When I perform, I usually wear wigs because I love them.
I use Revlon waterproof mascara. And then I love a smokey eye when I perform because I think it's important to make your eyes pop when you're on stage.
No matter what you're doing, whether it's a makeup tutorial or an interview or a lip sync, performance is the essence of drag. It is gender performance. Being able to produce a performance is what a superstar has to do.
When I started doing drag, I always put together multimedia elements for live performance.
I got these big coffee table books about Chinese opera from the local library, and I loved looking through them. I loved studying the intricate costumes and figuring out how to 'cartoonify' them.
The first mask I had was an original pale-white kabuki mask.
It's always fun messing around with costumes and stuff. You know there is an element of acting that you've got to dress-up; that's part of it.
Why should anybody see our faces? What have our clothes got to do with anything? So we got the masks and the overalls, and we set about developing the most insane live shows that anyone has ever seen.
When I started doing makeup, I had no intention of doing drag.
During the day, I don't wear much makeup; I only put on makeup for the show.
It's become normal for me to walk on set as Popeye, Frankenstein or an Elf or even a chicken.
Pageant makeup is so different from your day-to-day look. When you're on stage you really have to pack it on.
I've been wearing makeup for as long as I can remember. I started by playing with my mom's lipsticks, then in ballet I would apply my own stage makeup.
But when I went on the stage to do a show, I would put on makeup because I felt that it enhanced my act; it drew attention to what I was doing.
In my early performing days, I played gigs under the pseudonym Whitey McFearsun. I painted my face blue, wore crimson lipstick, and strung on some tight silver latex pants.
Drag performance is really emotional.
I had a feeling it was gonna work out because not only did I enjoy the music and hit it off with the guys, but I was into theatrical rock and was willing to wear makeup and do anything to make it.
British actors wear wigs a lot. I find it to be a nice ritual at the end of the day, take the wig off, clean the makeup off, go home, leave work behind me.
