Are you wanting to get up in drag for the first time? We’ve created a guide to creating your very own drag persona!

THE IDEA:

Figuring out the kind of drag queen you want to be is an essential first step to becoming one. For example, popular drag star Trixie Mattel is basically a human Barbie. Are you going for a full celebrity diva impersonation like Chad Michaels’ Cher? Do you want to do lip-syncing performances like Lady Bunny? Will your act be funny, like Bianca del Rio’s insult comedy? Drag show entertainers range from young queens to old queens and come in many forms and styles, who you want to become (or feel you already are inside) will determine the type of queen you are.

MAKEUP:

Makeup artists can demonstrate how contouring can change your jawline, eye makeup can reshape your eyes, and highlighter can enhance your cheekbones, allowing you to alter the way your entire face is structured. Using full coverage makeup that matches your skin tone can help hide your original features, making it easier to create more embellished ones—complete with dramatic eyeshadow, false eyelashes, and lip liner. It doesn’t have to be perfect, either. Embracing your mistakes can help you come up with a truly original look.

BODY:

Some drag artists use waist cinchers or corsets to reshape their bodies into more feminine, hourglass figures. They’re also known to use padding and prosthetics to build their ideal silhouette. Your body should be whatever you feel is most natural for your persona, whatever you envision yourself looking like as you perform. This could be more masculine or feminine!

ATTITUDE:

Drag is about fearless expression, just as much as it is about looking like a superstar. One of the ways to get the right attitude is to hone your walk—the way to own a room is to walk in with all your energy. The more you believe yourself to be a queen, the more you will become her.

Let us know any more tips you have for new baby queens on the scene! Good luck, and don’t. fuck. It. Up!