Two Makeover Salons: A Personal Comparison

Being able to go get a professional male to female makeover is a really special experience.  Putting yourself into the hands of an expert and letting them transform you into your ideal woman is something every crossdresser should do at least once in their lives.

I’ve recently been lucky enough to have the opportunity to be made over twice recently, at Boys Will Be Girls in London, and at DafniGirls in Madrid.  I’d like to share a bit about my makeovers and offer some comparisons between the two of the most popular makeover salons in Europe.

Boys Will Be Girls – London, UK

Boys Will Be Girls is run by a lovely woman named Cindy.  She’s very experienced and has a real talent for bringing out the woman within.  I had a lovely morning at BWBG and was transformed into a lovely sexy woman.

Where is it and how to get there

Boys Will Be Girls is located in the Bermondsey neighborhood of East London, just south of the Thames river.  It’s easy to find and Cindy’s directions are clear and simple to follow.  It can take a bit of time to get there from Central London, so plan accordingly.  I took an uber from my hotel because of a strike on the underground.  Bermundsey tube is relatively nearby.

The studio is a part of a typical London flat; the room where you’re make up will be done is cozy.  Something to remember about this location is that you’re being invited into their home for your makeover.  Treat it respectfully and be sure to tidy up after yourself in the bathroom.  There’s a good chance that Cindy’s partner will be around; don’t be shy, she’s also lovely and chatty.

● My Experience and a description of the makeover

I am always very impressed with the work at Boys Will Be Girls.  The wardrobe selection is huge, and there’s always going to be something in your size.  They seem to have something for everyone and have taken lots of different variables into account.

At Boys will be Girls, you start by sliding on your foundation garments; panties, gaff, hip pads and tights.  Cindy checked my figure to make sure it was all looked alright.  Then she does your make up.  I personally let Cindy go to town on me, just giving her a brief description of how I’d like to look and letting her interpret how best to achieve it.  On this visit, the make-up alone took about an hour.  Cindy was very thorough, and there wasn’t a single area of my face that hadn’t been touched up.  The way she does eyes is really enchanting and you’re sure to be wowed when you see the results.  I wanted to have a party girl look, as if I was going out for the evening, and I wasn’t at all disappointed.  I was left with shimmering Smokey eyes, pouty pink lips and a feminine shape to die for.

What I really like about the service at Boys Will Be Girls is the fullness of the makeover and the number of possibilities for different styles.  To achieve what I’d asked for; I was laced up in a full corset and had it pulled tight.  They’ve got different size breasts on offer, so you can experiment with bust sizes; there is also a breast plate for you to use to achieve real cleavage.  That’s what I went for.  They also have a huge selection of wigs, hundreds of them, in loads of styles and colors, from blonde to neon pink.

When the reveal was done, I was speechless.  I was a buxom blonde bombshell.  I immediately said I felt a bit fat, because, well, I am.  Cindy is super reassuring and complimented my looks.  She also consistently used female pronouns to refer to me; it’s so thrilling to be referred to as a woman.  I shiver went up my spine when Cindy referred to me as she to her partner who dropped in on us for a chit chat.  Whatever my minor insecurities were, this was definitely the most feminine I’ve ever looked and was delighted with the way I looked and moved.

● Final results and my opinion

I highly recommend Boys Will Be Girls if what you’re after is a really deep transformation.  Cindy is meticulous with your make up, and there is a strong chance you won’t recognize yourself or believe that the woman staring back at you is indeed you.  I really appreciated the foundation garments on offer. Attaining a very feminine shape is very important to me, and having a corset available and large breast forms made it happen.

Cindy also uses a Digital SLR camera to take photos of you.  These photos are the real keepsake.  In my case, I wanted a female shape, but it can be a bit uncomfortable.  However, the brief discomfort is worth it when you get your photos from the session and can marvel at your curves forever.  I went home with a few photos on my phone and Cindy will send you a link to download your photos later in the day.  She even takes the time to edit a few of the photos to get rid of an errant hair or other imperfect detail.

A makeover at Boys will be Girls can get quite pricey, but it’s worth it. I will try to treat myself again there one day soon.

Dafni Girls – Madrid, Spain

Dafni Girls is a large makeover studio with multiple locations in Spain. Some of their staff even travel around offering make overs in temporary locations if you aren’t able to get to Madrid or Valencia. There are several staff members, all friendly and welcoming.

Where is it and how I got there

I went to their Madrid location, which is right in the center of the city.  It was very easy to get to from my hotel, and it’s about a 5-minute walk from the closest metro station. It’s in a very LGBTQ+ friendly neighborhood; I noticed lots of rainbow and trans flags hanging in businesses and from apartments on my short walk there.  I stayed near the Atocha, Madrid’s main train station, and it took me about 15 minutes to walk there.

The premises itself is much larger than Boys Will Be Girls.  There were several rooms; the first was a sort of super closet, with lots of outfits, wigs, shoes, and items for you to buy and take home.  There are two makeover rooms, so there can be two clients there at a time.  There was another appointment when I was there, but I didn’t see the other customer.  I thought it was good that the times for clients are staggered to ensure privacy.

● My experience and makeover

When I arrived at Dafni Girls, I was greeted by Stephanie, who would be doing my make-up.  She was super bubbly and enthusiastic and immediately made me feel at ease.  One thing about Dafni Girls is that because there are quite a few staff members is that you won’t be sure of who will be doing your session.  When I booked, I was asked if I’d like to pay a premium to have my makeover done by ‘Dafni’, the owner.  If you’re a repeat customer you can request the same stylist or a different one.

We didn’t chat too much about what sort of look I would like; that’s done before your visit by filling out a google form.  I had specified a natural look, nothing too outrageous or loud.

Similar to Boys will be Girls, the session began with some foundation garments.  I was required to purchase my own gaff because I hadn’t brought one along, and was given tights, a hip shaper brief and some small breast forms in a bra, perhaps a B cup.  I then put on a girly robe, a silk-like fabric n shimmering pink, and went to the make-up room.

Make up took about 40 minutes and was less intense than how I had been styled in London.  The eye make-up was considerably more muted, and while the stylist brought out the femininity in my face, there wasn’t the same wow factor when I saw the finished result.

The standard Dafni Girls package allows you to choose three outfits.  I noticed that the outfit selection was a bit more limited than I had hoped.  I was able to choose two outfits to my liking, but the 2^nd of the three I felt made me look older and was a more mature look with a long skirt, blouse and blazer.

The outfit selection is also limited by a few other factors.  They didn’t have a breast plate available to cover chest hair and achieve cleavage, so I was limited to breast forms which were about a B cup.  Dafni Girls also didn’t have a full corset to pull in my waist, only an elastic waist cincher.

Where Dafni Girls really excels is their educational aspect.  Stephanie spent at least an hour with me working on my feminine walk, mannerism and poses.  She gave me pointers and examples to follow. Once she felt I’d improved my feminine walk, she suggested that we go outside for a walk around the area.  It was a very hot day, so I declined; but this is the reason why she said that Dafni Girls doesn’t use more extreme foundation garments like corsets.  They often take their clients out for lunch or dinner while dressed, and a corset isn’t good to have on when eating, and think if you needed the toilet!

I really enjoyed this time with Stephanie, as no one had ever taken time to help me with my body language and deportment before.  The more I got into it, the more I felt that we had connected and let my guard down.

● Results

When I left Dafni Girls, I felt like I’d had a very good morning and made some new friends who I felt comfortable around as my girly self.  They really made me feel at home.  Stephanie took hundreds and hundreds of photos of me in my three outfits with my camera phone, so there was no waiting time like at Boys will be Girls.

I would have liked to achieve my ideal shape, but with the items on offer there, it wasn’t fully possible.  However, I left with some ideas to take home and tasks to do to practice my female walk.  I was told that next visit to show up with a girly name and a perfect girly walk, because Stephanie wanted to have lunch with her new gal pal.

During my magical girly week, I was lucky to be able to be made over twice by two different salons.  I think each place has its pros and cons, but both are worth a visit and you can see which suits you best.

To sum up, if you’re looking for a real deep make over, concentrating on your looks and figure, Boys Will Be Girls is the place to go.  The results from my photo session were breathtaking and I’m sure to be checking those photos for years to come.  Cindy and her partner are also very friendly and welcoming.  It might be a bit far from the center of London and be a bit pricey, but the cost is well worth it.

Dafni Girls was less expensive and more centrally located, but the visual results weren’t as striking.  I enjoyed the experience, mostly due to the personal attention and education I got from my stylist.  I left feeling warm and taken care of, having improved my deportment.  I’ll definitely go back one day; I just need to finally figure out my girly name beforehand!