![Aura Mayari and Anetra from RuPaul's Drag Race season 15.](https://www.byrdie.com/thmb/9V-jDLiiXUGdtlgPNKKwsKTrlpw=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/drag-94c93614f763486085340c64360d01b7.jpg)
Aura Mayari
Getting in drag is hard work. It’s not just because of the corsetry and heels, either. More and more these days, queens are expected to have sickening makeup and killer personal style, all coupled with sass, ass, and a heaping helping of social media skills. For anyone with a little bit of coin, though, some of that can be bought—or at least perfected and honed thanks to a number of products on the market today.
Byrdie chatted with the 16 queens from season 15 of RuPaul’s Drag Race about the cheap drugstore hairspray they use to keep their brows in place, the pumps that make them walk with purpose, and the razor one queen calls “the best choice I’ve ever made, not just for drag, but for life.”
Double-Sided Tape
“I use double stick wig tape for everything. You can secure a wig with it, obviously, but even if you don't want to show a nip you can use it to cover up and it'll stay there. That shit is not going anywhere. You can keep drag earrings on with it. You can take off your glitter with it. Honestly, it’s sickening.” — Anetra
“If you've seen my drag, you know I don’t wear a lot, so if I don’t have spray glue or some sort of adhesive, it’s not happening. I need something to hold in all the naughty bits. A lady can never be too sure.” — Sasha Colby
Fishnet Tights
“I’m plus sized, so it’s always hard to find stockings in my size. When I see them, I stock up on 7X and 8X stockings on Amazon. Still, when they come I do have to dye them to make them match my complexion.” — Malaysia Babydoll Foxx
“I remember when I walked in the room and met the New York girls, I was looking at the way they pad and put fishnets under their tights. I had never seen that before.” — Mistress Isabelle Brooks
“We wear different layers of tights to conceal padding lines and our undergarments, and if you put a pair of nude fishnets over your first pair and put the rest of pairs on top of that, it'll help smooth everything else.” — Salina EsTitties
“Beyoncé even does that. She’s padded down, diva.” — Robin Fierce
Got 2b Glued Blasting Freeze Hairspray
“Got 2b Glued hairspray literally works for everything. Malaysia gave me a great tip on set about using it on my eyebrows and I’ll never forget it. Basically, once I lay down my brows with a glue stick and set them with translucent powder, I take the Got 2b and pat it down in my brows because my eyebrow hair is a little fine, and when I sweat the hairs will come up otherwise. The Got 2b just gives them that super seal.” — Marcia Marcia Marcia
“I use Got 2b Glued for setting spray. I use it to glue on my wigs. I use it to set my wigs. I use it if I need to put something on my nipple. I love it.” — Princess Poppy
Mally Face Defender
“I am an oily ass bitch and the Mally Face Defender is literally this silicone-based product that you dip a sponge in and then you pat it off on your face and you look matte as hell. I do not go anywhere without it.” — Robin Fierce
Shop Will Beauty Press-On Nails
“I always, always, always need nails, because I have awful man hands. They immediately give me away because I do construction during the day, so they’re always all beaten up. I love to get my nails from Shop Will Beauty. Nails shouldn’t be exclusive to drag queens, either. I think everyone should wear a full set. I think your local butcher should probably wear a full set of acrylics.” — Loosey La Duca
Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray
“I sweat so much, so I love All Nighter Setting Spray. I have to set my makeup on.” — Aura Mayari
Tatti Lashes
“I like Tatti lashes. For me, finding the perfect drag lash is so key. They don't tell you about that on YouTube, but you have to find the perfect lash for the shapes that you're creating so it doesn’t look so blocky. Having a staple, good lash that you wear until you can't wear it anymore and it's just one clump of makeup is key.” — Spice
Pros-Aide Adhesive
“I cannot live without Pros-Aide for covering my eyebrows because I am a sweaty, sweaty girl and I need that medical adhesive.” — Jax
Philips Norelco Shaver and Trimmer
“I use it for my face, I use it for my legs, and that's all you need to know that I shave. It's the best shaving product I've ever used and as someone who has razor burn prone skin, it is the best choice that I've ever made not just for drag, but for my day to day life.” — Luxx Noir London
Eight-Inch Pleaser Heel
“The most important thing to me is an eight-inch heel, because I feel the fantasy when I feel tall. There's just something cunty and stunty and ready to get funky about throwing on eight-inch heels. I literally have a little rap verse about it, like ‘I ain’t a size queen but I am about the height / I’ll have eight inches please so it fits nice and tight.’” — Sugar
Hip Pads
“First and foremost for me, I need my hip pads. Without my hips I am just not feeling the fantasy. I’m not feeling well, mama. The daddies aren't saying hi. I've been using the same pair of pads for the past eight years. I got new ones for the show, but Michelle didn't like them so I switched back to the Frankenstein pads and now I'm good.” — Salina EsTitties
“My first pair of pads were literally made from a couch cushion, so if anybody's throwing out a couch, I need to make new ones because mine are ripped.” — Robin Fierce
Lash Corps Eyelashes
“I always have my lashes custom made by this amazing local company on Etsy called Lash Corps. They’re incredible, and it’s an amazing, queer-owned small business.” — Loosey LaDuca
Conair Folding Handle Travel Dryer
"I know it's not a makeup product, but hair dryers are good for everything. At this point, I can’t even imagine attempting to put down a wig without a hair dryer. It makes my skin crawl. It’s also good for when you have to put your lashes on. Throw on a hair dryer and you can dry the glue in one second.”— Amethyst
Scissors
“This isn't so much a product as it is a step. A lot of drag queens complain about wearing their shoes for a long time because it makes their toes hurt. That’s because they're not cutting the toes out of their pantyhose. If you want to maintain a really long wear when you’re in drag, you just have to cut the toes out of all your pantyhose except for the last layer.” — Irene Dubois
“That was one of the biggest tips I learned on the show. Once I learned that, it was like, ‘Oh, I can go all night!’” — Spice
KimChi Chic Beauty Concealer
“Kim Chi sells an amazing solid white concealer.” — Amethyst
“Kim makes the best drag makeup ever. It's so good.” — Spice
Antiperspirant
“As drag queens, we’ve always utilized things in ways that we are not supposed to be using them. I sweat a lot, and I don't know who told me this trick or when because I’ve been doing drag for 14 years, but I have a separate antiperspirant/deodorant stick just for my face. It’s not the same one that I use under my arms.
I put deodorant all over my face and then I just put all my makeup on top. It makes me just not sweat. Without it, my makeup would drip and you would see lines in it, but when I use the deodorant on my face and sweat, it just sits. I could pat my face and it would still feel flawless. I haven’t had any additional breakouts or blemishes, either.” — Malaysia Babydoll Foxx