tucked the uk’s only drag magazine
get to know the uk’s newest drag
superstar shantay you stay who is capable of throwing the most shade on the stage?
behind the mask faux drag uncovered
£3.75/issue one/May 2015
1
tucked
letter from the editor
Welcome! our editor with this month’s cover star
don’t forget to find us online @TuckedUK!
Hey kitty girls! Welcome to the first ever issue of Tucked. The UK’s only drag magazine, our aim is to keep you up to date of everything drag related, whether it be interviews with the latest up and coming drag superstars, or how to find the perfect liquid liner. i first properly encounted drag by watching an episode of rupaul’s drag race which soon quickly became an obsession. seriously ask me anything about drag race and i’ll know the answer, but who doesn’t right? i discovered that the only thing that drag hadn’t conquered was magazines and so tucked was born! Here at Tucked we want to celebrate drag so dust off those makeup brushes, comb out that weave and join us for the ride. Remember it’s not personal, it’s drag. We hope you enjoy our first issue. Let us know how sick’ning it is by following us online at @TuckedUK!
love Emma^
contents
page 4
shantay, should they have stayed?
we look back through the best LSFYL’s and countdown the fiercest lip syncers of all time.
page 8
who is: dayle lefusion?
we meet a new drag queen on the scene and talk about style, performance and confidence.
project faux drag with Lacey Noel
we chat with cosplayer Lacey to find out more about faux drag and it’s place in the drag community.
page 14
queen of the month
we crown our queen of the month and tell you all you need to know about them.
page 17
the t about hiv
we explore the sensitive issue of HIV and uncover how it’s dealt with in today’s world.
drag dont’s
we discover the biggest drag mistakes and help you look sickening.
page 18
page 19
2
3
tucked
letter from the editor
Welcome! our editor with this month’s cover star
don’t forget to find us online @TuckedUK!
Hey kitty girls! Welcome to the first ever issue of Tucked. The UK’s only drag magazine, our aim is to keep you up to date of everything drag related, whether it be interviews with the latest up and coming drag superstars, or how to find the perfect liquid liner. i first properly encounted drag by watching an episode of rupaul’s drag race which soon quickly became an obsession. seriously ask me anything about drag race and i’ll know the answer, but who doesn’t right? i discovered that the only thing that drag hadn’t conquered was magazines and so tucked was born! Here at Tucked we want to celebrate drag so dust off those makeup brushes, comb out that weave and join us for the ride. Remember it’s not personal, it’s drag. We hope you enjoy our first issue. Let us know how sick’ning it is by following us online at @TuckedUK!
love Emma^
contents
page 4
shantay, should they have stayed?
we look back through the best LSFYL’s and countdown the fiercest lip syncers of all time.
page 8
who is: dayle lefusion?
we meet a new drag queen on the scene and talk about style, performance and confidence.
project faux drag with Lacey Noel
we chat with cosplayer Lacey to find out more about faux drag and it’s place in the drag community.
page 14
queen of the month
we crown our queen of the month and tell you all you need to know about them.
page 17
the t about hiv
we explore the sensitive issue of HIV and uncover how it’s dealt with in today’s world.
drag dont’s
we discover the biggest drag mistakes and help you look sickening.
page 18
page 19
2
3
10
9 8 4
Dida Ritz The unofficial queen of the lip sync, Dida’s performance of ‘This Will Be’ in front of Natalie Cole herself was so strong that her competition barely graced our screens. Who even was her competition? Here at Tucked we don’t even remember!
Detox Proving she could camp it up, you could be forgiven for thinking that Detox’s quivering lip was the beginnings of a stroke but it soon became her signature move. We also loved her jellyfish inspired dress, it’s just a shame it couldn’t keep her afloat in the competition.
jinkx monsoon Obviously the winner of Season 5 barely found herself troubling the bottom two, only risking elimination once against fellow fierce lip syncher Detox. The quirky queen with her crazy eyes ensured that she cemented her place in the final.
shantay, should they have stayed? Lip synching for your life may seem like an alien concept to those not immersed in the drag world, but for you readers of Tucked it should be an all too familiar concept. One or two of you have probably even showed off your skills on stage to the sounds of Madonna’s back catalogue. But of course the championing of lip syncing for your life came through RuPaul’s Drag Race (as if you didn’t know that already). So we’ve delved back into our Netflix history and re-watched every series to bring you a list of the finest lip synching queens on the scene.
tucked
adore delano Adore was called up on being one of the more unpolished queens more times than we can count, but in her lip syncs she turned it out. Her high energy and hilarious faces helped her make it all the way to the final three. She even managed to make Paula Abdul crack a smile.
alyssa edwards The queen of dance, she gave us the lip sync of our lives every single time. Half of the closest lip sync in Drag Race history, we lived for that spinning jump split. Ouch! Secretly we think RuPaul made a mistake in sending her home.
manila luzon Manila’s memorable performance of ‘MacArthur Park’ gave us Broadway realness. Her repertoire of faces meant that her lip syncs were terrifying, but terrifyingly perfect at the same time. The only thing we can’t forgive Manila for is that monstrous Big Bird inspired dress. Girl, what were you thinking!?
7 6 5 5
10
9 8 4
Dida Ritz The unofficial queen of the lip sync, Dida’s performance of ‘This Will Be’ in front of Natalie Cole herself was so strong that her competition barely graced our screens. Who even was her competition? Here at Tucked we don’t even remember!
Detox Proving she could camp it up, you could be forgiven for thinking that Detox’s quivering lip was the beginnings of a stroke but it soon became her signature move. We also loved her jellyfish inspired dress, it’s just a shame it couldn’t keep her afloat in the competition.
jinkx monsoon Obviously the winner of Season 5 barely found herself troubling the bottom two, only risking elimination once against fellow fierce lip syncher Detox. The quirky queen with her crazy eyes ensured that she cemented her place in the final.
shantay, should they have stayed? Lip synching for your life may seem like an alien concept to those not immersed in the drag world, but for you readers of Tucked it should be an all too familiar concept. One or two of you have probably even showed off your skills on stage to the sounds of Madonna’s back catalogue. But of course the championing of lip syncing for your life came through RuPaul’s Drag Race (as if you didn’t know that already). So we’ve delved back into our Netflix history and re-watched every series to bring you a list of the finest lip synching queens on the scene.
tucked
adore delano Adore was called up on being one of the more unpolished queens more times than we can count, but in her lip syncs she turned it out. Her high energy and hilarious faces helped her make it all the way to the final three. She even managed to make Paula Abdul crack a smile.
alyssa edwards The queen of dance, she gave us the lip sync of our lives every single time. Half of the closest lip sync in Drag Race history, we lived for that spinning jump split. Ouch! Secretly we think RuPaul made a mistake in sending her home.
manila luzon Manila’s memorable performance of ‘MacArthur Park’ gave us Broadway realness. Her repertoire of faces meant that her lip syncs were terrifying, but terrifyingly perfect at the same time. The only thing we can’t forgive Manila for is that monstrous Big Bird inspired dress. Girl, what were you thinking!?
7 6 5 5
1
tucked
jujubee
4 3 2 6
latrice royale The chunky yet funky Latrice brought the house down when it came to her lip syncs. Her ability to capture the mood of a song meant that all eyes were on her and not lil Kenya Michaels pirouetting around the stage. The soulful songstress ended up getting lassoed by a country song.
One of the most popular queens ever to appear on Drag Race, Jujubee was the fan favourite of the second season. Combined with her participation in AllStars, she survived a jaw dropping five LSFYL with her emotional performances but she also knew when to turn it out when it was needed. Here at Tucked HQ we have all her battles bookmarked on YouTube, so Jujubee we crown you the official queen of the lip sync. Keep being sickening, you’re our queen!
raven Ice maiden Raven seemed unapproachable but on the stage she burnt us all alive. She may not have been the best dancer but her sky high level of sass and well timed innuendoes had us all taking a cold shower. Here at Tucked we still practice her ‘never gonna get it’ move in secret.
trinity k bonet The lip sync killer of season six, her sultry delivery of classic Aaliyah rap helped save her from elimination twice. Not only did she excel at lip synching, she could serve up some major dance moves too. But when she faced Adore, her track record in the bottom two didn’t do her any favours.
7
1
tucked
jujubee
4 3 2 6
latrice royale The chunky yet funky Latrice brought the house down when it came to her lip syncs. Her ability to capture the mood of a song meant that all eyes were on her and not lil Kenya Michaels pirouetting around the stage. The soulful songstress ended up getting lassoed by a country song.
One of the most popular queens ever to appear on Drag Race, Jujubee was the fan favourite of the second season. Combined with her participation in AllStars, she survived a jaw dropping five LSFYL with her emotional performances but she also knew when to turn it out when it was needed. Here at Tucked HQ we have all her battles bookmarked on YouTube, so Jujubee we crown you the official queen of the lip sync. Keep being sickening, you’re our queen!
raven Ice maiden Raven seemed unapproachable but on the stage she burnt us all alive. She may not have been the best dancer but her sky high level of sass and well timed innuendoes had us all taking a cold shower. Here at Tucked we still practice her ‘never gonna get it’ move in secret.
trinity k bonet The lip sync killer of season six, her sultry delivery of classic Aaliyah rap helped save her from elimination twice. Not only did she excel at lip synching, she could serve up some major dance moves too. But when she faced Adore, her track record in the bottom two didn’t do her any favours.
7
tucked
who is dayle lefusion? meet the UK’s next drag
superstar
8
9
tucked
who is dayle lefusion? meet the UK’s next drag
superstar
8
9
tucked
With the spotlight currently placed so hugely on American drag stars fresh off RuPaul’s catwalk it’d be easy to forget the savvy queens we have this side of the pond. Talent as fresh as fresh tilapia is everywhere, from capital clubs to your local gay bar. But here at Tucked we’re all about untucking the unknown, so we found 26 year old styling student and part time drag queen Dayle LeFusion to chat to, who also happens to be this month’s cover queen! Dayle, or the sultry Belladonna when he’s in drag, first put on a wig and a pair of high heels when he dressed up as Paris Hilton for a friend’s fancy dress birthday party – minus the Chihuahua in a handbag. “It was awful but then afterwards I thought it was really fun and a lot of people said I looked good so I kind of carried it on from there,” he says. So although it’s a cliché, that one party changed his life and probably his bank balance completely. Hey, makeup’s not cheap you know.
10
11
tucked
With the spotlight currently placed so hugely on American drag stars fresh off RuPaul’s catwalk it’d be easy to forget the savvy queens we have this side of the pond. Talent as fresh as fresh tilapia is everywhere, from capital clubs to your local gay bar. But here at Tucked we’re all about untucking the unknown, so we found 26 year old styling student and part time drag queen Dayle LeFusion to chat to, who also happens to be this month’s cover queen! Dayle, or the sultry Belladonna when he’s in drag, first put on a wig and a pair of high heels when he dressed up as Paris Hilton for a friend’s fancy dress birthday party – minus the Chihuahua in a handbag. “It was awful but then afterwards I thought it was really fun and a lot of people said I looked good so I kind of carried it on from there,” he says. So although it’s a cliché, that one party changed his life and probably his bank balance completely. Hey, makeup’s not cheap you know.
10
11
tucked Although technically he’s dressed up in drag for three years it was only recently that Dayle took to the runway and strutted his stuff in his very first performance. He says with a laugh that at the time he thought it was shockingly bad but after watching it back on YouTube he’s eager to perform more. He told me: “I’ve wanted to start getting a proper act together for ages but I don’t really know how to get into it so I’ve asked some other drag queens for advice. They told me if I get an act together and find a space for it somewhere then I can just build up a reputation.” So we know that Dayle’s determined to take his drag to the next level, but why does he and thousands of others keep on putting on the slap? In Dayle’s eyes its one important word. Confidence. “I talk to people a lot easier, make jokes and stuff like that,” he says. Belladonna is still Dayle’s personality but with a generous ladling of extra self-confidence. As a boy Dayle is somewhat the black sheep of the gay community. Favouring a more alternative style than a lot of gay men, he doesn’t fit the stereotypical mould but it’s not like he isn’t short of attention. But when he’s in drag he gets a lot more and he can’t get enough. “I like the praise I get,” he says. “It’s quite nice to know that you’re doing something right and that people enjoy it.” It’s not just the constant admirers that Dayle enjoys about drag, he’s also made a ton of new friends. But some he thinks would have been wary to get to know him if they’d first met him when he was out of drag. “I’ve met so many awesome people that I know would talk to me out of drag now, but they might have thought beforehand that I looked quite intimidating out of drag. When you’re in drag people talk to you first and compliment you on your hair or makeup or your outfit,” he says. But even in drag Dayle likes to push the boundaries of typical drag. His appearance doesn’t scream glamour in the conventional sense but it sure grabs your attention. “My general look is very trashy chic because I don’t care if my tights have rips in, I like looking like a rock chick,” he revealed. He arrived to our photo-shoot painted for the gods with an eye-catching wig teased to perfection but he explained that when it comes to his outfits less is definitely best! “My skirts are all really short and I wear a lot of crop tops. People know it’s me when they see me. I’d be so easy to buy for if I was a girl!,” he added. Well at least we know what to buy him for his birthday now. We know that making it in the drag world isn’t an easy feat but the unanimous opinion here at Tucked is that we won’t be surprised to see Dayle make it big. The buzz of a RuPaul’s Drag Race UK happening is becoming more deafening by the day and we think this queen should be standing on that podium.
12
instagram.com/daylelefusion
twitter.com/daylelefusion
facebook.com/BelladonnaBáthoryBorgia
13
tucked Although technically he’s dressed up in drag for three years it was only recently that Dayle took to the runway and strutted his stuff in his very first performance. He says with a laugh that at the time he thought it was shockingly bad but after watching it back on YouTube he’s eager to perform more. He told me: “I’ve wanted to start getting a proper act together for ages but I don’t really know how to get into it so I’ve asked some other drag queens for advice. They told me if I get an act together and find a space for it somewhere then I can just build up a reputation.” So we know that Dayle’s determined to take his drag to the next level, but why does he and thousands of others keep on putting on the slap? In Dayle’s eyes its one important word. Confidence. “I talk to people a lot easier, make jokes and stuff like that,” he says. Belladonna is still Dayle’s personality but with a generous ladling of extra self-confidence. As a boy Dayle is somewhat the black sheep of the gay community. Favouring a more alternative style than a lot of gay men, he doesn’t fit the stereotypical mould but it’s not like he isn’t short of attention. But when he’s in drag he gets a lot more and he can’t get enough. “I like the praise I get,” he says. “It’s quite nice to know that you’re doing something right and that people enjoy it.” It’s not just the constant admirers that Dayle enjoys about drag, he’s also made a ton of new friends. But some he thinks would have been wary to get to know him if they’d first met him when he was out of drag. “I’ve met so many awesome people that I know would talk to me out of drag now, but they might have thought beforehand that I looked quite intimidating out of drag. When you’re in drag people talk to you first and compliment you on your hair or makeup or your outfit,” he says. But even in drag Dayle likes to push the boundaries of typical drag. His appearance doesn’t scream glamour in the conventional sense but it sure grabs your attention. “My general look is very trashy chic because I don’t care if my tights have rips in, I like looking like a rock chick,” he revealed. He arrived to our photo-shoot painted for the gods with an eye-catching wig teased to perfection but he explained that when it comes to his outfits less is definitely best! “My skirts are all really short and I wear a lot of crop tops. People know it’s me when they see me. I’d be so easy to buy for if I was a girl!,” he added. Well at least we know what to buy him for his birthday now. We know that making it in the drag world isn’t an easy feat but the unanimous opinion here at Tucked is that we won’t be surprised to see Dayle make it big. The buzz of a RuPaul’s Drag Race UK happening is becoming more deafening by the day and we think this queen should be standing on that podium.
12
instagram.com/daylelefusion
twitter.com/daylelefusion
facebook.com/BelladonnaBáthoryBorgia
13
tucked
project
faux drag with
lacey noel
Lacey Noel isn’t an ordinary drag queen. In fact she’s not a drag queen at all! The heavy makeup and wacky outfits might be a bit of a mindfuck, but strip it back and you’ll find she’s just a regular 18 year old girl. That’s right, I said girl. Confused? Don’t be, for Lacey’s forte is cosplay, drag cosplay in particular. We wanted to learn more so we spoke to her to find out more about her current project, Project Faux Drag. Hi Lacey! Why did you decide to undertake Project Faux Drag? Well, long story short, I was inspired by seeing other people’s makeup tutorials of some of the different queens and I’d already made some attempts at creating some queen inspired looks. One day, I did Bendelacreme and since my mom is a photographer who specializes in the pinup genre, and Dela is very pinup-y, she put an outfit on me, and so it turned into a photoshoot! People seemed to really take a liking to it, and so we decided to do Alaska, then Manila, then Adore and then it turned into a project.
How did you decide on the project name? With the name, a lot of people think that the ‘Faux’ part of the name is derived from the term ‘faux queen’ when actually, since I personally prefer the term ‘bio queen’, we put the ‘faux’ in there because I’m dressed as all these drag queens, but I’m not really them That’s the ‘false’ side to it!
What have you enjoyed most about the project? I enjoy the pure art of it. I’ve been able to portray about seventeen different queens and I’m not afraid to say that I’m proud of myself. I’ve come a long way with makeup and modelling, this project has made me
stronger in those abilities but also stronger as a person as well. Both my mother and I have been through so much with this project. I also really like the fact that I have an artistic project that I’m working on with not only the best mother anyone could ever have, but my best friend.
what has been the most challenging aspects of it so far? People. Some people can really be so heartless and brutal, but the people who send me love and sweet messages are the ones who really count. Also, it’s hard to transform yourself into nearly twenty different people with only about a year and a half of makeup experience!
what inspired your interest in drag? One Christmas, I opened my stocking to reveal a brand new DVD of To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar! That was one of the most influential movies in my life and it’s also how I discovered RuPaul. I immediately was so fascinated by the beauty and art of drag, especially when I tuned into watching RPDR season three. And part of the reason why I love that show so much is because not only does it have a wonderful way of giving drag a platform for a wider audience to see, but you get to learn about these people’s personalities and how these people overcome their hardships in life. It’s truly inspiring.
what have been your favourite drag queen looks to portray? This question is so difficult to answer! Trixie Mattel was really neat and interesting to fun because I ate flowers and climbed trees as part of my portrayal of her on my YouTube channel. These season 7 queens are really something else, and they’re really putting my makeup skills to the test!
instagram.com/misslaceynoel twitter.com/misslaceynoel
14
>
facebook.com/laceynoel
15
tucked
project
faux drag with
lacey noel
Lacey Noel isn’t an ordinary drag queen. In fact she’s not a drag queen at all! The heavy makeup and wacky outfits might be a bit of a mindfuck, but strip it back and you’ll find she’s just a regular 18 year old girl. That’s right, I said girl. Confused? Don’t be, for Lacey’s forte is cosplay, drag cosplay in particular. We wanted to learn more so we spoke to her to find out more about her current project, Project Faux Drag. Hi Lacey! Why did you decide to undertake Project Faux Drag? Well, long story short, I was inspired by seeing other people’s makeup tutorials of some of the different queens and I’d already made some attempts at creating some queen inspired looks. One day, I did Bendelacreme and since my mom is a photographer who specializes in the pinup genre, and Dela is very pinup-y, she put an outfit on me, and so it turned into a photoshoot! People seemed to really take a liking to it, and so we decided to do Alaska, then Manila, then Adore and then it turned into a project.
How did you decide on the project name? With the name, a lot of people think that the ‘Faux’ part of the name is derived from the term ‘faux queen’ when actually, since I personally prefer the term ‘bio queen’, we put the ‘faux’ in there because I’m dressed as all these drag queens, but I’m not really them That’s the ‘false’ side to it!
What have you enjoyed most about the project? I enjoy the pure art of it. I’ve been able to portray about seventeen different queens and I’m not afraid to say that I’m proud of myself. I’ve come a long way with makeup and modelling, this project has made me
stronger in those abilities but also stronger as a person as well. Both my mother and I have been through so much with this project. I also really like the fact that I have an artistic project that I’m working on with not only the best mother anyone could ever have, but my best friend.
what has been the most challenging aspects of it so far? People. Some people can really be so heartless and brutal, but the people who send me love and sweet messages are the ones who really count. Also, it’s hard to transform yourself into nearly twenty different people with only about a year and a half of makeup experience!
what inspired your interest in drag? One Christmas, I opened my stocking to reveal a brand new DVD of To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar! That was one of the most influential movies in my life and it’s also how I discovered RuPaul. I immediately was so fascinated by the beauty and art of drag, especially when I tuned into watching RPDR season three. And part of the reason why I love that show so much is because not only does it have a wonderful way of giving drag a platform for a wider audience to see, but you get to learn about these people’s personalities and how these people overcome their hardships in life. It’s truly inspiring.
what have been your favourite drag queen looks to portray? This question is so difficult to answer! Trixie Mattel was really neat and interesting to fun because I ate flowers and climbed trees as part of my portrayal of her on my YouTube channel. These season 7 queens are really something else, and they’re really putting my makeup skills to the test!
instagram.com/misslaceynoel twitter.com/misslaceynoel
14
>
facebook.com/laceynoel
15
tucked
what has the reaction been to your project? It varies. There’s so many people that despise it and have even made violent threats towards me, but I do get a lot of positive reviews and vibes from people. That’s what really matters anyway and I am so grateful for that. Also, with the queens that I cosplay as, they’ll comment and they all seem to really like and be appreciative of my homage to all of them. That makes my heart really happy.
it’s uncommon to see women using exaggerated makeup and portraying themselves as queens through faux drag, do you t hink your project will give it more of a platform and make it more popular? would you like to see more girls do what you do? Sure! It’s really amazing seeing not only drag queens express themselves, but everyone expressing themselves. I hope that by doing what I do will shinea light onto who I am where people may see that there are so many ways that I could dress, and that there are so many people I could be, but not matter what I always remain myself. I hope that inspires others in some way.
MISS FAME
what is faux drag? Drag is just for men right? Wrong. Of course there are drag king’s (girls impersonating men) but what we want to talk about is the art of faux drag, when a biological female adopts the style typical of a male drag queen. Whether you call them faux queens, bio queens or just a drag queen trapped in a woman’s body, these female performance artists are still out to educate and entertain by playing with traditional gender norms. For some it is a way of redefining postmodern feminism. After all faux queen Ms. Lucia Love once said, “Drag queens would be nowhere without women.” But it’s not all fun and games for faux queens. They often face extreme scrutiny from those who believe that it’s not really drag. But come on, would you call extreme contouring, over the top eye shadow and wigs nearly reaching the height of heaven NOT DRAG? We certainly wouldn’t.
Every month at Tucked we choose our favourite queen of the moment to take centre stage on our centre page. This month it’s the turn of cosmic queen Miss Fame! Self-proclaimed alien supermodel Miss Fame has been one of the fastest rising stars over the last few years and now she’s qualified for the Olympics of drag, Drag Race of course!
Queen of the month
Kurtis Dam-Mikkelsen was once just a little boy whose most prized posessions were his hundreds of chicken he helped raise on a California farm. Now his most prized possession is his drag. Already having made a mark on the male model industry, Miss Fame was born in the city that never sleeps following the advice of renowned photographer Mike Ruiz. Since creating ‘The Super Model Drag Queen’ she has worked with too many photographers to count and has even walked the catwalk during NYC Fashion Week! What a way to cement her position as one of the most poised queens around. Her immaculate look comes from her admiration of Linda Evangelista, who she labels as the most profound supermodel of all time and we would even go as far to say that she’s the most aesthetically polished queen to ever appear on Drag Race. “If you’ve got it, flaunt it,” is her motto, and if we were her we’d certainly flaunt it too. Miss Fame is known for her flawless make-up skills and can beat a face like no other but we bet you’re desperate to know how she learnt to paint for the gods. Apparently it’s all down to portrait painting! She told HotSpots Magazine, “I had the ability to paint ever since I was five years old, and my art teachers pushed me. It’s my natural talent, but I didn’t share it that much. I had to find a way to monetise my talent, so I turned it into make-up. I then turned myself into a living painting and became Miss Fame.” We bet you’re wishing you spent less time covering your hands with PVA glue in art lessons now. Fame isn’t a seasoned performer like so many of the queens that she has found herself pitted against. Her image is everything. And with beauty comes pain. Obsessive pain. She’s had everything from blisters in unfortunate places, to ribcage lacerations from wearing outlandish steel corsets. But this cosmic queen suffers in silence and we love her for it!
don’t forget to follow @MissFameNYC!
16
17
tucked
what has the reaction been to your project? It varies. There’s so many people that despise it and have even made violent threats towards me, but I do get a lot of positive reviews and vibes from people. That’s what really matters anyway and I am so grateful for that. Also, with the queens that I cosplay as, they’ll comment and they all seem to really like and be appreciative of my homage to all of them. That makes my heart really happy.
it’s uncommon to see women using exaggerated makeup and portraying themselves as queens through faux drag, do you t hink your project will give it more of a platform and make it more popular? would you like to see more girls do what you do? Sure! It’s really amazing seeing not only drag queens express themselves, but everyone expressing themselves. I hope that by doing what I do will shinea light onto who I am where people may see that there are so many ways that I could dress, and that there are so many people I could be, but not matter what I always remain myself. I hope that inspires others in some way.
MISS FAME
what is faux drag? Drag is just for men right? Wrong. Of course there are drag king’s (girls impersonating men) but what we want to talk about is the art of faux drag, when a biological female adopts the style typical of a male drag queen. Whether you call them faux queens, bio queens or just a drag queen trapped in a woman’s body, these female performance artists are still out to educate and entertain by playing with traditional gender norms. For some it is a way of redefining postmodern feminism. After all faux queen Ms. Lucia Love once said, “Drag queens would be nowhere without women.” But it’s not all fun and games for faux queens. They often face extreme scrutiny from those who believe that it’s not really drag. But come on, would you call extreme contouring, over the top eye shadow and wigs nearly reaching the height of heaven NOT DRAG? We certainly wouldn’t.
Every month at Tucked we choose our favourite queen of the moment to take centre stage on our centre page. This month it’s the turn of cosmic queen Miss Fame! Self-proclaimed alien supermodel Miss Fame has been one of the fastest rising stars over the last few years and now she’s qualified for the Olympics of drag, Drag Race of course!
Queen of the month
Kurtis Dam-Mikkelsen was once just a little boy whose most prized posessions were his hundreds of chicken he helped raise on a California farm. Now his most prized possession is his drag. Already having made a mark on the male model industry, Miss Fame was born in the city that never sleeps following the advice of renowned photographer Mike Ruiz. Since creating ‘The Super Model Drag Queen’ she has worked with too many photographers to count and has even walked the catwalk during NYC Fashion Week! What a way to cement her position as one of the most poised queens around. Her immaculate look comes from her admiration of Linda Evangelista, who she labels as the most profound supermodel of all time and we would even go as far to say that she’s the most aesthetically polished queen to ever appear on Drag Race. “If you’ve got it, flaunt it,” is her motto, and if we were her we’d certainly flaunt it too. Miss Fame is known for her flawless make-up skills and can beat a face like no other but we bet you’re desperate to know how she learnt to paint for the gods. Apparently it’s all down to portrait painting! She told HotSpots Magazine, “I had the ability to paint ever since I was five years old, and my art teachers pushed me. It’s my natural talent, but I didn’t share it that much. I had to find a way to monetise my talent, so I turned it into make-up. I then turned myself into a living painting and became Miss Fame.” We bet you’re wishing you spent less time covering your hands with PVA glue in art lessons now. Fame isn’t a seasoned performer like so many of the queens that she has found herself pitted against. Her image is everything. And with beauty comes pain. Obsessive pain. She’s had everything from blisters in unfortunate places, to ribcage lacerations from wearing outlandish steel corsets. But this cosmic queen suffers in silence and we love her for it!
don’t forget to follow @MissFameNYC!
16
17
tucked
must have’s! Kryolan TV Paint Stick works wonders as a base or even creamy cheap foundations from UK favourite Rimmel that are thick enough to give full coverage. NYX high-pigment lip liners are incredible for helping construct a brand new lip, along with intense liptars from OCC. Hundreds of pairs of eyelashes, and we mean it when we say hundreds. Daiso do packs of three for around £1.50. 301 eyelashes will become your best friend. A glue stick. No we’re actually being serious. A basic Pritt Stick is essential for covering up any caveman eyebrows and helping to create a smooth base to draw on some perfect arches.
the t about hiv HIV, a disease affecting the drag and gay community as a whole, for decades has rarely been discussed, secretly swept under the carpet and forgotten about like a fallen fake eyelash. But here at Tucked we want to bring it to the forefront in a positive way, stop the shame and teach the T. Right now approximately 6% of gay and bisexual men are living with HIV. That might seem a teeny tiny number, but a quarter of the 110,000 people with the disease in the UK don’t even know they have it! There’s so much that people don’t know so we’re here to stop the rumour mill and confront the myths. It’s easy to think that the biggest mistake you can ever make is having unprotected sex with someone who’s HIV positive. Ok, it’s not the wisest thing to do but it might not be the end of the world after all. Nowadays someone with HIV who is receiving treatment gets access to much better drugs with their infectiousness dropping by 96%, making them much less likely to pass on the virus! Technically it’s riskier to have unsafe sex with someone who doesn’t know their status.
18
Most people think that it is sexually promiscuous young men who are the ones likely contract HIV. However that’s not necessarily the case. There are low levels of HIV in the young gay community, levels are much higher in the older generation. More men over the age of fifty catch the virus then teenagers. One of the biggest misconceptions is that HIV and AIDS are the same thing. The sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust’s survey of those living with HIV revealed that 63% of them had heard of this absolute myth. HIV is Human Immunodeficiency Virus whereas AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. These long words may sound complicated but really it’s simple, the HIV virus will only cause AIDS if you don’t realise you’re positive and/ or aren’t taking treatment. If not your immune system is swiftly destroyed, paving the way for dangerous infections and cancers to consume your body. It’s also common for people to think that they can tell whether someone is HIV positive which is completely untrue! The
virus itself doesn’t make you look any different unless you leave it untreated! Many guys respond to their diagnosis with a healthy outlook, often joining a gym and getting ripped as a big FU to the virus. The most controversial aspect of the HIV virus is the discrimination that it regularly stirs up. Even now one in three of sufferers in the UK have reported that they’ve encountered discrimination in our country. Many of those living with the virus are made to feel ashamed and find it difficult to shake of the stigma of a HIV diagnosis. But it doesn’t always have to be doom and gloom. That’s why it is so incredibly important to get tested and get treatment so that positive doesn’t always need to be negative. If you are living with HIV or are worried about your health there are numerous groups groups around the country that offer support, advice and most importantly friendship. Positively UK – postivelyuk.org/men London’s Gay Men’s Group – gmg.org.uk The Forum Link Project – forum-link.org
Make-up sealer or setting spray is a must to make sure your eyebrows don’t end up halfway down your face under those sweltering stage lights.
One of the most important things to perfect in drag makeup is to camouflage your beard, if you can’t shave close enough that is. You don’t want to end up looking like Willam. Concealing a grey undertone isn’t that difficult, use an orange cream underneath foundation. Make sure it’s patted on and not smeared on like toddlers playing with paint. Blending is a drag queen’s best friend. Contour shouldn’t look like orange tiger stripes. Blend gurl blend! Contour colours need grey undertones on light skin and neutral olives on darker skin. And remember shimmer is a sin! Lacefront wigs are expensive but if they’re way out of your price range then blending that paint over the hairline is the key. Backcombing the front can also help disguise a dodgy hairline. And the number one rule when it comes to your do, is don’t buy a crappy wig! That realness don’t come cheaply. Females often naturally have fuller lips then men so creating bigger lips in drag is a must. Over drawing lips is a drag staple but to create a more realistic looking dimension it is ESSENTIAL to wear lip liner! Just use it.
i drag
don’ts
A drag queen’s makeup kit needs to be bursting at the brim with plenty of products to turn them from shady to lady.
19
tucked
must have’s! Kryolan TV Paint Stick works wonders as a base or even creamy cheap foundations from UK favourite Rimmel that are thick enough to give full coverage. NYX high-pigment lip liners are incredible for helping construct a brand new lip, along with intense liptars from OCC. Hundreds of pairs of eyelashes, and we mean it when we say hundreds. Daiso do packs of three for around £1.50. 301 eyelashes will become your best friend. A glue stick. No we’re actually being serious. A basic Pritt Stick is essential for covering up any caveman eyebrows and helping to create a smooth base to draw on some perfect arches.
the t about hiv HIV, a disease affecting the drag and gay community as a whole, for decades has rarely been discussed, secretly swept under the carpet and forgotten about like a fallen fake eyelash. But here at Tucked we want to bring it to the forefront in a positive way, stop the shame and teach the T. Right now approximately 6% of gay and bisexual men are living with HIV. That might seem a teeny tiny number, but a quarter of the 110,000 people with the disease in the UK don’t even know they have it! There’s so much that people don’t know so we’re here to stop the rumour mill and confront the myths. It’s easy to think that the biggest mistake you can ever make is having unprotected sex with someone who’s HIV positive. Ok, it’s not the wisest thing to do but it might not be the end of the world after all. Nowadays someone with HIV who is receiving treatment gets access to much better drugs with their infectiousness dropping by 96%, making them much less likely to pass on the virus! Technically it’s riskier to have unsafe sex with someone who doesn’t know their status.
18
Most people think that it is sexually promiscuous young men who are the ones likely contract HIV. However that’s not necessarily the case. There are low levels of HIV in the young gay community, levels are much higher in the older generation. More men over the age of fifty catch the virus then teenagers. One of the biggest misconceptions is that HIV and AIDS are the same thing. The sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust’s survey of those living with HIV revealed that 63% of them had heard of this absolute myth. HIV is Human Immunodeficiency Virus whereas AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. These long words may sound complicated but really it’s simple, the HIV virus will only cause AIDS if you don’t realise you’re positive and/ or aren’t taking treatment. If not your immune system is swiftly destroyed, paving the way for dangerous infections and cancers to consume your body. It’s also common for people to think that they can tell whether someone is HIV positive which is completely untrue! The
virus itself doesn’t make you look any different unless you leave it untreated! Many guys respond to their diagnosis with a healthy outlook, often joining a gym and getting ripped as a big FU to the virus. The most controversial aspect of the HIV virus is the discrimination that it regularly stirs up. Even now one in three of sufferers in the UK have reported that they’ve encountered discrimination in our country. Many of those living with the virus are made to feel ashamed and find it difficult to shake of the stigma of a HIV diagnosis. But it doesn’t always have to be doom and gloom. That’s why it is so incredibly important to get tested and get treatment so that positive doesn’t always need to be negative. If you are living with HIV or are worried about your health there are numerous groups groups around the country that offer support, advice and most importantly friendship. Positively UK – postivelyuk.org/men London’s Gay Men’s Group – gmg.org.uk The Forum Link Project – forum-link.org
Make-up sealer or setting spray is a must to make sure your eyebrows don’t end up halfway down your face under those sweltering stage lights.
One of the most important things to perfect in drag makeup is to camouflage your beard, if you can’t shave close enough that is. You don’t want to end up looking like Willam. Concealing a grey undertone isn’t that difficult, use an orange cream underneath foundation. Make sure it’s patted on and not smeared on like toddlers playing with paint. Blending is a drag queen’s best friend. Contour shouldn’t look like orange tiger stripes. Blend gurl blend! Contour colours need grey undertones on light skin and neutral olives on darker skin. And remember shimmer is a sin! Lacefront wigs are expensive but if they’re way out of your price range then blending that paint over the hairline is the key. Backcombing the front can also help disguise a dodgy hairline. And the number one rule when it comes to your do, is don’t buy a crappy wig! That realness don’t come cheaply. Females often naturally have fuller lips then men so creating bigger lips in drag is a must. Over drawing lips is a drag staple but to create a more realistic looking dimension it is ESSENTIAL to wear lip liner! Just use it.
i drag
don’ts
A drag queen’s makeup kit needs to be bursting at the brim with plenty of products to turn them from shady to lady.
19