Makeup is one of the most iconic aspects of drag. Makeup is utilized to create the illusion that men have woman like features. Some Queens’ whole look is based around a signature makeup that is easily recognizable. Some Queens use makeup in creative ways to stand out and catch the eye. Others use makeup to look girly or glamorous. The illusion of changing one’s gender or look through makeup is often referred to as ‘painting the face’ in the drag community. This process takes a long time. It can take from two to five hours sometimes. It all depends on the Queen. There are many different styles of drag makeup: Fish, Painting for the cheap seats, "Natural", Individual, and of course Memed makeup.
Expression through one’s drag makeup has become extremely popular recently in the drag community. Trixie Mattel is a prime example of this expression. Her makeup features an extreme version of contour that almost looks like two brown triangles on the side of her face. She also likes to have extreme eyeliner that can extend all the way to her temple as a huge black triangle. Though her makeup is debated and wildly different, it is what makes her stand out. People recognize Trixie for her extreme makeup. Another queen known for makeup expression is Acid Betty. Though she is very open about how much she dislikes Trixie’s style she has made a statement in the drag world with her makeup. Acid Betty likes to use an airbrush to apply her makeup and uses bright neon colors to turn herself into what looks like glam serpents and fire demons. She adds some prosthetics (pre made silicon pieces that can create the illusion of different anatomy) as well to accentuate her makeup.
There have been lots of trends in drag makeup recently as well. Trixie Mattel is one of many drag queens who use extreme contouring. Now most other Queens don’t contour as wild as Trixie would but they do appreciate a good contour. Contouring is the use of makeup to create an illusion of a different bone structure on one’s face. This is very popular in the drag community as you can tell. These men and transitioning women use darker shades than their skin tone to create depth and more ‘womanly’ curves in the face.
Another popular makeup trend was popularized by Naomi Smalls and Kim Chi. Both these Queens were finalists on RuPaul’s Drag Race season 8 and were known for setting many makeup and modeling trends in their community. They now host a show on WOWPresents called M.U.G. about makeup. These Queens have popularized individual lashes and rhinestones on the bottom lash line. You might think “That’s it?” but really the trend provides an eye catching elegance and has blown up in the drag world. Almost all of the Queens on the following season (season 9) of RuPaul’s Drag Race were wearing individual lashes and rhinestones.
All and all drag makeup has really grown. Back in the earlier seasons of drag race Queens wore minimal makeup because they did not know any better. They used berry tones for blush and contour and had dark lipliner with light colored lips. Now there’s youtube and the internet teaching queens what is the “right” way to paint your face. New Queens that grew up with this technology are coming out with strong individualized makeup while some old Queens are re-evaluating their makeup choices and growing as artists.
Makeup is a vital part of drag. Whether you glue mirrors to your face like Kennedy Davenport or use orange all over your face like Coco Montrese, makeup defines who Queens are. Queens are free to experiment and express themselves with their makeup skills. With new technology new and old Queens can develop makeup skills they never knew before. And with influential Queens setting trends in drag makeup everyday the possibilities are endless. Queens would be nowhere without their faces “beat for the gods!”