THE DESIGN: Drag Makeup

DESIGN STATEMENT:

I really enjoy exploring the combination of masculinity and femininity that drag can portray. I chose to do a drag king look over a queen because I wanted to learn masculine contour techniques and other visual masculinization while still playing with very feminine eyeshadow and makeup looks. I'm in the Drag Club at CSU, House of Ovis, and I've met many incredible kings who inspired me to learn my own drag style - many of them are in my research morgue!

For my design, I went for an exaggerated, drawn-on style of makeup, with very obvious contour and a drawn-on mustache. I didn't aim for perfection or "bio" accuracy with Robin, because I wanted it to be more clocky and fun. I chose a vampire-type persona because it fits with the type of costumes and performance I like to do.

CHARACTER STATEMENT:

Robin Graves is a drag king persona. In drag, he uses he/him pronouns. He is a flirtatious, hedonistic vampire who enjoys all the pleasures life can offer. His performances tend to be to 2000s and 2010s pop punk music, with the occasional musical theater song thrown in. He uses a combination of wigs and his own hair to create his looks depending on the needs and elaborateness of the costumes. Most of his costumes include corsets and deep-v shirts, and while there aren't many glitter or rhinestoned elements in his ensembles, he makes up for it with shiny satin and metallics.

RESEARCH

4 Images That Inspired My Look

This is an image of Lestat in Interview with a Vampire (1994). I used a lot of images of him as reference for general vibe on the moodboard, but I also used his face and nose shape as reference for my contour.

This is an image of Damiano David from Måneskin and I love it because the shape of the eyeshadow and the way it connects to the nose was what I was going for in my look.

This is an image of a drag interpretation of King Midas and I love it because the eyebrows are big and exaggerated. I didn't use the exact shape they did, but the way it wasn't hyper-realistic and was more painted was what I wanted. I also went a similar direction with the mustache.

This is an image of @punk_noir on Instagram and I love it because the eyebrow and eyeshadow shape were a good reference for my look.

10 Queens/Kings I Admire

This is an image of Ambrose (@royalambrose_), a fellow CSU student and drag king. His vampire character really opened my eyes to the limitlessness of drag, and I love how he includes comedy and silliness in his routines.

This is an image of Reggie Fava (@reggiefava) and he was the first drag king that really inspired me to learn about drag. He's the co-founder of the drag club House of Ovis at CSU!

This is an image of Trixie Mattel and she inspires me because I love her exaggerated doll-like look.

This is an image of Katya Zamolodchikova. I love the comedy she incorporates into her routine and persona, and her looks are always on point.

This is an image of Violet Chachki and she's inspiring because she was one of the first drag queens I ever really liked. I love her vintage/retro vibe and her costuming is incredible.

This is an image of Alyssa Edwards and I love the way she always has incredibly styled, massive wigs.

This is an image of Krisagonna and she's inspiring because she's the first professional drag queen I ever saw perform. Her performances are the perfect combination of talent and comedy.

This is an image of Maverick, a Northern Colorado drag king. He inspires me because he's always so confident and flamboyant in his performances!

This is an image of Dragonya Fly and they're the other co-founder of the House of Ovis! They're inspiring because they're a transmasculine drag queen!

This is an image of Landon Cider and I love how his looks are always a perfect mixture of edgy/dark and flamboyant.

MAKEUP, MATERIALS, AND TOOLS

Makeup:

Foundation - Mehron Pro-HD complexion products to match
Concealer - E.L.F. Camouflage Concealer
Setting Powder - Mehron Colorset Powder
Eyeshadow/Brows/Contour - James Charles X Morphe Artistry Palette, Jeffree Star X Morphe Palette
Lipstick: Wet 'N Wild Megalast Liquid Catsuit - Missy and Fierce, Maybelline Superstay Matte Ink - Founder
Mascara - Maybelline Lash-Sensational Sky High
KVD Tattoo Liner

Other Products:

Face Lotion - CeraVe Facial Moisturizing Lotion
Elmer's Disappearing Purple Glue Stick

Tools: Brushes, Sponges, Etc

Makeup Spatula
Mixing Palette
Square liner brush
Angled liner brush
Blending sponge
Powder puff
Fluffy Powder Brush
Blush Brush
Contour Brush
Fluffy Eyeshadow Brush
Spoolie

THE PROCESS

Comb eyebrows with a spoolie to make sure they're laying flat. Glue them down with a Purple Elmer's Glue Stick in upward strokes following the shape of the eyebrow. Leave the first quarter to third of the brow free as an anchor point for the drawn-on brow. Let the glue dry between layers and press it flat using a makeup spatula to make sure the brow hairs sit flat to the skin. Do 3-4 layers.
Prime the rest of the face, avoiding the eyebrow area (this can be done while waiting for glue to dry).
Thickly pack setting powder into the glued down brows once the final layer dries. This will fill any gaps and disguise the color of the brows a bit.
Apply a mid-tone across the entire face with Mehron foundation.
Set with a light layer of setting powder.
Block out the eyebrows with a brown eyeshadow using a thin square brush.
Use a darker shade of eyeshadow and an eyebrow pencil to define the brows and add visible hairs.
Carve out the brows and fix any mistakes with concealer.
Contour the cheekbones, jawline, and temples with a mixture of grey and neutral brown eyeshadow to create a defined but almost lifeless face.
Add a bit of red eyeshadow at the deepest/hollowest points of the face to add some color back in an unnatural way.
Contour the nose with the same shades to make it look sharp and angular.
Use concealer in a lighter shade to highlight the high points of the face: forehead, cheekbones, and the top of the jawbone to make it more angular.
Use a very thin square brush and the same brown eyeshadow as the brows to add a mustache, keeping it very defined and straight.
Set all the powder with setting spray.
Use red matte lipstick as a base for the eyeshadow, blending it on the lid, crease, and browbone.
Set with red eyeshadow, focusing on the outer corner of the eye and carrying it up towards the temple to create a cat-eye look, as well as using it on the outer part of the under-eye.
Add a darker maroon shadow in the outer corner and crease to deepen the look.
Add silver glitter eyeshadow to the eyelid.
Use black eyeshadow to create a smudged eyeliner wing following the same cat-eye shape as the shadow. Line the lower lashline as well.
Use black liquid liner to define the inner corner and add a line extending the bottom lashline to create that cat-eye look.
Use the same silver glitter to fill in the faux inner corner and add shine.
Use a berry red lipstick to line the lips, overlining the top lip and extending the corners of the lips upwards to create a perpetual smile.
Use the same bright red lipstick that was used on the eyes to fill in the lips.
Add silver glitter on the lips for sparkle.
Apply mascara.

Eyebrows glued down and set

Eyebrows drawn on

Foundation, contour, and mustache applied

Finished Look

REFLECTION AND CRITIQUE

The application for my drag look went a bit differently than I expected. It took about two and a half hours to do the makeup, which is about what I would have expected, but I did have to rush my eye makeup toward the end, which showed in my application. Starting with what worked for me, I really enjoyed how the brows, mustache, and contour turned out. The brows took longer than they did in my practice applications because I couldn't get the shape right, but in the end I was able to make it work and was very proud of how they turned out. The shape is slightly different from the schematic, which I think is in part because I couldn't fully replicate the curvature of my face in a drawing. I liked the drawn-on appearance of the mustache, as I think it made my look more surreal, which is what I was going for. The cheekbone and temple contour turned out really nice in my opinion; I was able to hollow out my face and make it look more sunken/pale without having to use white foundation as a base for a vampire look.

If I were to do the application again, there are a few things I would change. I would go a bit heavier with the nose contour so the difference shows more under stage lights. I'm always nervous about having visible nose contour because I don't want it to look messy, but that means I tend to blend too much and it leads to it not showing up at all. The main thing I would change is the eye makeup. I want to practice more to figure out what makeup styles work well for my eye shape, because I feel like the shape in this application didn't work super well for me. I would have also used more shades of red and blended better so it would look more defined and purposeful instead of messy. Overall, I really liked the way this look turned out but there were definitely things I want to work on in the future.

SCHEMATIC

PHOTO OF FINISHED PROJECT

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