Wigs, XXL false eyelashes, colors, contouring… Drag queens are back and their vanities have everything you need to be the queen of the evening. A beauty lesson with Nicky Doll, host of the newly announced Drag Race France show Queens, French drag art*.
Madame Figaro. – Are drag queens inspired by trends… or do they create them? ?
Nikki Doll. – Both of them! Drag queens have always been inspired by pop culture, movies, actresses, glamor and femininity, but the trend has changed over time. The world of drag has become so powerful and innovative that haute couture, fashion and beauty are now inspired by it. They have become makeup icons.
What are you thinking about, for example? ?
Certain makeup techniques have always existed in our art, such as contouring, which was popularized not by Kim Kardashian, but by drag, theater and cabaret. We work a lot on shadow and light areas, creating contrasts on the face. We play with colors, we use lines and graphics to enhance, enhance or accentuate facial features to create an iconic image. This is a minor cosmetic surgery that you can “erase” with a makeup remover.
Contouring was popularized not by Kim Kardashian, but by the drag scene, theater and cabaret.
Nikki Doll
Drag Queen Nikki Doll! Alena Saz
We create an avatar, a superhero frame to break away from everyday life
Nikki Doll
How do you create these characters? ?
We adapt the makeup to our outfit and the character we embody, whether it’s a legendary grande dame or a young woman from the next generation. For example, my character style is very ‘old Hollywood’, so I can be inspired by Marlene Dietrich’s genderless look or, conversely, icons of femininity like Jane Mansfield or Marilyn Monroe. I might add references to fictional characters like villains from the Sailor Moon cartoons or inject a darker side like Rick Owens. We create an avatar, a superhero frame to break away from everyday life. Make-up is also used to evoke emotions in the viewer.
Drag Queen Nikki Doll! Press/Nikki Doll
Make-up is also used to evoke emotions in the viewer.
Nikki Doll
Do beauty brands support you? ?
Some ask us, like Mugler, who I had the opportunity to work with for the digital campaign of the Alien perfume, or MAC Cosmetics, who was one of the first to collaborate with RuPaul in 1994. Thanks to social networks, they understand that people want to learn from the masters of the genre… and drag queens who have the ability to move from one face to another have this makeup experience. There is no obligation to reproduce their entire look, but we can be inspired by their knowledge.
Book cover Queens, French drag art, By Nicky Doll. Out of Press/Collection
*Queens, French drag art, by Nicky Doll, Horse Collection, 224 p., €29.90.
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Source: Le Figaro
