Fashion

7 Drag Queen Beauty Looks Totally Worth Trying

by Sarah Martindale

As a long-time fan of RuPauls's Drag Race (I have seen every episode, ever, twice), I yearn to find a drag mother of my own (preferably Latrice Royale... she doesn't know it yet, but we are soulmates) so she can teach me all her drag queen makeup tips and tricks! I would also need to learn to sew so I could make my own sequin gown, obviously.

In the simplest of terms, drag queendom is defined as female impersonation, or "feminine illusion." One thing I have learned from Drag Race is just how much work goes into creating a drag look. Queens will pad their bodies, put makeup on their chests to create the illusion of cleavage (unless they are chunky yet funky and have their own bustlines to work with), or invest in a breastplate. They contour for the gods and wear incredible wigs and hair pieces (and they can lip line like nobody's business). Then they throw on a pair of six-inch stilettos and turn it out.

There are an infinite number of ways a queen creates her illusion, and I have learned so much from watching these artists do their thing. So here's a rundown of fierce drag trends we should all try:

1. Enormous Wigs

Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

I can't think of a queen who wears bigger wigs than Lady Bunny, and whilst I'm not sure I could ever pull off a wig quite so gigantic, I would love to try. Better start exercising those neck muscles.

2. Super Dramatic Eye Makeup

John Parra/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Have you noticed how a lot of queens cover up their eyebrows and re-draw them higher up to create a way larger eye area? Of course, season six RuPaul's Drag Race winner Bianca Del Rio is a comedy queen, so her look is even more over-exaggerated than many queens, but she has the technique down to an art. And while we're on the subject of Bianca, false lower lashes would be an interesting experiment, too!

3. Sequins And Sparkles Everywhere

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Longtime fans of Drag Race will know how much Roxxxy Andrews loves to wear a sequinsed dress. Most drag queens have that magpie quality of loving things that are shiny and sparkly and look incredible under stage lighting! Sequin and jewel embellishments have been seeing a revival in recent years in women's fashion, and long may it continue.

4. Themed Outfits

Michael Buckner/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Manila Luzon is undoubtedly the queen of queens when it comes to the creation of themed outfits. She has famously dressed as a pineapple and Big Bird (not simultaneously). A theme can be as subtle or as overt as you like, and could definitely work for a costume party if you don't feel like dressing up as Elmo to go to a bar.

5. Put A Beard On It

JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP/Getty Images

If there's one thing I learned from Eurovision 2014, it's that beards are beautiful. Conchita Wurst won the competition representing Austria and she was stunning. I'm not saying we should all go shopping wearing fake beards, but again, something that would likely be considered outrageous would be perfect for a costume party. Or just to go shopping... whatever you like!

6. Shaved Look

Christopher Polk/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Don't fancy a beard? How about taking it all off? Ongina is pretty much the exact opposite of Lady Bunny and she is no less fabulous. A shaved head can be incredibly striking (think Sinead O'Connor) and can definitely be rocked by women as well as men.

7. Wear Outrageously Long Nails, Eyelashes Or Both

Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Some people prefer a more natural look, and I get that. Alyssa Edwards, however, is not one of those people. Yes, very long nails take some getting used to, but if you really want to try the look, start with shorter ones and then switch them for slightly longer ones every day or two until you reach the length of your dreams.

I'm not saying that every one of these looks is practical or even necessarily feasible but oh-my-gosh they would all be so much fun.

Images: Getty Images