How to Conceal & Cover Beard Shadow for Crossdressers and Trans Women

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How to Conceal & Cover Beard Shadow for Crossdressers and Trans Women

How to Conceal & Cover Beard Shadow for Crossdressers and Trans Women

We get a lot of emails about how to cover beard shadow from crossdressers and trans women so we have written this article which covers the most important tips, techniques and color correcting concealer products for hiding beard and 5 o’clock shadow.

One of the most annoying things about male faces is that pesky beard area (namely 5 o’clock shadow) on the upper lip and chin, before I started my transition and subsequent facial laser treatment it was something that annoyed the heck out of me. In the early days it was hard work trying to find ways to completely cover up the beard area, that was until I found an amazingly effective technique to do just that with color correcting concealers.

I wanted to give you the essential makeup coverage techniques for hiding 5 o’clock shadow on male skin and we also want to introduce you to the makeup color wheel which is as an important reference in regard to facial colour correction for covering things like acne, blemishes, spots, dull areas, beard shadow, dark under eye circles, PCOS (Polycystic ovary syndrome) and general discoloration.

Quick Article Index: Colors for correcting areas of the face, the makeup artists color wheel, correct application of concealer, recommended color correction concealers, laser hair removal and further reading.

 

Best Color Correcting Makeup Concealers

 

We know the many people still believe that the key to a flawless makeup look is applying a ton of foundation and concealer, if the truth be known, tackling those dark areas of the face with layers of regular foundation is the worst thing you can do. So, by using color correcting concealers you can get away from that caked on look and achieve a more natural feminine look whilst covering up any beard shadow.

When you understand how color correcting concealers work on the different parts of your face then you have the ability to create a flawless makeup look. So don’t dismay any longer if you have been looking for a solution to very dark, heavy or pronounced facial hair, or scars and acne from PCOS then there is a simple way for you to achieve a flawless face of makeup using our makeup/concealer application steps.

 

Take a look at our dual color wheel makeup chart (we will refer to this throughout the article):

Color Wheel Makeup Chart for Crossdressers and Trans Women

The color wheel and color correcting concealers:

The makeup artists color wheel shows a range of colors which we can use to identify specific problem areas on our face. The trick with using the wheel is finding say a reddish area on our faces for which we then take the color on the opposite side of the color wheel so red is opposite to green, therefore you should apply a green concealer to cover reddish facial areas or blemishes.

When it comes to beard shadow, you will find that with even the closest of shaves will still leave a varying degree of dark beard area which in most cases will have a bluish or blue/green tint. If we refer to the color wheel then you can see that blue inversely gives us an orange color for which we can use as the concealer color to hide your beard shadow.

Another important consideration when using the makeup color correction wheel is that of skin tone/shade. If you have fair to light skin then in the case of beard shadow you would use a lighter coverage of orange or pink color concealer (See color wheel chart B above), if you are dark skinned then you can layer more of the orange for a thicker coverage (layer using a setting powder and then apply a further application of concealer).

 

See what colors can cancel out and neutralize our other facial flaws:

Color Correcting Concealer Guide

 

You can see from the above image that salmon also covers blue tones on darker areas of our skin, however the image above does not show orange which is effectively a darker shade of salmon, most male skin tones will suit orange and pink shades for beard coverage.

BEARD CONCEALER QUICK TIP: You will need to apply an orange color (medium to dark skin tone) or a pink color (lighter skin tone) concealer to cover your beard shadow area.

[Skip down the page to see product recommendations]

 

The concealer colors to choose for hiding beard shadow and other problem face areas:

Take a look at the image below which translates this theory into a color correction palette which gives you the corresponding opposite (neutralization) colors (The inner segments of the color wheel correspond to different skin tones).

 

Color Correction Palette With Wheel

 

The colors that neutralize different skin problems:

Crossdresser Beard Cover Concealer KitsOrange concealer for covering heavy beard area and hiding 5 o’clock shadow:
Choosing the best color of correcting concealer comes down to a couple of things; the color and consistency of the product. If you need to cover a very dark area of beard shadow, most beard areas have a blue tint, you will need a good coverage concealer with a more intense hue, so a darker orange would be your best choice. If you want to cover beard shadow that is fairly light to medium intensity then you could use an orange in a lighter or a softer hue, so maybe a salmon/peach shade (see below).

Pink concealer for hiding dark skin area, under eyes and light beard shadow on lighter skin tones:
It is worth knowing that pink is created with a mix of red, orange and yellow hues and there is a lot of talk about using pink as a beard shadow concealer but you should note that pink can be a salmon or peachy tone. So, the lighter the tone of pink you use (salmon or peach) should correspond to your skin tone (be it light or medium).

Green concealer for covering redness, acne, rashes or birthmarks:
You can use a green concealer to cover things like red spots, rashes, acne, birthmarks or indeed any other areas that have a redness to them. If you look at the color wheel you will see that the opposite color to green is red, so you should understand, this is how we arrive at using green correcting concealer to cover red imperfections on our skin.

Yellow concealer for correcting mild red and pink skin imperfections:
You should use a yellow concealer to hide any mild red, purple or pink skin flaws, it is great for covering things like purple bruises, veins, and even under eye circles.

Purple concealer for correcting a dull complexion and yellow skin tone areas:
You should use a purple color correcting concealer to hide any yellow undertones on your skin, I use purple to combat my dull complexion and find that it makes a big difference to my overall flawless makeup look (Blend it well with a good brush or beauty blender).

Application instructions for color correcting concealer:

How To Conceal Beard Shadow

(1) Apply your color correctors before any foundation; the color concealer is one of the first thing to use but can be applied on top of an initial face primer.

(2) Use a good quality brush to apply the concealer; you should apply the concealer only in the general area that you need to color correct.

(3) You should only start applying a light layer or application of concealer; as you can always add more and you can layer it by using setting powder between each layer of concealer application.

(4) You should blend out the concealer; to avoid leaving any harsh edges which are more likely to show through foundation (TIP: Use a beauty blender makeup sponge it is far easier to pat and blend with).

(5) You can apply foundation directly on top of the color correcting concealer; but be careful to only dab the foundation on these areas to avoid any wiping off or smudging of the color corrected areas. You can use a good quality stippling brush or a beauty blender for the foundation application so go with your own preference on this.

(6) Only use the colors you really need; If you have trouble seeing a spot on your face when it is covered in regular foundation then chances are you won’t need to neutralize it with color.

LIPSTICK QUICK TIP: We do know that some people use lipstick instead of concealer for hiding facial hair but we do not recommend it as lipstick does smudge and blur, it is much harder to achieve a good look, as opposed to using a concealer which is designed for the purpose.

Getting Makeup Advice…

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The application of color correcting concealers and the best methods for achieving a flawless feminine makeup finish is discussed and talked about in this superb video training as a main topic in the Magic Makeup Program – please signup for the course.

 

Recommended Color Correction Concealers:

There a large variety of color correcting concealers on the market from affordable to high-end cosmetics but we want to give you some product recommendations at the high-street end of the scale, stuff that I have used and know works, which is affordable.

Some of the recommended products for color correcting are available in mixed color palettes but others need to be purchased in single containers such as LA Girl Pro, Urban Decay (Naked shades), Dermablend and Kryolan concealers, we have included the shade codes for these items for quick reference, you will also find the links to Amazon for more information on the individual products to buy.

We have listed only the products that offer the best coverage and they have the ability to used sheer or for heavy coverage, there are many other color correcting concealers available but beware as a lot of them just don’t cut the mustard.

 

(1) NYX Cosmetics Color Correcting Concealer 3CP04 (Palette & Single Jar):

NYX Cosmetics Color Correcting Concealer 3CP04 (Palette & Single Jar)

This is the conceal, correct and contour palette by NYX, you will need to add the single jar of orange cream corrector as well for your beard coverage and then you have most colors you will need for color correcting your face. (You also get two skin tone concealers in the palette).
NYX is an inexpensive option and the concealers cover most skin imperfections and dark beard areas pretty well.
Get more information on the NYX palette (3CP04) and/or their single jar of orange concealer.

 

(2) L.A. Girl Pro Corrective Concealer Set in Orange, Yellow and Green:

LA Girl Pro Corrective Concealer Set in Orange, Yellow and Green

The L.A. Girl Pro conceal set is available in this set of 3 popular colors, you can use the color wheel to work out quickly what each one is used for. Also, for those wanting a very good beard cover then the orange in this set works really well with most skin tones from light through to darker skin.
This is a very good, high-street end, concealer and it has a lovely light weight creamy texture that applies easily to the skin.
Get more information on the L.A. Girl Pro Concealer Set.

 

(3) Aesthetica Color Correcting Cream Concealer Palette:

Aesthetica Color Correcting Cream Concealer Palette

The Aesthetica color correcting palette comes in a nifty round wheel container and it includes the 4 most common colors for correcting skin imperfections and the orange/red shade crème is great for covering most beard shadow issues.
We like that this cream correcting wheel comes with simple step-by-step instructions which makes the application a straightforward process for the beginner.
Get more information on the Aesthetica Color Correcting Cream Concealer Palette.

 

(4) Urban Decay Naked Skin (Color Correcting Fluid):

Urban Decay Naked Skin (Color Correcting Fluid)

The Urban Decay Naked Skin (Color Correcting Fluid) is probably one of my favourite concealers for color correction but it does work out more expensive if you need to buy 2 or more colors. This concealer is light weight and applies really well to the skin, it also blends beautifully to avoid any hard edges showing through your foundation layer.
Get more information on Urban Decay Naked Skin (Color Correcting Fluid).

 

Brushes & Blenders:
Sigma Beauty F70 Brush: Small and slightly tapered brush ideal for applying your color correcting concealer.
Sigma Beauty F80 Brush: This brush has a flat head with soft dense fibres ideal for liquid or cream foundation application.
Beauty Blender: Ideal for easy blending of liquid or cream concealers and foundation (Best when used slightly damp).

 

Laser Hair Removal:Laser Hair Removal Devices - Crossdress Boutique CBS Post
Laser hair removal can be an expensive option with multiple trips to a professional clinic and that means going to and from their location with no makeup which can cause anxiety for many transgender women. A great option is actually to buy a home laser kit which is far less expensive and a prefered option for crossdressers and trans women.

We have carried out own research on available face and body home laser hair removal systems, there is an option of both IPL and Laser devices, and found the Remington iLIGHT and the Tria Beauty to be the most effective home hair removal solutions.

(1) The Remington iLight Ultra (Face and Body) is an IPL (Intense pulsed light) device that effectively uses pulses of light to penetrate deep down into to the hair follicle giving permanent hair removal that is quick, gentle and easy to use.

(2) The Tria Beauty hair removal laser (4x) uses DLT (Diode laser technology) as found in high-end systems preferred by dermatologists and professional laser hair removal clinics, the output laser strength is both safe and effective with permanent hair removal results.

In conclusion; if you want to stop the never ending cycle of shaving or body waxing, or you have found clinic visits for laser treatment or electrolysis to be expensive and difficult to fit around your work life then why not opt for a home laser hair removal device that makes it easy to get rid of unwanted hair in as little time as 3 months. The two hair removal systems we suggest are FDA approved which means they are tested and approved by leading dermatologists, be careful to ensure that any laser hair removal system you decide to buy comes with FDA approval which guarantees both safety and peace of mind.

Take a look at our essential guide to ‘Laser vs IPL‘ it offers an essential comparison for home hair removal devices, covering how they work, effectiveness, pain factor, cautions and summary.


PRODUCT QUICK TIP: We would recommend the following brands; NYX Professional, Urban Decay, Aesthetica, LA Girl Pro, Dermablend and Kryolan Dermacolor Camouflage Crème Foundation (D30).

You will still need to have a few more prep and cosmetic products in your arsenal to complete your full face of makeup which include a good shaving razor, face primer, highlighting concealer, full coverage foundation and some makeup setting powder (See our popular 10 makeup essentials article for more information).

FURTHER READING:

(1) 10 Makeup Essentials; This crossdresser transformation article covers all the 10 Makeup Essentials that you need to create your flawless feminine makeup look.

(2) The ‘Stepping out secrets’  Program; this complete video and online feminization instructional course helps you achieve amazing male to female (MTF) makeup results, incorporating transformational video tutorial modules from industry professionals on voice feminization, female body appearance, and being more confident as a woman etc., the course is specifically aimed at crossdressers and transgender girls alike who need feminization and transformation advice – take a look at this comprehensive article and review about the stepping out secrets program on the official ‘Transgender Hub’ website.

References:
Do I need a color correcting concealer (makeup.com): This article describes the color wheel complimentary colors and an elementary discussion on what’s a color corrector including the basic concepts of correcting concealers and application.
You may also want to watch this great YouTube video from Carli Bybel who discusses color correcting for beginners; It’s worth a watch. You can find facts about laser hair removal and FDA approval for laser and IPL devices at the U.S. Food & Drug Administration website. 

 

 

Our Best Selling Crossdresser Makeup Products:

 

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Comments (4)

  • Thomas
    Thomas Reply

    Nice article, as an occasional crossdresser I really did not know much about makeup and covering beard shadow but you have enlightened me and now my makeup is much better.

    July 16, 2019 at 10:41 am
  • Chloe
    Chloe Reply

    Hi, I’m Chloe a regular girl but also a professional makeup artist in ‘Los Angeles’, your article interested me as I do sometimes get transgender and xdress clients who come to me for makeovers. I would like to say that I agree with everything you write and it was great to find a really good color wheel makeup chart in the article which is a good reference for skin color and relative color correction.

    I would however give you my professional advice which is to always use AWESOME makeup brushes, they really do make the difference if you want a flawless makeup finish, use Sigma brushes and not other cheaper ones, also I would recommend Kryolan makeup for crossdresser and transgender skin types, that is my top tip and sending you a big smile. (If your staff are ever in LA plz look me up)

    February 14, 2019 at 9:53 am
  • Richard E.
    Richard E. Reply

    I really found this article useful, I am a cross-dresser and have been going out dressed for about 3 years, I always was fairly conscious about my makeup but more so about my heavy beard shadow. I was just applying lots of foundation over my chin and upper lip which was not such a good look especially for daytime outings.

    I found some great advice and tips in this beard shadow cover article and also took the plunge and got both the ‘Aesthetica’ color correcting wheel & the ‘Tria’ hair laser. The color wheel under a small amount of foundation really does work wonders and I look much more natural than before.

    The laser hair device from ‘Tria’ is really good and I am already noticing that my hair is not growing back very quickly, I would shave once a day and now it is every 4 days which has made me really happy and not getting razor rashes anymore as I don’t have to keep shaving. Thanks so much for your advice and keep up the great work 🙂 Richard E.

    December 24, 2018 at 9:30 am
  • staff
    staff Reply

    Transcript: Colour Correction & Covering Imperfections

    I want to talk about color correcting concealers and what colors do what. How to combat any of your like skin issues because color correction is one of the best ways to go about it before we press this video I figured I would talk to you guys about the different color correctors that I have in my collection and which ones I like the most and which ones I use the most and so I thought it would just narrow it down for you guys just so then you would have some options in terms of color correction and so the first one I’m going to talk about is this mixed color correcting palette this is probably going to be my number one recommendation if you do need to color correct and do it often because one this is drugstore so it’s going to be inexpensive and two it has every color that you’re going to need in terms of color correction.

    So I really really like this palette because it’s just everything you need in one and it works really really well so that is one that I would recommend the second one that I really like is the Stila color correcting palette this is the correct and perfect and you might as well probably seen me use this and quite a few color correcting videos and I really really like this palette however it doesn’t have like the cream purple concealer and so depending on how much discoloration that you have in your skin you might want to go for a palette such as the NYX one which does have the purple one in the cream concealer whereas this one just has like a purple powder which I haven’t found to be helpful for color correcting in terms of like skin discoloration so it just kind of depends on what you’re looking for but the consistency in the product in this palette is really really good and I really like the way it works so it is also another really great option allows it at least I’m going to talk about these Urban Decay Naked skin concealer these are your color correcting concealer so they have a peach one a yellow one as well as a green one they also have a purple one I just don’t comb it.

    I love these the consistencies fantastic the pigmentation is like amazing I love that they’re not too bright so they’re not difficult to cover which is also something that I always keep in mind is color correction I would highly highly recommend these these are fantastic however if I was going to tell you guys to pick one of the three products that I just recommended I definitely say go for the next color correcting palette this palette does everything you need in one is a really good product it works and yeah it’s short store so it is inexpensive okay so to take off the color fiction I’m going to start underneath the eyes now I don’t really struggle from like the really dark purple under eyes or both however I do get really really puffy eyes presenter you been seeing in some of my videos.

    I like to go in and just color prep the shadows of that kind of crease underneath my eyes people with darker skin tone as well as people with more prominent under eyes our goals are going to want to consider using more of an orange tone concealer like the one in the feel is correct and perfect because it’s going to help to neutralize those really dark and deep purple tones as well as it’s going to match a darker skin tone a lot better however I have a light to medium skin tone and so in this peach concealer is going to do just fine as well as my under-eye circles are not overly dark and so it’s going to help to cover any of the color correction needed to apply all my different colors color correctors I’m going to using this brush from Sigma it’s the Sigma X and E and I’m just going to wipe it off on like a little wet wipe in between applications just so that it’s clean for the next color okay so as you guys can see I just applied that color further right where that darkness was however I added a little bit of extra product around it then when I go out.

    I blend it out it just diffuses really nicely into the skin and doesn’t create like a harsh line right where that darkness was so now we’re going to go in and I’m get it color front any business so I get really bad for mobile redness as well as the obvious acne redness that can happen from breakouts and so I’m going to go in and I’m gonna color correct old quite a bit around my nose which is typically where most my hormonal redness happen as well as I’m going to go around and just color effect on top of any of my acne spots when it covers the color correcting any Brendon you’re going to want to use a green tone concealer and this is just going to help to neutralize any of those red toe okay so now that I have my green mask on I’m going to go in and they’re going to color correct any color discoloration on my face and so for this we’re going to use a purple tone concealer typically the color discoloration that I experience is more yellow tones around the mouth as well as on my forehead and so I like to go in with a purple tone concealer and this just helps to neutralize those yellow tones.

    I like the name of this along the same line as when you go to the salon and you have blonde hair and you have this brassy or warm bit in your hair and so then they take the purple tone shampoo and then they just kind of neutralize those yellow tone is exactly thing but for your face okay a lot of but not least in our color correction I’m going to go in with this yellow tone concealer and I’m just going to use it to illuminate parts of my face I don’t know what most people who do sales so we can feel her to be completely honest but that’s just what I use it for and they like to go along at the tops of my eyes underneath my eyebrows make forehead the bridge of my nose as well as my chin just depending on the situation of acne down there is you guys can see it quite a bit of green concealer so I’m not going to bother researching today but I will run it along with other parts of my face just to help to brighten center my face okay so now that I’ve bought this color printer all over my face and I’m looking a little bit like a clown I’m going to take this damn baby blender and I’m just going to press that concealer into my skin and I want to keep all of this color correction exactly where I’ve placed it.

    Otherwise it’s not going to do its job and so I’m just going to do more emotions and just kind of blend it out from there okay so now we’ve blended in that concealer and we’ve dispersed back how are all of our face so there’s no harsh lines as to where we placed the color or really like intense pigmentation from the color that’s going to pop through our foundation later now as I’m showing with our foundation and so typically I save like this kind of color correction for something like fancy and like a special event and so most the time when I go in with my foundation I like to use a full coverage foundation just so that I know what that none of these colors are going to have poking through throughout the night now we know this not everyone is comfortable wearing a full coverage foundation and so I just want to mention that you guys can definitely use a medium coverage foundation and it’s still going to give you guys the coverage required to cover any of the concealers that we’ve applied to our face I want to mention it three different foundations that I found were really hot for me when I’m dealing with a lot of imperfections in my skin this don’t highlight imperfections but help to hide them the first foundation I’m gonna mention is the Maybelline fit me matte and poreless formula I actually love this foundation obviously it’s from the drugstore so it is very affordable as well.

    February 6, 2018 at 5:44 pm

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