rupaul drag race

5 Tips We Learned from Rupaul’s Drag Race Queens

Note to self: Sashay away from the black eyeshadow, pronto

Cut crease, ‘Instagram’ brows, contouring… These are just a few of the household makeup techniques originally mastered by drag queens, long before they became popular hashtags to search on social media. From their perfectly coiffed wigs and precisely painted on winged liner to their pouty, overdrawn lips, drag queens are masters of transformation. And while not everyone has time to pop on three sets of lashes on the daily, these makeup whizzes are a goldmine of beauty wisdom. We recently chatted with a panel of legit legends from Rupaul’s Drag Race to pick up a few of their tried and true hacks.

The queens

latrice royale

Latrice Royale

The “large and in charge, chunky yet funky, bold and beautiful” queen from season 4 and All Stars 2 and 4. She’s hitting the road in July going across Canada for her Here’s to Life tour, a one woman show about her life’s story.

 
brooke lynn hytes

Brooke Lynn Hytes

A classically trained ballet dancer and runner up in season 11. She’s the first Canadian queen to compete on the show (she hails from Toronto!) and is currently touring North America.

 

peppermint
Photo credit: Wilson Models

Peppermint

She’s an actress (she starred in Broadway’s Head Over Heels), singer and trans activist and was runner up in season 9. She was the first contestant to enter the show as an openly transgender woman. Peppermint is currently working on a new album and touring North America.

The tips

Choose face oil over primer

While primer is typically the step of choice for most before reaching for foundation, if you have dry skin, prepping with an oil is the ticket to hydration. “I prime my skin with face oil to make sure I’m super moisturized before I put makeup on,” says Hytes. Peppermint also slicks on a light layer of oil pre-makeup, loving the way it boosts her glow and ensures her skin is plumped and supple. “I find some primers leave my skin looking too matte, plus my skin reacts better to makeup when I prep with an oil.”

Black shadow is *not* the secret to a smoky eye

Hytes is known for her signature smoky eye and has a trick or two to nail the classic look. She always starts with the lightest colour and transitions to the darkest shade, and despite how dramatic the look is, she only uses shades of brown. “One of the best tips for a smoky eye is to never use black shadow,” she says. “Instead, I use dark brown shadow then use a black liner.” In terms of eyeshadow textures, she sticks with matte, as they tend to pop more on camera. “I’m a man in a wig; I need matte, strong, bold colour. I can’t mess around with shimmer eyeshadows, they do nothing for me.”

The camera is your best friend

We all have pics of ourselves from the past as evidence of our slightly dubious beauty choices, even Royale. But instead of shuddering at the sight, she suggests using those photographic gems as teachable makeup moments. “My makeup has elevated and changed, and that’s due to seeing myself on TV: I was like, ‘Oh wow, nope can’t do that!’ I don’t need all that orange, and I need to put that black eyeshadow down,” she says. In short, don’t get stuck in a beauty rut—make sure your look is evolving.

Spice up your makeup routine

Speaking of beauty ruts, it’s easy to find a few key colours and stick to them, but Peppermint speaks to the joys of switching it up and experimenting with colour. “Using colour is powerful,” she says. “I think that women, men and non-binary folks can use makeup to express themselves and express their mood. Everyone’s mood changes, no one is in a beige mood every day, or at least I hope not!” Royale couldn’t agree more. “I’ve always been outside the normal Crayola box, so to speak. I used to be a club kid back in the day, so I would always have bright neon makeup and hair to match, but I think you can [wear] colour and still be glamorous,” she says. “You can still make it beautiful and elegant, [that’s what] I try to do.”

Remove your makeup the right way

From painted-on brows to layers of lashes and glitter, it’s no secret that drag queens wear makeup. When it comes to getting back to a squeaky-clean slate post performance, Hytes and Peppermint call on the big makeup-removal guns: cleansing oils. Both Hytes and Peppermint swear by cleansing oils to break down their makeup before going in with a second cleanser like a wipe or gel face wash to whisk away any remaining residue. If you’ve been dabbling in glitter, Royale has a hack that makes for quick, easy—and safe—removal. “I suggest using tape to [gently] remove the glitter before you start rubbing it into your skin [with your makeup remover] because the glitter can cut you.”

 

Here are the products the queens swear by

 

    More makeup