex. The driving mechanism could be sexuality, fetishism or assexual need to impersonate a woman. The change can include complete outer change: make up / styling the hair / wig and clothes of opposite sex. A transvestite doesn't want a sex change, he is satisfied with his gender. Check also the Wikipedia definition
• crossdresser (abbreviation CD) - the same as transvestite, but crossdresser is satisfied with a partial transformation. For example he puts up only a skirt or lingerie. Check also the Wikipedia definition
• transsexual (abbreviation TS) - a person, who personally feels to be born in the wrong body (body of opposite sex). That means a transsexual desires to have a body of opposite sex and to be perceived as person he desires to be. Some of them even undergo a sex-change operation. Check also the Wikipedia definition
• tranny, trannie - informal spoken expression, identifying transvestites and a transsexuals. Some think it's rude, in my opinion it's absolutely normal.
• transgender - term identifying / concerning crossdressers, transvestites and transsexuals. Trans means in Latin “through” or "cross", so freely translating it's like "changing lanes"
• shemale, ladyboy - spoken term used in erotic industry. Mostly they mark transsexuals without main sex-change operation (pre-op TS).
• drag queen - term used in entertainment industry.

What I'm I?

I'm sure some of you asked yourself this question already. Differences between TV and TS are sometimes very small, and it's even harder to distinguish in individual cases. In most cases though, it starts with transvestism and develops into transsexualism. A transvestite realizes, the reason for dressing like a woman is he wants really become one. Of course there is an endless number of factors that have impact on psychology and a formation of a transvestite / transsexual, but those rather topic of scientific discussions.

My advice

1. don't suppress it and accept yourself - most of TV/CD/TS people tend to suppress their otherness, mainly because they afraid of mockery and non-tolerance in nowadays society. You may be afraid of public condemnation, obstacles or mockery, anyway you shouldn't suppress what you feel. Often you try to suppress these feelings by intense work, sports, drinking or even drugs. But believe me, from my personal experience I know this doesn't help. Suppressing yourself, avoiding solving real mental issues can lead into heavy psychoses, which are really serious and could be hard to get through. You are, what you are. No one has the right to tell you what you should be
2. find help - tell it to your friends / girlfriends or families, or find a professional help of therapist (psychology , sexology). Explain what it means, how you feel about it. If scared, tell at least a very good friend, A real friend will not mock you , personally I know it was an amazing enlightenment to tell my friends
3. think about what you desire and want - if you want only get dressed secretly at home or go out, or even a sex-change. But don't push it!
4. don't say, I can't, but ACT! - so many trannies says, they can't be themselves, saying they have no space, opportunity or premises, etc. You can dream about it or you can act. If you want to find a way, you'll find it. Even I was like that, I complained to an English trannie and she said: "If you don't want to, you search for reasons. If you want to, you search for ways." AN d that changed my mind, cause I realized she was right. I can wait that life gets someone into my path that will do my makeup or I can learn it. I can spend endless hours chatting & complaining on net or I can read something that relates to me. I can say I don't have conditions / opportunities or I can try to create them. Conclusion? Act, it's the only way to change your life.
5. meet similar people - talking to people with similar people help a lot. There are meeting just for trannies, be it social or entertainment event. For start you can find friends online, but don't spend too much time chatting only online. Your real problem doesn't get solved via net, use net only as a tool for finding people. Don't do the same mistake as I did, I used it to create some form of social existence. Real friendship builds up mostly on personal contact!
6. don't worry about your looks - some trannies say „ I don't have it simply, so I'm not going to do it”. Nonsense, no one is ideal. I myself have days when I tell myself I'm ugly, but I know I'm what I'm. there are thing sI can change and the things I can't change. Care rather about your soul, you will not have a nice impact on people if you wiill not be more balanced. I got the best feedback from people when I was balanced, but not when I was nervous / sad / unsure.

Gender versus sexuality

Transgender people are special because they differentiate gender and sexuality , what is not common in society. Men are normally men, act like men and are attracted to women. What some people don't know a trannie can be heterosexual, bisexual or gay. There are happy marriages when there is a woman and a man-transvestite. Being a trannie doesn't automatically mean you are gay. It's only a very simplified scheme produced by bourgeois people/ But the most important thing is understanding, your sexuality is only your business, no one elses'. People should care about themselves, not about others. ]]> http://transbetty.com/reflections/2008/02/14/transvestite-vs-transsexual/feed/ 19 http://transbetty.com/reflections/2008/02/07/about-me/ http://transbetty.com/reflections/2008/02/07/about-me/#comments Thu, 07 Feb 2008 02:01:00 +0000 Betty http://transbetty.com/?p=416 I‘m a transvestite. I’m just like any other guy, with the exception sometimes I look / dress up as a woman. Some of you may know what a word “transvestite” means, some don’t. Transvestite is a person who dresses up like a person of opposite gender. I don’t consider myself to be a weirdo, I already accepted this part of me and try to live with it, overcoming the obstacles of bourgeoisie society we live in. Bourgeoisie society that judges without knowing me.

How was Betty born?

My otherness became evident already in childhood. Already as a child I was too sensitive, I played often with girls. As the time progressed I started to dress occasionally in parts of femme clothing in secret , using a lipstick every now and then. After the end of my late puberty I learned what I’m with the help of the internet. I was already studying at university and thanks to hours spent on internet I learned I’m not alone. After that there was a short period when I thought I was a transsexual, which quite obsessed me. I was already considering how to get to hormonal therapy medicaments. Then it faded, and that was the end of my transsexual period.

I chose name Betty long time ago, when I was studying at university, after discovering Betty Page, a 50-ties fetish pin-up model. I liked her seductive and provocative look, crazy photos, as well as her direct passion which radiated from her photos. Later on I added surname, which I "borrowed" from a friend and I became Betty Jašková. Well In English I use only Betty Jaskova, to avoid misunderstanding. "Jašková" means crazy, what fits me and I like it.

After finishing university came the crash - crash with the real life with all it’s problems. I tried to suppress my otherness with all possible ways: starting with multiple phase training in sports, through workaholic approach, to “reseting” my mind during weekends in bars and clubs. It’s hard to tell now how much it was suppression and how much I really liked work and sports. One thing is sure, I didn’t have any courage and self-esteem to “manifest” myself as a woman.

The change came just before I turned 30, when I told myself: ENOUGH! My buying fever started and I often bought femme things that didn’t even suit me. I bought books about makeup and learned from them. One day I decided I will do my first complete makeover, and after few hours of preparations I finished the makeover by putting on the wig. Then I looked into the mirror and my heart jumped. After very long time I felt happy and calm, I knew I will never give this up.

What then?

I started to make contacts via internet within transgender community and then I started to attend events, mainly in Czech republic. There I met lots of amazing people who helped me a lot. Not forgetting also my online friends who helped me as well. I want to thank you all, it would be much harder without you.

And then? I think I can compare myself to a dog off the chain . I didn‘t miss a single event, traveled a lot, visited alternative events a met lot‘s of people. Only now, as I look back, I see how much has changed in last few months. And I know a lot will change.

Basic stats:

• location: Prague, Czech Republic.
• age: about 30
• height: 186 cm = 6 feet 1 inch, without heels
• weight: 66 kg = 145 lbs
• measures: 94-77-92 cm = 37-30- 36 inches
• hair color: like today?
• eye color: people who know me, know

Likes:

• sincere and open-minded people, with whom you have something to talk about, have fun
• my friends and family - no comment needed
• sports : swimming, basketball, hiking in mountains, biking
• lying in the sun, walks in woods
• music - very wide spectrum from classic music, through RNB .. punk .. to hard rock
• dance - especially as Betty I love it!
• good food - maybe it doesn’t seem so, but I love eating, and eating a lot
• mixed drinks - my favorite is mai-tai and one good coffee daily, but I do pick that one
• nice and sexy clothes / shoes - be it elegant evening dress or a crazy latex minidress
• people from alternative communities ( trans / gay / lesbian / BDSM / goth)

Dislikes:

• people who don’t read profiles on net and can’t simply accept my preferences
• bourgeoisie, non-tolerant, self-conceited and aggressive people
• I don’t like soccer and hockey, mainly for it’s beer culture
• waiting in long lines
• worn-out commercial music, house and rap that presents itself with violence and hate
• sit on my ass whole evening when I’m out
• don’t like meals with dill
• for some unknown reason I don’t like fishnets
• extremist and violent groups

Blog is bilingual (English and Slovak), but I will not translate all the blog articles to English. You can search the site (upper top part) with keywords you enter. Search results show matches in chosen language.

Section descriptions:

• About me - info about me, what I like / dislike
• Photo galleries - my photos, photos from parties
• Contact - contact info, guest book (I will be happy if you leave a message)
• Links - exchange links / banners, links to other transgender sites
• Tips and tricks - my tips and tricks for makeup, fashion, shopping, etc.
• Reflections - my reflections /essays of how I see myself, this site, society and my / our place in it

Before I finish.. I don’t force anyone to look at my website, if you feel offended by transgender related themes, leave this site and leave your comments for yourself as well.

For those who still read.. I’m glad you are here , Betty

PS: if the page doesn’t lay out correctly / if you see „broken“ elements, let me know please. I tested this design only on IE 5.0 - IE 7.0 and Firefox 2.0 , so I  don’t know how it looks on other browsers. ]]> http://transbetty.com/reflections/2008/02/07/welcome-to-my-blog/feed/ 1