16 Drag Queen Makeup Tutorials Every Woman Is Following Right Now
If there's one demographic in this world that knows more about makeup than the rest of us combined, it's the drag community. Think about it: it's the literal job of a drag queen to use their makeup skills to totally transform themselves into their on-stage persona or character! They know all about foundation and blending due to having to cover up some of their "boy features" - beard stubble can be a killer! Drag queens have some of the strongest brow game in the world, often drawing on entirely new but totally realistic ones! Sure, some of their eye makeup looks are a bit too out-there for day-to-day wear. However, makeup fans of any gender can learn a lot of transferable skills from watching your favorite queens paint their faces!
Since there are hundreds - if not thousands - of drag queen tutorials out there on YouTube, it can often be tricky to decide where to start! They all look so fun - how can you possibly choose which to follow first? Luckily, we've got you covered. We've selected some of the best drag queen tutorials that every self-respecting makeup fan should be following right now. Get your beauty blender and your eyeshadow palettes ready - it's time to totally transform your face!
16 Want To Go Full Barbie Fantasy? Follow All-Stars 3 Winner, Trixie's Methods
As any avid RuPaul's Drag Race fan will already know, Trixie Mattel has had a pretty great 2018 so far. Just last month, she was inducted into the Drag Race hall of fame following her All-Stars 3 win, an honor she called "absolutely crazy" in an interview with Billboard. With an achievement like that under her belt, Trixie is more than qualified to dish out some makeup tips to the wannabe Barbie Girls of the world!
As this tutorial shows, Mattel's signature look is a pretty eccentric one, to say the least! However, you can't deny that she makes those pink lips pop. If you're looking to directly emulate Trixie's look or want an exciting new drag-inspired look for your next costume party, this is definitely the video for you.
15 Miss Fame Can Do Bold Lips Better Than Anyone Else
While Miss Fame was beaten to the RuPaul's Drag Race season seven crown by Violet Chachki, she's carved out a pretty successful career as both a drag queen and a makeup artist. In her "Painted By Fame" YouTube series, she performs makeup transformations on celebrities including Marc Jacobs, telling Allure that she loves to use the videos to inspire her fans. Alongside this, Fame posts tutorials featuring her own favorite makeup looks. As Cosmo notes, she's a graduate of beauty school, so you know she's going to give you some top-quality tips!
In this tutorial, Fame showcases a simple yet effective look. She's a pro at creating bold lip styles that use the prettiest of colors, and this is no exception! This drag tutorial is definitely wearable on an everyday basis - and it's super quick and easy to apply!
14 Kyne's Natural Looks Are As Incredible As Her Creative Tutorials
Kyne may not be the best-known drag queen in the world, but his tutorials are definitely worth checking out! This Filipino-Canadian teen is best known for his insanely creative Halloween tutorials, which he describes as "theatrical, larger-than-life transformations" on his website. If you're looking for a tutorial to get you through the next spooky season, definitely bookmark Kyne's channel! He's also notable for creating high-coverage looks for acne sufferers, something that many beauty gurus fail to address.
However, even Kyne's simpler drag tutorials are worth checking out. He's an expert at creating sultry yet simple makeup looks that even a beginner can totally ace, as his cat eye tutorial demonstrates. It's perfect for a glamorous night out on the town, or even for an everyday look if that's your style!
13 Farrah Moan's Tutorial Is Perfect If You're In A Hurry
If you're a fan of slathering on as much highlighter as possible onto your face, Farrah Moan's makeup tutorials might well be for you! In an interview with Vice, she admitted that she doesn't believe in such a thing as too much of the glittery powder - and it shows! For those not acquainted with the Drag Race world, Farrah was a contestant on the ninth season of the show. As she herself admitted in an interview with Bustle, she lacked the confidence to go all the way. However, she's making up for it now with a glittering post-show career!
If you're in a hurry, Farrah has the perfect drag tutorial for you. It's a pretty low-key and understated look, but still involves plenty of her beloved highlighter! Even a total makeup newbie can achieve this gorgeous and glamorous look.
12 Alexis Stone Is One Of Britain's Finest Queens
While Drag Race makes it seem like all of the most talented drag artists are America-based, there are plenty of successful queens on the other side of the Atlantic too! Alexis Stone is one of the most prominent British queens out there, running a highly successful YouTube channel as well as performing in gigs around the world. As the Sydney Morning Herald reported at the start of this year, Stone is best known for being able to totally facially transform herself into a range of male and female celebrities.
However, this isn't to say her regular makeup tutorials are any less worthy of attention. This particular look jumped on the rose gold bandwagon that's been in fashion for some years now, and the result is pretty stunning. If you're looking to experiment with some brighter eyeshadow tones, give this video a watch!
11 Alyssa Edwards Is Talented AND Hilarious
Thanks to her appearances on both Drag Race season five and All-Stars 2, Alyssa Edwards has become one of the best-loved drag queens out there. As Variety notes, she's diversified from being a straight-up pageant queen into a comedian, actress, and reality TV star. Of course, to become such a successful queen Edwards has had to develop some killer drag makeup skills. Luckily for the rest of us, she's decided to share her top tips with the world!
To be honest, Alyssa's makeup tutorials are worth watching even if you're not interested in getting her look. They're genuinely hilarious! However, if you are an aspiring makeup guru, this sassy, dark look from Alyssa's time on Drag Race is easy to recreate. It's dramatic, daring, and drop-dead gorgeous!
10 Who Doesn't Want To Look Like Current Sensation Miss Vanjie?
Unless you've been living under a pop-culture-hating rock for the past few weeks, you'll know who Miss Vanjie is. She was the first queen to exit Drag Race's ongoing tenth season, and as Vanjie herself acknowledged in an interview with Vulture, her closing words have become a cultural sensation. Who knew that repeating the words "Miss Vanjie" three times could amuse people so much?
If you're looking to emulate Miss Vanjie's signature style, she's got the drag makeup tutorial for you. It's a lot more punk-rock than most of the other tutorials out there but in a totally good way! Who doesn't love some killer lashes and a dark lip? While we can't promise that emulating Miss Vanjie will make you a meme superstar like her, it'll certainly make you look darn good.
9 Patrick Starrr Can Make You Look Like RuPaul Herself
Let's be real: RuPaul is more than just a drag queen. She's a force of nature. She's a drag EMPRESS. Ru has brought drag into the mainstream and broken down numerous boundaries. Plus, she looks pretty freaking good almost every time she appears in drag. Who wouldn't want to get the look of someone as iconic as Ru?
Luckily, if looking like RuPaul is your goal, Patrick Starrr has the tutorial for you. Starrr has been a popular YouTube beauty guru for some years now: as Elle reports, he's now on his second deal with cosmetics giant MAC. Starrr perfectly captures RuPaul's style in this video with his bright eye makeup, glossy pink lips, and flawless facial coverage. What more could you want from a makeup look?
8 Kyle Gale Has A Tutorial For Girls On A Budget
While pretty much every drag tutorial is sickening in its own way, some of them aren't exactly achievable for those of us on a budget. If you can't afford luxury, high-end products, you might feel a bit left out watching a lot of beauty gurus both in and out of the drag community! However, it's not all bad news. Some queens make an effort to create gorgeous looks with less expensive products, and Kyle Gale is one of them.
Gale isn't exactly a big name in the drag world. He's only uploaded two videos to his YouTube channel, and he's yet to hit the big time. However, that doesn't make this tutorial any less impressive! He uses a range of affordable products to create a stunning final look. It's the kind of tutorial we've all been praying for!
7 Drag Race Winner Violet Chachki Can Show You How To Do Glamour
As the winner of RuPaul's Drag Race season seven, Violet Chachki has proved to the world that she is a dab hand at all things drag. Since winning the show, she's gone from strength to strength: as Billboard reported, she recently became the first Drag Race star to front a women's lingerie campaign. In conversation with The Huffington Post, she revealed herself to be fashion-forward, a talented aerial circus performer, and an inventive makeup artist. With credentials like those, who wouldn't want to get beauty tips from Violet?
This tutorial recreates Chachki's iconic "leather and lace" look from her time on Drag Race. It's a little bit dark, more than a little bit sultry, but ultimately incredibly pretty! The old smoky-eye-and-red-lip combo is always a winner, and Violet totally nails it in this video. What's not to love?
6 Kimora Blac Is The Queen Of The Smokey Eye
While Kimora Blac only lasted for two episodes of the ninth season of RuPaul's Drag Race, she's still a dab hand at creating some gorgeous makeup looks. Talking to Vulture, Blac confessed that she loves to rock sultry, seductive looks that are a total transformation from her "boy" appearance. She also doesn't think she deserved to go home from Drag Race as early as she did. Looking at this tutorial, we're inclined to agree with her!
In this video, Kimora shares her signature makeup look. It's a bold one, for sure: not many people can pull off a black lip! However, it's definitely worth a shot for any aspiring makeup guru out there. Even if you simply pair Kimora's eye makeup with a slightly less adventurous lip, you'll end up looking stunning.
5 Get The Mermaid Look From Joseph Harwood
Joseph Harwood is another of Britain's most famous drag queens. As Fashion North notes, as a teenager he became the first model to feature in London Fashion Week as both a male and female model! A decade on from this groundbreaking event, Harwood's career is still going strong. Not only is he still producing sickening makeup tutorials, on his website he reveals that he's also begun to develop his own range of cosmetics! If you follow his makeup instructions, your face is definitely in safe hands.
One of Harwood's most popular tutorials is his mermaid-inspired look. The combination of teal eyeshadow shades and a bold pink lip color creates a bright yet tasteful aesthetic. Who hasn't wanted to look like a mermaid princess at some point in their life? Well, you can achieve that dream if you follow Harwood's tips!
4 BFFs Kim Chi And Naomi Smalls Will Give You Double The Makeup Tips
In this tutorial, you get two drag makeup looks for the price of one! BFFs Kim Chi and Naomi Smalls were both finalists in the eighth season of Drag Race. They each have their own unique style: Kim goes for an anime-inspired aesthetic, while Naomi's drag has a more glamorous edge. To be honest, their hilarious chemistry as friends makes this video worth a watch even if you're not the biggest makeup fan!
However, if you are looking for some drag-based makeup inspiration, this video is a real treat. Kim's pinstripe eyeshadow look is unique but surprisingly stylish! In the past, she told the Boston Globe that she likes to combine high-fashion looks with a bit of fun, and it certainly shows here. On the other hand, Naomi will show you how to achieve a simple blue eyeshadow look and a gorgeous matte lip that gives us definite Kylie Jenner vibes! Sign us up for that!
3 Luis Berrios Knows The Importance Of Blending
Luis Berrios is another less-than-famous drag artist who can still give you some sensational makeup tips. He's only posted four tutorials so far, but they're all totally stunning! This glamorous look was his first ever makeup-based video, but you'd never know. Berrios has got the talent and style of a seasoned pro!
While this look is probably a bit TOO extra for day-to-day wear, it's certainly a gorgeous night-out look. Berrios combines a sparkling gold eyeshadow with massive eyeliner wings and dramatic lashes. The result is a combination of vintage glamour and thoroughly modern drag. His nude lip look is the icing on the cake and manages to look sickening without distracting from his statement eye makeup. Luis seriously needs to post some more tutorials - we're totally hooked on his style!
2 Drag Superstar Courtney Act Will Teach You How To Contour And Highlight
Courtney Act was already a star in her home country of Australia before she starred on RuPaul's Drag Race. As The Huffington Post Australia recently reminded its readers, Act actually competed in Australian Idol back in 2003 - in full drag, no less! After reaching the final of Drag Race Season Six, she chose to continue her career in reality TV in the UK. She won the most recent edition of Celebrity Big Brother, with the BBC praising her willingness to discuss important issues surrounding gender and LGBT rights.
Outside of reality shows, Courtney also likes to spend her time sharing makeup tips with the world! In this tutorial, she gives us the low-down on contouring and highlighting, an aspect of makeup that still mystifies many of us. Courtney manages to make it an easy-to-follow and simple process - thank the heavens!
1 James Charles' Pride Tutorial Is Colorful And Cute
Despite being just 18 years old, model and YouTube star James Charles has already made waves in the makeup community. In late 2016, The Guardian reported that Charles had become the first cover boy for the traditional female cosmetics brand CoverGirl. Since then, he's only gone from strength to strength. With nearly 4 million subscribers, it's not an exaggeration to say that Charles is one of the most popular drag makeup YouTubers out there!
Not only is Charles' Pride eyeshadow look a pretty visible way of supporting LGBT rights, it's also super cute! It's colorful without being too ostentatious and tapers off to create a gorgeous cat-eye illusion. Paired with a nude lip and full-coverage foundation, it's a great look to show off whether you're attending a Pride event or not.
Youtube References: Trixie Mattel Tutorial; Miss Fame Tutorial; Kyne Tutorial; Farrah Moan Tutorial; Alexis Stone Tutorial; Alyssa Edwards Tutorial; Vanessa Vanjie Mateo Tutorial; Patrick Starrr Tutorial; Kyle Gale Tutorial; Violet Chachki Tutorial; Kimora Blac Tutorial; Joseph Harwood Tutorial; Kim Chi & Naomi Smalls Tutorial; Luis Berrios Tutorial; Courtney Act Tutorial; James Charles Tutorial
References: billboard.com, allure.com, cosmopolitan.com, olinekyne.com, bustle.com, vice.com, smh.com.au, vulture.com, elle.com, vulture.com, josephhardwood.com, bostonglobe.com, bbc.co.uk, huffingtonpost.com.au, theguardian.com, variety.com, fashion-north.com, billboard.com