Interview with Elizabeth Taylor

Step into the fabulous world of Elizabeth “Beth” Taylor, a cisgender woman, where glamour meets courage, and transformation is nothing short of an art form. Nestled in the heart of LGBTQ-friendly Takoma Park, Maryland, just minutes from buzzing downtown Washington, DC, Beth’s private studio is more than a place, it’s a sanctuary where transgender women, male-to-female crossdressers, and genderfluid people come to explore their beauty, confidence, and authenticity. With her signature mix of warmth, skill, and sparkle, Beth turns every session into an experience: whether it’s a first-time client stepping into heels for the very first time, or a seasoned star looking for a fresh twist, she makes everyone feel luminous, seen, and celebrated. Beth’s path to becoming the queen of male-to-female transformation is as captivating as her artistry. After eleven years of service in the US Navy, where she taught nuclear propulsion theory and excelled in Human Resources and Equal Opportunity roles, Beth embraced a new calling: helping people express their truest selves. The repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and her own coming out as bisexual/pansexual in 2012 opened a dazzling new chapter, leading her to create her signature transformations. 

 

From full makeovers and professional photography to feminine deportment coaching and accompanied outings, Beth’s one-on-one sessions are infused with creativity, discretion, and a touch of magic. Her credentials are as impressive as her presence. Beth holds a Bachelor’s in Chemistry and Mathematics, a Master’s in Human Systems Integration, and an Associate’s in Photography and Media. She honed her makeup skills at the prestigious Robert Jones Beauty Academy, blending precision with artistry in ways that leave clients glowing from the inside out. But Beth isn’t all studio glamour, she’s also a powerhouse on two wheels. Racing gravel bikes across the Mid-Atlantic under her playful team name, “Makeovers with Elizabeth Taylor,” she navigates Michaux Forest trails and Northern Virginia country roads with grit, joy, and flair. And when the makeup brushes and cycling shoes are set aside, Beth cherishes cozy nights at home with her wife, Giselle Donnelly. Married in 2017, the couple shares a life filled with British and European dramas, detective series binges, and the soulful harmonies of Wishbone Ash, a perfect blend of love, laughter, and life lived fully.

 

Beth's website.

 

Today, we’re stepping into Beth’s world as two fabulous ladies ready to chat. From the Navy to sparkling corsets, from private transformations to adrenaline-fueled rides, Beth Taylor’s story is a masterclass in courage, creativity, and unapologetic authenticity. So sit back, sparkle, and let us take you on a journey into the extraordinary life of one of the most inspiring and glamorous women you’ll ever meet.

 

Monika: Hello Beth! I’m absolutely delighted you could join me today.

Beth: Thank you so much for having me! I’m thrilled that you asked me to join you. 

Monika: Beth, I have to say, you are simply extraordinary! You radiate beauty, brilliance, and talent all at once. Navy service, degrees in Chemistry, Mathematics, and Human Systems Integration, an Associate’s in Photography, and top-tier makeup training? How is it possible for one woman to embody all of this glamour and brains?

Beth: Thank you so much for your kind words. I like to think of myself as a Renaissance woman, that is, someone who loves and studies both the sciences and the arts. Did you know that photography was considered a science before it was considered an art? I find that integrating both a scientific and artistic outlook during sessions allows for a fun, creative process while helping me connect with my clients, who come from a wide range of backgrounds.

Monika: Out of curiosity, Beth, what inspired you to leave the Navy after eleven years of service as a US Naval Officer?

Beth: It was time to move on. When I joined the military, coming from a strict religious upbringing, that was the most freedom I had ever had. After eleven years, I had discovered myself and come out as a bisexual/pansexual woman, and I wanted to explore so much of life. I found that the military regulations and lifestyle now felt constricting. Becoming a civilian after finding myself felt liberating. 

Monika: Cycling seems to be a big part of your life. How did you first get into it?

Beth: I learned to ride a bike from my dad as a kid. Some of my happiest childhood memories involve riding as a teenager with my sister and our friends. When I was teaching at Nuke School in Charleston, I took spin classes at the base gym. Another spin class member, Kathy, asked me if I liked to ride bikes outside too, and we quickly became riding buddies. I learned the basics of riding a mountain bike on singletrack and unpaved roads and participated in my first biking event and my first mountain bike vacation with her. Meanwhile, my Navy coworkers were all riding huge distances on road bikes over the weekend, and I promised myself I’d buy a road bike when I moved to Monterey, California, for my next duty station at Naval Postgraduate School. In Monterey, I quickly joined one of the many Saturday morning road rides into Pebble Beach and formed friendships with both road cyclists and mountain bikers. I was living the dream!

 

Beth loves riding up mountains and
enjoying views of ridgelines.

 

Monika: That sounds like such an adventurous start. Did you ever face any setbacks in your cycling journey? 

Beth: A mountain bike accident in 2007 derailed me from mountain biking again until 2023 when I bought a full-suspension mountain bike. I committed to take ongoing mountain bike lessons to help with fun and safety. Meanwhile, a lingering shoulder injury from the accident kept me from doing big miles on my road bike until I got a new women’s-specific road bike in 2017. That, paired with quality bike fittings, got me back in my happy place of riding. In 2018, I started riding gravel, and by 2020 I was loving the unpaved roads of Northern Virginia.

Monika: How did your cycling evolve once you got back into it?

Beth: In 2020, my cycling life really started to blossom. I rode my way through the pandemic shutdown with the women of Babes on Bikes and formed amazing friendships and cycling buddies. In 2022, after a successful gravel ride in Pisgah National Forest near Asheville, North Carolina, with a tour guide, I took the leap and signed up for my first gravel race: The Dirty Kitten Gravel Race! I was so nervous! Even though I planned to just ride it for the experience, the adrenaline took over and I raced it! I felt high for five days after that! More events and races followed. I started riding in Michaux Forest with other women. Today, I especially love riding in the forest on my gravel bike and on dirt trails on one of my two mountain bikes.
Monika: I guess every woman is a secret makeover artist, just navigating life’s daily dilemmas, from the perfect swipe of lipstick to the right dress and shoes. But as a transgender woman, I skipped those formative teenage years when most girls quietly gather all that style wisdom. I had to catch up fast! Do you think it’s really possible to master these skills relatively quickly?

Beth: I really think it is possible to get good at makeup skills quickly, particularly if you receive quality instruction and practice regularly. I learned how to do a basic makeup look from my friend, Cheryl, the summer after eighth grade, and I did that one look daily in high school. I skipped wearing makeup for several years and got introduced to the MAC makeup counter in my mid-20s, where I had my first professional makeover and bought my first high-end cosmetics.

After I got that look down, I went back to learn many more looks and bought tons more products. The MAC makeup artist encouraged me to “play around” with my look. I made some mistakes in the process, but a friend pulled me aside and gave me constructive feedback. For the makeup lessons that I teach, I have structured notes that make the process as systematic and methodical as possible while also showing the opportunities for designing your own look as your skills progress.

 

Tiffany, Allison, and Kate.

 

Monika: When I think about my own style, I realize how much I’m influenced by the women around me, my mother, my sister, my friends. How do you resist these mental shortcuts and make bold choices that truly reflect what’s right for you, rather than just following others?

Beth: Most of my cis women friends and relatives don’t wear makeup routinely, so I have never felt pressured to conform to a certain look as an adult. Since my mid-20s, I have used makeup to express my personality and match my outfit. Now that I’m in my 40s, I most typically wear makeup when attending a DC Trans Ladies Meetup event, where I feel free to wear as much makeup as I have time to put on. 

Monika: That said, do you find yourself observing other women and “borrowing” ideas, both for your business and for your personal style?

Beth: Like my clients, I find a lot of my inspiration for updated looks on social media such as Facebook and Instagram. That’s part of how I stay up to date on the latest looks that clients may ask for. The makeup trends these days are set less by makeup companies and more by influencers, and they tend to be micro-trends rather than seasonal or multi-year trends based on a coordinated product release.

That being said, my clients vary widely in tastes and are inspired by makeup and clothing styles from the 1940s onward. They often bring in one or more inspiration photos that help me design their look. 

Monika: Makeup, to me, is pure magic. A masterful artist can sculpt, highlight, and enhance so effortlessly that every feature comes alive, and a person’s true beauty radiates. Do you think this kind of artistry can be learned, or is it an innate gift we’re born with?

Beth: This can absolutely be a learned art. Regardless of whether one is naturally gifted in art, training, study, and practice will enhance skills and how they can be applied to new situations. My background and experience were in chemistry and mathematics, and I studied and learned the arts of makeup and photography.

Monika: In the world of makeup, what are the biggest pitfalls we often fall into, or the essential rules that somehow get forgotten?

Beth: The biggest pitfall I see is always wearing a full face of makeup down to bronzer, contour, eyeliner, etc., even when the situation doesn’t call for it, like at a summer picnic or a daytime trip to the mall or to lunch. Women don’t generally wear heavy makeup on a daily basis in the DC Metro area.

In terms of common errors, I see people expanding their lips with lipstick only and not using a lip liner to define the lip. I notice this because the lipstick bleeds into the foundation and the lip line is not well defined or symmetrical. 

 

Victoria, Kuhu, and Bethany.

 

Monika: On your website, you mention that coming out as bisexual/pansexual in May 2012 opened up a whole new world, as you began connecting with crossdressers and transgender women, and from those friendships, your transformation business was born. But joining the LGBTQ community is one thing; what actually sparked the idea of creating your own studio?

Beth: Over a two-week time period shortly after leaving the military, I had two people ask me to transform them like I had for a crossdresser friend of mine. I asked around at the DC Trans Ladies Meetup group to see if there was someone I should be sending them to. People told me that the closest person was over four hours away and that I should offer this service. After doing some online research on other transformation studios, I started super small and built up the studio business and expertise as I realized demand exceeded my wildest expectations. 

Monika: How do you manage the expectations of clients who come to you dreaming of a complete transformation into a beautiful woman, especially when there may be physical challenges to work with?

Beth: Most people have pretty realistic expectations of how I can transform them based on the work on my website. They are generally impressed with how good they look after their makeovers.

A few people, however, have used apps to feminize their faces, which alter the bone structure and skin texture, and hope I can achieve a similar look. When they show me these images, I tell them that I can do a similar makeup look, but I can’t change the bone structure like the photo does — that requires surgery.

Monika: When you do a makeover, do you tend to focus more on softening masculine features, or on enhancing and celebrating your clients’ feminine features, or is it a mix of both?

Beth: I tend to focus on what the client requests, as they often have a particular makeup look or style in mind. On most makeovers, I’m trying to both soften masculine features and emphasize feminine features.

For softening masculine features, I’m usually trying to make the face look smaller and more oval or heart-shaped, increase the apparent size of the eyes, make the cheeks look fuller and more defined, and change the lip size and shape as clients request.

END OF PART 1

PART 2

 

All photos: courtesy of Elizabeth “Beth” Taylor.

© 2025 - Monika Kowalska

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