Drag makeup isn’t for quitters. Between contouring your cheekbones until they’re unrecognizable, gluing down your eyebrows, and loading as much glitter onto your face as humanly possible, it’s the kind of makeup that takes serious practice. And come Pride season, when drag superstars get to shine in all their glory at parades and events across the world, those tried-and-true techniques are put to the real test.
"This Pride season is gonna be glittery as fuck," Meatball, a drag performer based in Los Angeles, California says. "And it’s gonna get everywhere unless you secure it with a glitter glue so you can sweat your lil’ gay ass off with your gay friends."
Heeding Meatball’s warning, we spoke with drag performers from coast to coast for their advice on the best glitter makeup products, how they get them to stick, and their no-nonsense methods of getting them off at the end of a long, sweaty day, ahead.
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Ben Nye Glitter Glue
"If you wanna make sure your glitter stays on through sweat, use Ben Nye Glitter Glue, apply glitter, and hit it with some hairspray when it’s dry," Meatball says.
Ben Nye Ben Nye Glitter Glue, $7, available at Camera Ready Cosmetics
Too Faced Shadow Insurance Glitter Glue
"I know it totally sounds scary, but I like to use Too Faced Shadow Insurance Glitter Glue," says Baby Love, a drag performer based in Brooklyn, New York. "It’s a really soft, easy-to-use adhesive that keeps glitter on, but doesn’t irritate."
Too Faced Shadow Insurance Glitter Glue Bonding Eyeshadow Primer, $20, available at Sephora
Duo Brush On Adhesive
"Chunky glitter often sticks well by itself," says Miss Toto, a Chicago-based drag performer. "So I use the clear Duo eyelash glue for fine glitter since it dries clear and is long-lasting."
Duo Brush On Adhesive, $9, available at Sephora
Kat Von D Everlasting Glimmer Veil
"I love these glitter lipsticks by Kat Von D, specifically the one in the shade Reverb," Vena Cava, a New York City-based drag performer, says. "It’s a vibrant, beautiful blue and every time I wear it, I get a ton of compliments. I love that it dries down like a matte liquid lip; it’s very transfer-proof, but you can still see glitter."
Kat Von D Everlasting Glimmer Veil – Reverb , $11, available at Kat Von D Beauty
Cover FX Glitter Drops
"When I want to shine on stage, I like using the Cover FX Glitter Drops in Aurora," Cava says. "I apply them with a brush to avoid getting glitter all over my hands. Sometimes I use them under my powder highlight for extra dimension."
Cover FX Glitter Drops – Aurora , $44, available at Sephora
Glam Goth Beauty Glitter
"My favorite glitters are from Glam Goth Beauty," Toto says. "I use their fine glitters for creases and highlights, and I use the shades Sour Diesel and Leo the most."
Glam Goth Beauty Sour Diesel, $7, available at Glam Goth Beauty
Elektra Cosmetics Glitter
"I like to use Elektra’s chunky glitter for my body," adds Toto. "Not even a specific shade, just anything from Elektra."
Elektra Cosmetics EKO Glitters – Golden, $15, available at Elektra Cosmetics
Trixie Cosmetics Sparkles & Lit Cosmetics Glitters
"My favorite glitters are from Trixie Cosmetics and Lit Cosmetics," Love says. "Those two are loose glitters, so you have to use an adhesive to keep them on."
Trixie Cosmetics Sparkles – Lemon Bar , $10, available at Trixie Cosmetics
Lit Cosmetics Lit Metals – Risque + Gold, $19, available at Lit Cosmetics
Stila Glitter & Glow Liquid Eyeshadow
"I really love Stila’s Glitter & Glow Liquid Eyeshadows," says Love. "The product swipes right on and stays on until you’re ready to wash it away!"
Stila Glitter & Glow Liquid Eye Shadow, $24, available at Sephora
Strobe Cosmetics Glitters
"My favorite glitter products have to be Strobe Cosmetics Glitters, especially in Skyfire," Meatball says.
Strobe Cosmetics Glitter – Skyfire, $5, available at Strobe Cosmetics
Glossier Milky Oil
"As for removing, I use my normal face wash — Cetaphil — and the makeup remover from Glossier," Toto says. "Then the extra is picked up by Scotch Tape!"
Glossier Milky Oil, $12, available at Glossier
Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm
"I take my Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm and lightly massage the area, wiping away with a moist face towel once I feel all the glitter has been lifted off my lid," Love says. "You should always be a little more careful when removing glitters to be sure it doesn’t end up in your eyes."
Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm, $29.5, available at Sephora
Duct Tape
"To remove glitter quickly with less mess, just use duct tape," says Meatball. "It pulls it right off… but it’s still gonna be all over your apartment."
Duck Brand Color Duck Tape, $3.9, available at Target
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Source: Refinery29 – Rachel Lubitz