My Friend Beth

A few weeks ago, I said that I wasn't going to be linking to trans-articles unless something special occurred.  There were so many stories that they weren't really news anymore.  It was great!

Here's something special....  Last week The Washington Post had a long article about my friend Elizabeth Taylor.  It was headlined

Learning how to be a lady? For the transgender market, coaches help.

and it was about more than my friend Beth but she was featured (along with Erica, for whom she was doing makeup).  It also links to her website.  If you want to get a Liz Taylor makeover, I think you're going to have to make an appointment way in advance.  If you're going to only be in town for a day or a few, let her know.  I'm not her appointment secretary but I bet she'll bend over backwards to accommodate your schedule.  She's just a nice person, as I wrote when I first met her.

Beth's expertise

My writeup of my experience at her skilled hands starts just over a year ago, and is in this post and the next few.  Pictures of the great job she did are included, and more are here, on her website.

I recommend a visit.  Tell her Meg sent you. ;-)

Bulletin!  My little cockatiel, whom I wrote about when I bought him, said I should call her Cait and to enforce it, she laid an egg!  There has been no sign of the father.

We'll See How This Turns Out

Before the show, Video

I just liked the way that sounds.

Before the show, a woman associated with Tom Paxton was wandering through the audience with a video camera.  She was soliciting people who wanted to share their memories of Paxton ~ first show, best show, memorable incident, etc.

I thought about it.  They're mostly shallow but I had several meetings with and memories of Tom. 

Mandy, after her Beth Taylor makeover

But she's going to put this on Kickstarter.  Tom's new album is being funded there; you can go to Kickstarter and see some videos and information about the new project (and join if you're a fan).

I thought it was a bad idea, but I wasn't sure why.  So I raised my hand each time she seemed to be looking for another victim subject.  I figured, if she didn't choose me, then it would have been a bad idea.  if she did, it probably would be OK.

She never looked in my direction.  Until almost showtime, when she did.

She came over and I told her a number of stories, video camera staring at me the whole time.  I told of fixing his computer, him asking me if I was a lawyer at Newport (his song "One Million Lawyers" was just released), bringing vinyl for an autograph, how I could never sing Jimmy Newman because my voice would break and I'd tear up....  I meant to mention a couple of more obscure songs when she asked for favourites and my mind went blank so I mentioned a couple of more popular songs.  I forget to tell her that I used to sing "Annie's Gonna Sing Her Song" to my oldest when he was a baby and he'd sing back the second line of the chorus when I'd sing the first.

But I talked too long and when I let her go I said "and now I'm sure you can cut that down to two words" and she laughed and said "we'll edit it."

It hasn't shown up on the site yet.  We'll see if I get my fifteen minutes, per Andy Warhol.  I'll keep you posted (unless you all donate and get updates direct from Tom).

By the way, I "stole" Mandy's picture from her website.  If you want to see the magic Elizabeth Taylor did you can go to Mandy's blog and then on to Beth's website.

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Tom Paxton, Of Course

After several false starts, Mandy and I finally met.  She doesn't live that far away but east of the Chesapeake.  Crossing the

Click to enlarge.

Bay Bridge is a trip one doesn't take lightly, especially in the summer. 

Although she normally dresses androgynously, she doesn't "dress dress" at home.  She has a blog called "From Me to Mandy;" her take on her visit is here and I think she plans to add another post.  The title of her post, The Marvelous Weekend, is a play on the first song Tom Paxton wrote, The Marvelous Toy.

Mandy came to town to get a mani-pedi and an Elizabeth Taylor makeover.  She also wanted to visit Udvar-Hazy, one of very few aviation museums with a Space Shuttle.  It's about an hour west of DC.

I wanted to see Tom Paxton Friday evening.  Every year he gives a free concert locally and I'd been once, maybe twice before.  I talked Mandy into joining me; she was unfamiliar with Paxton, or so she thought.  She looked at some of his music and it was familiar.  I've been a fan  forever.  In fact, at his last concert I brought a vinyl album for an autograph.

At Clydes

We had dinner at Clyde's before the show.

Everyone was fine, we were addressed as "ladies" together, "ma'am" individually.  Other patrons ignored us, including the nearby table with a family with a few kids.  I don't know how many; I ignored them too.

We touched up our makeup in the car.  I know most people don't, but I think it's rude to put on lipstick at the table at a restaurant.  I should probably get over that.  I think that's an easier hurdle than spending extra time in the ladies' room standing at the mirror.  Besides, I'd be nervous doing that and nervous is Bad For Makeup*.

I was a bit apprehensive about going to the show.  I'll explain why next.

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* I tried to find the makeup lady scene from Airplane! but was unsuccessful.

The Elizabeth Taylor Experience (cont'd)

I spent a lot of time staring at a blank screen, wondering how to not make this post sound like a paid endorsement.  All I can come up with is, the words are mine and no money changed hands.

My Elizabeth Taylor makeover was a wonderful experience.  I try to not go into situations with expectations ~ no expectations mean you won't be disappointed.  But I was kind of excited to see what Beth could do and my expectations were high and I was not disappointed.

The visit was not mistake-free, and I'll get to that at the end.  I'd like to talk a bit about what Beth does first.

She does lots. 

If you want a new look (like me), she can do that.  She knows a lot of tricks and techniques. 

If you have never been out and you want someone to do your makeup so you don't look like one of these college students, she can do that.  If you want someone to go out with you, once you're newly beautiful, she'll do that too.  If you just want a photo record of your new look, she'll do that.  If you want makeup lessons, she'll do that too.

If you're lacking in key wardrobe parts like large-size shoes or a wig, she can supply them for your day out.  I believe she can supply corsets as well, but I'm not sure.  I know she's done corset parties.

And if you ever wanted to see how you'd look as a French maid or school girl, she can probably fit you.

This is not a hobby.  She takes this business seriously and she takes both the makeup and the photography seriously.

Mistakes Were Made

And they all have one thing in common: me.

Mistake: I should have thought more about what I was doing and where.  I could have gone with one of my inappropriate-for-going-out dresses, something tight and short perhaps, since I could always change into a "street dress" before going out.

Mistake: I should have asked Beth to walk outside with me and get some photos there.  I mean, why not?

Mistake: I should have brought more jewelry.

Mistake: I answered Beth's questions.  I should have asked for her suggestions.  It's about me, but she has more experience and seems pretty empathetic.  If she had suggested pushing the envelop by using a more dramatic (read: slutty) makeup, I would probably have agreed and had a much different look.  Instead, I went practical (my default position) and asked for "classic," a variation on what I normally wear.



ONE!

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The Elizabeth Taylor Experience

I wanted my visit to Beth to go as smoothly as possible, so I did as much prep as possible.

I did a close shave right before going; I forgot my toner and moisturiser but it turns out that didn't matter much because the product Beth used had a moisturiser in it.

I dressed as much as possible; more than usual for going out in drab.

Beth's necklace

I put on black hose, my bra with forms, and a shaping camisole.  I wore my "girl" rings and a cute, shiny bracelet.  I put on jeans and a denim shirt and a light jacket, to kind of hide "my" breasts, although it was way too warm for either denim or a jacket.  I put on a pair of low-heel Mary Janes, instead of my usual sneakers because I knew I'd have to carry them back and they're much lighter and flexible than the sneakers.

I pulled out an overnight bag and filled it with four dresses (Beth said "bring a couple"), two wigs, a bag with some earrings and necklaces in it, and two pairs of shoes: the black pumps I usually wear and a pair of blue patterned platform pumps, which are more for short-term than going out.

I wore my glasses, instead of putting in my contacts.

I do not know Beth very well.  She showed up at some of the local events a few months ago and has been a fixture, but she's very quiet and keeps to herself.

Too short?  I was just showing off. :)

OK.  That last line was just to make the readers who know Beth say "this must be a different Elizabeth Taylor."

Beth is very outgoing and will talk to anyone about anything.  She's kind of the anti-me, and that type of personality can make me nervous.

One-on-one was much better, at least from my point of view.  She worked hard to make me comfortable, asked what I wanted to do, what look I wanted, and so on.

We talked like old (girl)friends the whole time and I learned a lot about Beth.  I won't say what ~ you can make an appointment for a makeover and some girl talk and find out for yourself!

First, she tried a few wigs on me; I'm sure I could have tried on more until I found one I really loved but I wanted to use my time efficiently and playing with hair didn't seem to be the best way to spend time.  Plus, I was really hoping she could make my wig useable (and, as I said, she did).

Next, she did an amazing job on my makeup.  I think she used all Mary Kay products, some

click to enlarge.

"regular," some "Bare Essentuals" powder types.  She used eye shadow as eye liner, she did some contouring which I think gave me a more pleasing look than normal (note: comments on my normal look will be ignored).
I didn't check the time, but she was fast and thorough and there was a minimal amount of "let me get a q-tip to clean up an oopsie."

She stopped a few times so I could (put on my glasses and) see how I looked.  I had no complaints.  Quite the opposite ~ I was in awe.

After makeup and dress, she pulled out a couple of pairs of shoes for me to try.  She has MANY pairs of 11s and 12s, all pretty and hot shoes, as you can see if you zoom in on yesterday's picture.  There was one pair I really wanted to wear but they were a 12 and my feet swam in them.

Enough for today.  Remember to check out Beth's website, especially the lovely (?) lady on 3 June.

And

Happy Birthday to... me! 

I never thought I'd live to be a hundred

I never thought I'd get to the things

That all those other sons do, and they do.

I never thought I'd ever have my freedom
An age ago my maker was refusing me
The pleasure of the view

TWO!

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Simple Pleasure: New Life for an Old Wig

A couple of things first.... 

For those of you who gave up before the end of yesterday's Very Long Post, the punchline is, I had a makeover with Elizabeth Taylor which I'll be writing about for the next few days.  You can scroll down to 3 Jun for a preview of my makeover.

Also, an anonymous commenter started reading yesterday's post and dropped what she was doing to tell me about...  Makeovers With Elizabeth Taylor. :)

I have a number of wigs.  Most sit in plastic bags (as opposed to on my head), for a variety of reasons.  The key reason is, I can't style them to do what I want.

I have four wigs that are in bags labelled "1 of 4," "2 of 4" and so on.  Well, I did.  1 and 2 are sitting on wig heads now.  I brought "4 of 4" and "1 of 4" to Beth's.  I was hoping she could find one to help me look like "7 of 9."  I aim high, right?

Beth also has a large number of wigs.  The picture to the right is a quick snap of some of her

Some of Beth's wigs and size 11 and 12 shoes ~ and Meg in the mirror.

collection.
Anyway, I've had this wig ("4 of 4") for a while.  I like it but it doesn't behave well, and I know NOTHING about hair styling.  Beth's instructions for my visit included:

Bring a couple of outfits including accessories, wigs, shoes that you'd like to be photographed in.

So I brought my "normal" wig (1 of 4) and the blonde one (4 of 4) I wore in the pictures.  I figured if the blonde looked awful I had a fallback that I was familiar with.

Beth, as I said, had LOTS of wigs and I tried on a few of them ~ I liked one of them, but I thought the one I brought was a better choice for me.  But it still lacked something.

Beth supplied the missing something.  Playing with the wig with hair spray, fingers, and a comb she made the front look nice, added a bit of body, and more.  I should shake out the wig and do before and after pictures.  If I have a few minutes over the next few days I will.

So I don't have another wig I can easily add to my arsenal, but I know it can be MADE to get into the rotation.  And that's great!


THREE!

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Maaaake Uuuuuup!

Does anyone remember what happened to Milton Berle when he heard that word?

From The Muppet Show

He ended up looking like the picture on the left, after the makeup guy (I seem to remember it was a little person) would hit him with a huge powder puff.

But that's not important.

When I first moved to the DC area, I did some research (don't ask how; the internet was mostly off-limits then) and found out two things:

* "transformation" was a great keyword for finding places that would provide t-girl makeovers, clothing, photo options and such.

* there was actually such a business in the DC area.  I believe it was in Maryland, although I don't recall for sure.  By the time I was ready to seriously consider something like that, it was gone.

There was a t-friendly business in Manhattan which I never patronised, partly because I was deep in the closet and partly because it was somewhat pricey (not as bad as other places I'd heard about though).  But it was wonderful to know that such a place existed and I was a bit saddened that I personally never went ~ I really want to support and encourage places like that.

I know about Femme Fever on Long Island, and Glamour Boutique in New Jersey and Las Vegas, but I haven't been.  I was in Vegas, and dressed, on a business trip a few years ago and forgot all about Glamour Boutique!

When I first started going out as Meg (late 2004!), I lacked any home support.  I could only go out when the family was away and I the only thing I really knew about feminine style and appearance and makeup was that I didn't know anything.  I would have loved to find one of those Transformation studios, but there was nothing nearby (there were now lists on the internet).

So I took advantage of the world around me.

I put an ad on Craigslist, looking for someone who'd be interested in doing my makeup and going out shopping for an hour or two, if she thought I "passed."

I got a few responses.  Some changed their minds; out of the remaining I'd pick one available on the correct date and work out terms.

It was really kind of hit-or-miss; I wanted to be a hit-on-miss, really.  I didn't have references or even know if the responder was real and not a scam or worse (there are a lot of pretty bad scenarios you can come up with, if you want to).

But I used this method a few times.  Some let me take video of the transformation so I could see what to do to repeat it; some did not.  They advised me on which outfit to wear and which wig and gave me varying levels of support once I was out with them (or not ~ I had a makeup lady for my first "solo" to a Mardi Gras party).

None of the women were bad.  On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd rate no-one lower than a 7.

I've also had department store touch-ups and salon makeovers.  They're enjoyable but they don't understand "us."

A woman goes to MAC and wants her makeup done.  The MAC artists understand that the starting point is "natural look" and they strive to enhance that natural look, show off your best features, hide flaws as necessary.

I need my makeup to disguise as much as enhance.  Any masculine cues need to be hidden.  Skin that has not been treated kindly daily, with moisturisers and toner and such needs to be covered, not brought out.

In short, I don't want my before and after pictures to look like the same person.  But I also am not looking for the other extreme, the drag queen look.

I think I'm not atypical for girls in the community.  I think my experience with makeup artists is not atypical.  The best artist I used was a woman who has experience in theatre, with the gay community, with makeup, and she did a wonderful job with contouring to change my features and makeup that made it look like I wasn't wearing much at all, like other women on the street.  OK, let's replace "on the street" with "in the department store." :)

My last makeover was at a MAC store, for my Halloween day at the office in 2009.

Recently, Beth joined our local trans group and has been doing makeovers on some of the girls there, before soirees or before going out.  She did Erica's makeup before our recent visit to the drag show.

And she offered to do my makeup.

I was first intrigued and then excited to try a new look, perhaps see a different Meg.  Left to myself, I find a look (or one is given to me) and I have a "cheat sheet" and I do that same look over and over and over again.  That kind of takes away one of the fun aspects of being a woman, but I don't have the skill nor confidence nor creativity to come up with a pleasing look on my own.

Please take a look at Beth's website and see what she does and I'll be talking about my experience and sharing pictures over the next few days.  Beth is quite a photographer, in addition to doing makeup.  I'm waiting for a few of the well over 100 pictures she shot for this blog.

Before you ask, YES her name is really Elizabeth Taylor.  It's actually Elizabeth Ann Taylor, so she has two fashion connections: Elizabeth Taylor AND Ann Taylor.  Lucky girl, smart parents.


FOUR!

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