Yes, Drag Queens Are the Reason Your Contour Routine Is So *Snatched*
Get into this technique, honey.
Drag Queens are legislatively having a hot summer but that’s not stopping thee gworls from staying beat ‘zown. While we owe the LGBTQIA+ community so much for the work they’ve done for our American culture in general, it is Drag Queens that we need to give roses to the most as they single handedly modernized the way we do makeup, starting with the contouring technique.
What is Contouring?
Many will think the Kardashians invented the cult-loved makeup trick, but it dates back to the old dawns of day. Contouring is a technique where the face’s cheekbones and other focal points are “sculpted” to alter the face shape or bone structure drastically.
@theshotwithsoju Contouring like a drag queen baby! #learnontiktok #tiktokpartner #drag #makeup #tutorial #contour ♬ FANTASIA REAL_SAYDER FT JAVEE – The Phraternity MPG
@steviestunner Drag Make-Up Routine #drag #dragqueensoftiktok #dragmakeup #contour #tutorial #fyp ♬ love nwantinti (ah ah ah) – CKay
Many of today’s popular makeup techniques, such as “Oval Lining” and “Full Lashes,” can actually be traced back to drag queens. These performers have always been a part of the cultural landscape, but it wasn’t until the late ’80s and early ’90s that they really came into the public eye, thanks in part to the progress made by the gay liberation movement in New York City.
Interestingly, the art of contouring actually originated with femme queens who wanted to create a more feminine appearance by softening their facial features. By lifting the brow bones and flattening the Adam’s apple, these performers were able to create a more traditionally feminine look. Influential figures like RuPaul, Dorian Corey, and Pepper LaBeija were instrumental in popularizing these makeup techniques, which have since become a staple of modern beauty culture.
The art of contouring is developed under the guidance of a Drag mother who gives her “children” the basic foundation they need to master the technique. YouTube videos cannot grasp the concept that a classic showgirl or older queen will equip a young kween with — reasons why modern icons like Patrick Starrr and Kim Chi are essential to the community.
The contouring style is to be sold and not told, darlings.
@jackdapp When Mother Pepper LaBeija speaks we listen!! #parisisburning #iconic #jackdapp ♬ original sound – Jack’d
