How to create a flawless drag queen look

Did you know that many of today’s beauty staples have their roots in drag? Long before they became Instagram trends, overlined lips, contouring and baking your face were all a key part of the drag look. So how can you create that flawless drag makeup yourself? Let’s get started.

Contouring

For contouring you’ll need:

• small powder brush 

• contour powder or bronzer

First find the shadows of your cheekbones (you can exaggerate them by sucking in your cheeks). Dust your bronzer (or a contour shade a little darker than your skin) with light pressure from the top of your cheekbone near your ear down to your mouth. Then blend out the line by brushing upwards. You can also contour your jawline by sweeping bronzer up from your chin towards your ear, then blending downwards onto your neck. 

To contour your nose, look straight on into your mirror and use a small brush to sweep your bronzer or powder from the side of your nose, just beneath the brow, to the tip. 

Baking

To really lock in your makeup, you’ll need to bake. Use:

• Tinted loose powder

• Powder puff

• Fluffy makeup brush

Tap out your powder into the lid - get plenty as there’s no such thing as too much here! Work the puff into the product and pack it along your chin and jawline. Use a lighter colour just below your contour to get that ‘snatched’ look. Dip the puff again and stamp powder over the centre of your forehead and around your nose. For the nose and cheekbones, fold the puff for more precision. Then leave your powder to ‘bake’ in for at least five minutes. Finally, with a clean brush, sweep off any powder that hasn’t set in, and buff out your lines. 

Eyes

For your eyes, you’ll need:

• Concealer

• Eyeshadow primer

• Brushes

• Eyeliner

• Eyeshadow

• Fake lashes

First, prep your eye area by dabbing some concealer under the eyes to disguise shadows and bags. Then apply an eyeshadow primer over the lids. Using a darker shade of your chosen colour, apply the eyeshadow along and above your crease, and at the outer edge of the lid for a dramatic look. Be sure to blend it out! Next, choose a lighter shade for the corners of your eyes. Feel free to add a shimmery shadow to the middle for extra glam. 

Next, apply eyeliner to really make your eyes pop. When using false lashes, don’t forget to trim them to fit your eye. Experiment with your eye makeup to really find the look that works for you. You can add rhinestones, play with the thickness of your liner, and explore a cut crease. You can take inspiration from queens like Trixie Mattel, Vanjie or Tayce. 

Join the party

Now that you’ve discovered your perfect drag look, why not rock it at Priscilla The Party, the hit immersive show at Soho’s HERE at Outernet? Celebrating the legacy of cult classic The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and its stage counterpart, Priscilla the musical, this glorious party enables you to join the fun on the dancefloor with the queens themselves. Book your tickets today!