Though a vast majority of people who use makeup are unaware of its diverse uses and styles, they do in fact exist. One of the most complex and interesting styles of makeup is drag. Since I began my journey with makeup, I’ve been absolutely fascinated by drag and its incredible community.

So, what exactly is drag? Well, drag can be summarized as an art form that combines cross-dressing, musical talent, flamboyant attitude, and stunningly detailed makeup. In recent years, more awareness has been brought to the public about the drag community thanks to the media. Television shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race and social media influencers have used their platforms to broadcast the drag community and reach makeup lovers. Often, beauty influencers gain inspiration from drag artists and learn new techniques to further their skill sets. If you’re not involved in the beauty community, there are a few things that are important to know about drag.

First, there are two main types of drag artists: drag kings and drag queens. The more commonly known of the two, drag queens, are most often defined as men who perform in costume and makeup to portray women. This however does not mean that women cannot be drag queens, but it is far less common. There are many famous drag queens with absolutely remarkable talent, such as RuPaul, Aquaria, and Sharon Needles. Drag kings are essentially the opposite of drag queens, as they are often women who cross-dress and use makeup to portray a male character. Some incredibly talented drag kings include Damien D’Luxe, Landon Cider, and Chiyo Gomes.

Next, its essential to understand what exactly being a drag performer consists of. Often before shows, there is an extensive process that performers go through to transform into their characters. This can include techniques such as gluing down eyebrows to create a clean base to draw on new brows in the desired shape and location, usage of highly pigmented and full coverage foundations and concealers to hide anything that artists might need to (such as facial hair and natural eyebrows), creating desired body shapes out of certain materials (like curves of a woman out of certain types of cushion), styling outfits, and creating illusions for specific facial or bodily features through the medium of contouring. During performances, drag artists often combine aspects of theatre, music, and dance to entertain and captivate audiences. Some drag performers participate in competitions such as RuPaul’s Drag Race, as previously mentioned. Others may even be featured in online tutorials for well-known companies in order to promote certain products.

No matter how little or how much you know about drag, you cannot deny the raw talent and absolute dedication of these artists. If you are new to the world of drag, hopefully you have been able to gain an appreciation for this type of art. I do, however, have a question for you. Would you ever try drag? Comment below and let me know!

Sources:

Pride. “DragQueens.” Drag Queen – Fierce Gender-Bending Drag Performers, 2019, http://www.pride.com/drag-queens.