Butchy's Beauty Tips: Make-up

I have such a complicated relationship with make-up.

Growing up, women in my family weren’t allowed to wear make-up, because women who wore make-up were considered whores and Jezebels.  Since I was busy doing boy things as a kid anyway, I really didn’t give make-up a second thought.

I had never worn any kind of make-up until I left home at 17.  By that age, I still wasn’t interested in make-up, but I let my sister-in-law paint me up just for the fun of it.  It seemed excessive, impractical, and I felt like a drag queen.   

This is not butch make-up, and, since I was under 18, may be considered child abuse.

 Make-up did not become a normal part of my routine back then.

In the past few years, though, as I’ve grown more comfortable with my own gender ambiguity, I’ve come to embrace the whole wearing make-up that doesn’t necessarily look like you’re wearing make-up philosophy. 

The simple fact is that a good foundation and powder evens out skin tones and imperfections, and can help a simple butch look a little more handsome.  I encourage all masculine women to consider the benefits of a good facial skin care routine.

If you can’t bring yourself to put on make-up because it’s just too girly, try to change the way you think about make-up and face care and reconsider the tools you use. 

Here are a few tips to help masculinize your beauty regimen:  

1)       Think of your face as a cabinet that needs to be refinished. 

2)      Begin by cleaning and sanding your cabinet. 

a.       Wash and exfoliate your face.  To butch it up, buy facial products that are gender-neutral or designed for men.

b.      For an added touch of masculinity, slap on some aftershave after you’ve exfoliated.  It will give you that just-shaved burning sensation that we women miss out on.

3)      Find a nice, quality stain that compliments the room.

a.        Find a good foundation that matches your natural skin tone.  The key to butch make-up is making sure that others don’t automatically notice that you’re wearing make-up.

4)      Select a durable varnish.

a.       Use a light coat of powder on top of your foundation.  It further evens out your skin tone, and helps your make-up last throughout the day.

b.      You can use an all-in-one foundation/powder product, but I find that application is not as even and smooth.

5)      Choose the right brush for application of your varnish.

a.       For the longest time, what I hated most about powder was the dainty little circular applicator pad.  Lately, though, I’ve been using a mineral powder that has a brush applicator that looks just like a men’s shaving brush.  It makes me feel so manly when I’m putting on my make-up in the mornings.

6)      Finally, feel free to embellish/decorate your cabinets on holidays or special occasions.

a.       For my day-to-day routine, I believe in foundation and powder only.  Once or twice a year, though, I’ll spice it up for a special occasion by adding mascara, eyeliner, and maybe a little lip gloss/shimmer.  When I add extra make-up, though, I always balance it out by wearing an overtly masculine item, such as a tie or fedora.