You may not have thought about it- but makeup actually does expire. I know, crazy at it sounds, but makeup does breakdown over time. Or sometimes, based on the type- it can become unsafe due to potential for bacteria buildup.

So what’s a girl to do? Sure you paid $60 for that bottle of Kat Von D or Marc Jacobs- but is it still good? Using expired makeup doesn’t do you any favors dearhearts. Yeah, you bought the good stuff. But if it’s past it’s prime, then it won’t work as well as it should. It’s time has passed.

Much like Eddie Murphy.

Damn, I wanted a leather jumpsuit.

I digress. Makeup has a shelf life, and thankfully makeup guru Wayne Goss is here to help us out.

And here is the cleaner that Wayne talks about:
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Can’t watch now, or want an easy to copy list? Here are some guidelines.

The Expiration Guidelines

Foundation

Water-based foundation lasts for up to a year and the more common form of oil-based, up to 18 months. The two different types will be clearly visible on the label.

Concealer

Has a shelf life of one year. Avoid using the concealer directly on the spot, as this can leave bacteria on the product and, when used elsewhere on the face, lead to further outbreaks. Instead use a short, pointed brush to dot the concealer over the spot, then clean the brush using Mac’s brush cleanser.

Powder

Lasts, in pressed form, up to 18 months with the loose variety lasting up to one year. Makeup sponges don’t need to be thrown out but they do need to be washed every week. Use soapy water and allow them to dry naturally before you place them back in the compact to avoid encouraging bacteria. But once a sponge has lost it’s original shape, smells off or is shredding at the edges, replace!

Blusher

Has a shelf life of one year. Over time, they get cakey and dried out, making them difficult to apply, so toss them! Cream blushers will last longer, as the pigment and oils preserve them.

Eye shadow

Has a shelf life of one to two years for both powder and cream formulations.

Lipstick and Lip Gloss

Both have a shelf life of up to two years. As with cream blushers, pigment and oils preserve lipsticks but if you get a cold sore while using one, throw it out immediately – the same goes for gloss. And if you use a lip brush, wash it twice a week with Mac’s brush cleanser.

Nail Polish

Lasts for up to a year or two years if stored properly.

Mascara

This is the product that got the short straw in the shelf life stakes – it needs to be replaced after a mere four months. Don’t share mascaras with friends – the wand harbours a host of bacteria that are naturally present on our eyelashes but can cause infections to others. If you have a stye or any other kind of eye infection replace your mascara immediately. Oh and NEVER SHARE MASCARAS!!

You can also make your mascara last longer by not double dipping and using disposable mascara brushes.

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Why should I care?

Always remember, this isn’t to get deeper in your wallet, it’s to make sure you get the highest quality. But more importantly, it’s to protect your health and avoid any infections.

Plus, these are just guidelines. It’s not like milk. If you take care sanitizing and keeping your makeup and brushes clean, as well as the other tips here- your investment will last.

Beefheads Fitness is a collaboration between several FTM transgender male fitness enthusiasts and experts that have been where you are and are ready to help you reach your goals. Unfortunately the channel no longer seems to be updated. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a library of great information about supplements, nutrition, and exercise routines. You can get tips on building your chest, as well as the best protein to take.

They also talk about the mindset behind fitness and what it means to them to change their bodies, and finally take control of something that made them feel trapped. That kind of control can do so much to ease dysphoria.

Here is one video that talks about chest day and building up those muscles that are so important to a male body shape, and helping to really get rid of a huge secondary gender marker.

Check out their channel here.

It is this thickening that makes your voice become deeper. Think of it like guitar strings- the thicker the string the lower the tone. For trans men, this means that HRT will alter your voice and give you a more traditionally masculine voice. Unfortunately, no amount of estrogen or testosterone blocking will skinny up your vocal chords. It’s one of the sad truths about HRT for transgender women- we just don’t experience as many physical changes as trans men do.

There are surgeries that you can undergo to attempt to change your voice, but these can be risky and are most certainly expensive. Luckily, however, you can train your voice to become more “feminine” by altering your pitch, tone, and speech pattern. It isn’t a quick or easy fix, but it has worked for countless trans women and it can work for you. These are the techniques that have been used long before we had the alternatives of surgery. No matter where your voice is now, no matter how deep, you can make headway. Now, you won’t go from Barry White to Mariah Carey- let’s be honest here. However, you will see a difference if you put in the work.

Here, the beautiful and prolific Stef Sanjati goes over the exercises and practices she has employed over the last year for voice training and displays the results comparing her own voice over the course of a year.

Just remember, it’s more than pitch. Talking like Mickey Mouse isn’t going to accomplish your goal. You need to keep in mind pitch, tone, and flow (speech patterns)- it is only in altering all three that you will get the results you want.

One final note, please keep in mind what Stef says in her video. It is important that you are doing this for the right reasons. Don’t do it because you feel obligated, or because you think it is expected. Do it because it is something you want and it will help you to feel more complete. As with every stage of transition, do voice training because it is what you want.

Check out Stef’s YouTube Channel for more great videos.

“What about little boys, the vast majority of the little boys that get molested are preyed on by adult men, this law doesn’t affect them one way or the other”

Some really great points about a serious subject in a seriously funny rant.

You can go to Trae’s YouTube channel to see more of his comedy. Or check out his Facebook page and follow him on Twitter at @traecrowder.

Thankfully, there are a wealth of tutorial videos out there.

Sinead Cady, and her YouTube channel- The Makeup Chair, have been putting out makeup tutorials for years. She covers many basic concepts and skills that are vital to really master the art of makeup.

So here are a few of our favorites that we think will give you a solid base. Some may seem simple and much less than you might want or need to do. However it is in learning these basic concepts and skills that you are able to master more advanced techniques.

1. Eye Makeup Basics and Tips

2. Highlighting and Contouring in 5 Steps

3. Eyeliner in 5 Steps

4. Day-Time Smokey Eyes

5. Flawless Foundation in 5 Steps

Mother Sparkle (Joules) answers a lot of the questions that many people have about having sex as a post-operative transgender woman. The video is 1 year after her surgery and touches on sensation, discomfort, emotional impact, and aftermath. It is a great opportunity to hear about a subject that doesn’t get talked about too often.

So check it out and see if this clears up some thoughts you’ve had.

If you aren’t familiar, Camp Aranu’tiq is a camp for transgender and gender-variant youth. Founded in 2009, the camp sought to fill the need for these children that might not be accepted at traditional camps. The rap was part of their yearly talent show performance to showcase the unique talents and gifts of it’s campers. From their website:

Aranu’tiq was founded in 2009 by Nick Teich, who dreamed of a safe & fun place for youth who felt like they might not fit in at other camps because of their gender and/or who wanted to be with others like them. We launched our first summer week in New England in 2010 with 41 campers. We now have our very own camp in New Hampshire! We have our flagship summer camps in NH & CA as well as leadership programs for older teens and weekend family camps, serving 400 campers over the course of one year.

We’re absolutely in love with this kid. Check out the video to see the rap or read the lyrics below.

So I had a little story I’d like to share / about something I went through that might seem pretty weird / Please try and imagine if this was you / or you might have something that you can relate it to / So I was just a little kid about 7 or 8 / and I had something to say that could no longer wait / So I went to my mom that hot day in July / with a hope in my heart and a tear in my eye / Basically I said this girl is your son / and I’ve always felt this way and it hasn’t been fun / We sat there together for a little while / I thought she was sad but then I saw her smile / She told me I was brave and that she was so proud / that I came to her so she could help me sort things out. My family and friends / were also on board / and the support that I got / just had me floored / And from that day on / I started my path / and we worked together / and even faced some wrath / Together we can weather / whatever this life brings / and we’ll continue to love / and I’ll continue to sing / And I know that there are other kids / who feel like I do / and I truly understand / what they are going through / Thank you all for sitting here / and taking the time / to let me tell my message / in the form of a rhyme / Please treat everyone / the way you expect / we all deserve freedom, love and respect.

We turn to outstanding makeup artist and educator Wayne Goss, who has an incredible YouTube channel, to learn how he hides large pores and gives you a smoother and cleaner finish to your makeup.

The idea is pretty straight forward, you apply your foundation as normal, the trick is in how you finish it. Beware that if you have very dry skin this can cause micro exfoliation so you will want to make sure you thoroughly moisturize.

Combined with moisturizers and a good primer, you will be on track to a smoother more flawless finish to your makeup.

Just beware, you don’t want to go overboard and make yourself look like a mannequin. Makeup should never make you look like the Energizer family.

So here is the video from Wayne Goss himself. Let us know what you think about this technique, give it a try and see how it works for you.

You can find many more videos from Wayne Goss on his YouTube channel.

It is a good thing we have allies like John Oliver, who can help clear up the myths and misinformation spread by anti-trans groups. Last summer, as the marriage equality fight had ended and the trans backlash was just heating up, he released this video explaining the issue of transgender rights as only he could.

Spreading the Word of Transgender Rights

That is, it was as hilarious as if was accurate.This video made me feel good when I watched it, but it is also something I would like to share with friends and family when I suspect they don’t completely “get it.” Recommended for trans people and anyone who wants to be an ally.

Want to see more?

Checkout “Last Week Tonight” on HBO and HBO GO. For highlights go to their YouTube channel.

You might have heard about the Kylie Jenner lip challenge. Well, put down the shot glass sucky. People have hurt themselves and made themselves look ridiculous by using bad hardware and not knowing how long they should do. What’s more, they don’t understand the makeup techniques that can be used to really step up lip plumping to the next level.

Lip Plumping Hardware

The horrors, the horrors I have seen. In the quest for beauty people will do really dumb things. Kylie says “suck on a shot glass” and they suck on a shot glass. And yeah, it will do the job if you do it correctly. But may I remind you, you are sucking on glass. If you need a refresher, glass breaks. And in a game of glass versus human, glass wins. I think the worst I’ve seen is someone using a votive candle jar. They looked like Jar Jar.

So get yourself a purpose built lip plumping device that is easy to use and causes less damage. One of these, that you see in the video below, is from Liptiful. However you can also look at tools like this set at Amazon.

Just remember, you are messing with your face so err on the side of caution.

And make sure to watch all the way through to see some of Kandee’s makeup techniques to smash it out.

Oh, and what can go wrong if you don’t pay attention?