I love summer: the blessed warmth, the long days, the light ... it all improves the mood, though I acknowledge the misery for those who don't tolerate heat well or have hay fever. I, on the other hand, suffer in winter from agonising cold and seasonal blues, so I'm enjoying things now.
It's mid-morning as I write and the temperature in the shade is 26.5C (80F), just how I like it. The open-air pool here is having a final touch-up made before opening tomorrow. I am looking forward to jumping in, catching the sun and losing more weight - I've lost 17 pounds so far this year (7.6 kg).
It's not so good that last night I had to battle four mosquitoes who were treating my bedroom as a restaurant. I took some hits but victory came at last, at the cost of cracks in the plastic fly swat!
I have always had problems, though, when fully en femme in hot weather. The wig and makeup are the main issue.
Wearing a wig is a bit like wearing a woolly hat, which is not what you want in summer. Advice from experience and wig suppliers suggests:
- Wear synthetic not human hair wigs
- Wear shorter styles
- Wear a lighter colour (dark colours absorb heat)
- Wash wigs more often (in tepid, not hot, water) to remove grease, sweat and hair products that add weight and reduce the passage of cooling air. Don't be rough as every wash reduces the shape and bounce of your wig. Use a dedicated wig shampoo or mild baby shampoo.
- Wear a sweat liner under your wig
- Keep your own hair short
- Wash your hair and scalp before donning the wig and after you've taken it off
- Keep your hands out of your wig as they introduce dirt, grease and sweat
- If you are able to put your wig hair up without damaging it and your neck is not too thick or masculine, this will make the back of your neck cooler
- Sythetic fibres warp with heat so try to stay in the shade or wear a light hat or headscarf
These ideas help a bit, but the reality is on a warm sunny day you are going to feel hot. Sorry!
Keep cool in summer by standing somewhere breezy. Waterloo Bridge, London. With Stella, Linda, Stephanie, Rachel and Irene
As for makeup, water-based makeup is going to mix with perspiration and wash off. Switch to oil-based, preferably a greasepaint foundation as used in theatre and TV where hot lights cause actors to perspire. Kryolan stick was recommened to me by Jodie Lynn at the Boudoir dressing service precisely because TGirls can overheat under wigs and in corsetry. It comes with a matching powder that blends with water (sweat) to form more foundation so you can't usually lose your makeup even if you're dripping. There are other oil-based foundations from other suppliers to the entertainment industry. Oil-based foundations from regular women's cosmetic companies are not usually thick enough to cover beard shadow.
Kryolan foundation: thick but useful
A dip in the archives
To illustrate the above, here's a link to my trip to Berlin three years ago in the blistering summer of 2018. A tale of successes and failures in coping with very hot days:
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| A cool spot on a hot day |
Sue x
Cari lettori italiani
Questa botta di caldo mi fa suggerire modi di resistere al caldo quando si porta parrucca e trucco.
Sue x
See also having the aircon on the go in the car and then going to a venue that's as cool 😁
ReplyDeleteWell, yes. When you're in places that are under your control ...
DeleteSue x
Today is comfortable here, but it has been hot some days. I love wearing housedresses at home, but am awaiting the chance to wear some of my new dresses out and about. They're naturally air-conditioned! LOL!
ReplyDeleteI look forward to any photos of you in your new dresses out and about. Sue x
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