Makeup Tips for Trans Guys
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
Don't be afraid of makeup! Makeup isn't just a thing for girls. The vast majority of men - cis or trans - that you see in movies/TV are caked in it to make them look more presentable/
masculine!
Makeup can be a great tool for pre-transition trans guys to contour their face to a more masculine appearance and experiment to see what works best for them! Trans guys who are already transitioning can use makeup to highlight and accentuate the features they've developed while transitioning!
For reference - "darker contour" here refers to any contour makeup item that is darker than your natural skin tone (such as bronzers). "Lighter contour" here refers to any contour makeup item that is lighter than your natural skin tone (such as highlighters).
Remember! You know your face the best! Buy makeup in shades/colors that work best for you!
The Trans Guy Archive is not sponsored or endorsed by any of the makeup brands seen in the photos above. The sole purpose of the photos is to show the reader what each items mentioned below can look like in stores.
Step One - creating a base layer
Start by washing and moisturizing your face. Doing makeup on dry skin will make it look less natural and will lead to your face feeling cakey later. You can shave your facial hair, if you desire, to make a smooth surface to work with.
Primer creates a smooth surface to place the rest of your makeup on. You can apply the primer with a soft brush or your hands.
Then, apply a thin layer of foundation or a tinted moisturizer to your face. A tinted moisturizer will help prevent that cakey feeling later.
Use a beauty blender sponge or any flat foundation brush to apply the layer across your face and neck evenly. Use a stippling (dotted) motion to achieve the most even coverage. Once you have a good base, you can go in again on any "problem spots", like acne or blemishes, if you desire. Leave your base layer on for around 10-15 minutes so it can dry properly before you apply the rest of your makeup.
Step Two - the Jaw
Typically, masculinity is associated with strong, sharp, angular features. This can be a little difficult for those with a round face to accomplish - but it's not impossible. The first step is applying a natural-looking contour to your jaw. Apply a dark powder along the edge of your jaw from the bottom of the earlobe down to your chin. If you want to affect the shape of your face even more, you can continue your contour up to the temple. If you have thick facial hair (specifically a beard), you may want to skip this step.
Step Three - the Cheekbones
As with the jaw, high, angular cheekbones will give a person a more masculine appearance. Begin by applying a contour line from your temple to outside the corner of your mouth, following the natural shape of your face.
If you have noticeable facial hair, follow the natural line of the hair. If you are clean-shaven, suck your cheeks in and follow the definition of the exposed cheekbone.
Be careful not to over-accentuate your cheekbones if you're going for a more natural look. Apply some contour going down from your cheekbone to the chin in an L-shape to create a stronger outline of your face.
Step Four - the Chin
You can use a good contour stick to make your chin more defined, square, and angular. For those of us who have rounder faces, contouring the chin (and jaw) can help your face appear less fat, if that's something you're going for. Apply some lighter contour to the point of your chin and some darker contour around it to make your chin look pointier. You can apply a horizontal line of lighter contour across the bottom of your chin to make it look slightly wider.
Step Five - the (Eye)Brow
To achieve a more masculine look, you'll want to accentuate the brows and bring them down and forward. To do so, you can use mascara or an eyebrow brush/pencil to apply thin, vertical strokes in the shape of your eyebrow. Use these to outline the brow in a thicker, squared shape. Once you've completed the outline to your desired thickness and length, fill it in with the pencil/brush/mascara. The benefit of using mascara on the existing hairs will be that you're bolstering the brows you already have, rather than always drawing them on. Both tactics can be combined.
Furthermore, you can accentuate the brow bone itself. Apply some darker contour along the sides of your forehead along the hairline down to your temple. Apply a little bit of lighter contour just under your eyebrow to give the illusion of a deeper-set brow.
Step Six - the Nose
As with the rest of the face, you'll want to make your nose look more angular and larger. Though for Black people and other folk with naturally larger/wider noses, making the nose more angular may make it look unnatural. Follow your body's guidelines when applying any makeup!
You can apply darker contour down the sides of your nose from the brow bone until you reach the tip. Add some more darker contour to the inner crease of your eye between the nose bridge and brow bone. Apply lighter contour down the straight middle of your nose as highlighter. The wider apart your lines are, the wider your nose will appear.
Let the makeup rest on your face for a little while before blending it into the rest of your makeup. Be sure to use a light hand when applying and blending nose makeup - the shape of a nose can really change a face! Continue to apply and blend until you've reached your desired level of nose definition.
Step Seven - Facial Hair
For older teens and adults, facial hair can be a great way to look older and more masculine. Without the use of testosterone, faux facial hair can be achieved in a variety of ways.
Use an eyebrow pencil or eyeliner to create small, thin strokes in a natural facial hair pattern. Layer until you have the desired thickness.
A dark gray or brown powder, like eye shadow or other contour, can be used to recreate a five-o-clock shadow look along your chin and jaw.
Use eyebrow mascara in the shade of your hair to accentuate and define any existing peach fuzz or facial hair you may already have.
You can also use a stippling sponge with some grease paint or powder to apply in the shape of natural facial hair.
You can also purchase fake facial hair, though this requires repeated upkeep and application.
Some masculine makeup tutorials
Bibliography
Efe Camurdan. “Masculine Makeup: How to Look More Masculine Using Makeup.” offbinary, March 28, 2023. https://offbinary.com/blogs/articles/masculine-makeup-how-to-look-more-masculine-using-makeup.
Also, all of the videos above.
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