And it makes perfect sense — after all Demna Gvasalia is not only the artistic director who creates incredible looks for Balenciaga, he is also the official curator of Apple Music. And RuPaul’s not just famous for his incredible drag stylings, but also for massive chart-topping hits such as “Supermodel”, “Sissy That Walk”, and “Cover Girl” (and was a famed performer before that in 80s and 90s gay clubs). Meaning both artists are incredibly talented in creating stylings for both the eyes and the ears. 

The Balenciaga X RuPaul playlist takes your mind to an exhilarating place as it guides you through powerful anthems from icons including Lady Gaga, Donna Summer, Mariah Carey, Madonna, Beyoncé, and of course RuPaul himself. And best of all, it can be streamed or downloaded anywhere via Apple Music. 

And as if this wasn’t fantastic enough, the collaboration has an amazing fashion element to it too (how could it not?). For those who want to wear their expression, there is also a limited-edition line of Balenciaga X RuPaul wears, including fabulous unisex t-shirts, hoodies, and hats, all adorned with a print of RuPaul’s stylish signature. The mini-collection is modelled by both RuPaul himself, along with fellow famed club fixture Susanne Bartsch.

Ready to turn up the volume? You can listen to Balenciaga X RuPaul playlist here.

Season six of RuPaul’s Drag Race will premiere on Netflix UK later today. 

Pieces from the Balenciaga X RuPaul fashion collaboration are available here.

Words By Victoria Arrington

The post Balenciaga X RuPaul: The World’s Most Famous Drag Queen Has Just Dropped a Collaboration appeared first on Voir Fashion.

So, hosted by Derek Blasberg (the platform’s Head of Fashion and Beauty) The YouTube Beauty Festival will premier on our screens on the 14th of May. The virtual summit will include timely panel discussions and informative beauty segments, all with major celebrity guests and YouTube content creators alike. 

What a lineup it is. The festival spotlights celebrity beauty brand owners like Miranda Kerr (Kora Organics), Jessica Alba (The Honest Company), Milly Bobby Brown (Florence by Mills) and Pharrell Williams (Humanrace). Although they will be chatting about generally entertaining and useful information, it will also include “important conversations about amplifying diversity and equality across the beauty landscape.”

Additionally, there is also a chance to tune in to segments such as Ask a Drag Queen with RuPaul’s Drag Race winners Bob the Drag Queen and Monet X Change, the Black Beauty Founder Roundtable with YouTube’s Head of Creators Chanel Tyler and Pharrell Glow, where the founder and musician Pharrell Williams reveals his secrets on how he stays so youthful. Speaking to People.com Blasberg explained:

‘One of the first people I thought of when we were coming up with concepts for this festival was Pharrell Williams. Have you seen recent pictures of this man? He has not aged a day in, like, three decades. What’s the secret to his glow? He agreed to go over his beauty routine with three of YouTube’s top beauty creators, Asia Jackson, Sylvia Gani, and Nailea.’

We’ve never heard a truer word. How has he achieved this Benjamin Button status? We will be tuning in to find out!

Words By Rosina Findlay

The post Urgent: The Glastonbury Of The Beauty Industry Is Nearly Here! appeared first on Voir Fashion.

We owe drag queens a great deal for how we use makeup today—our sharp contours, snatched eyebrows, and overdrawn pouts are all thanks to the tricks professional makeup artists picked up along the way while working backstage for their shows and events. Yes, we may have toned down these techniques a fair amount compared to how the OG’s did it, but what we have taken has already altered our perception of makeup forever. 

And with the latest seasons of Ru Paul’s Drag Race in full swing, we thought it would be a golden opportunity to look back on some of the resplendent queens of the past, who have given us some of the most iconic, glamorous, (and remarkably wearable) drag makeup looks that we’ve all tried to emulate at least once at home. So here’s to the queens who are still serving us looks that astonish, astound, and inspire—giving us the confidence to embrace our very own charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent, wielded through the power of makeup. 

Jaida Essence Hall

£ 26.24

Fenty Beauty Longwear Foundation

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£ 29

By Terry Ombre Blackstar Eye Shadows

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£ 43

Urban Decay Naked Ultra Violet Palette

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£ 15.50

MAC Lipglass Lip Gloss

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£ 18

MAC Lip Pencil

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Dubbed as the “essence of beauty,” Jaida Essence Hall certainly lived up to her name as we swooned over her infinite array of flawless outfits and mesmerizing makeup looks every time she graced the stage. As a former pageant queen, Miss Jaida knew her way around a makeup brush and consistently served us effortlessly blown-out jewel toned smokey eyes that were perfectly paired with glossy, outlined lips in varying shades of rosewood, caramel, and peach. Coupled with an acute eye for detail and an extensive repertoire of creative talents, there’s no wonder at all that Jaida won the season twelve crown.

Violet Chachki

£ 10

Inglot All the Drama Eyeliner Gel

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£ 16

MAC Omega Eyeshadow

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£ 20

Fenty Beauty Stunna Lip Paint Longwear Fluid Lip Colour

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£ 39.50

Christian Louboutin Beauty Matte Nail Colour

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After slaying the game and coming through to take the crown, season seven was won over by the poised and timeless beauty, Violet Chachki. Brimming with confidence, sensuality, and sophistication, Violet was the epitome of burlesque glamour whose vintage aesthetic and itty-bitty waist rendered us speechless every time she strutted down that runway. Although perhaps a little catty at times, her signature feline flicks, crisp red vinyl lips, and sculpted cheekbones had us soon forgetting all about the catfights as we were transported into her unforgettable world of opulence, champagne, and ostrich feathers.

Plastique Tiara

£ 31

Yves Saint Laurent Vernis À Lèvres Water Stain Glow Lip Gloss

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£ 28

NARS Cosmetics Voyageur Eyeshadow Palette

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£ 30

Fenty Beauty Instant Warmth Bronzer

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£ 9.85

Tatti Lashes TL4

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The season eleven sweetheart who may have caused us to shed a tear or two, but who more than made it up for it with her sickening looks fit for a princess—Plastique Tiara was the self-proclaimed “Asian Barbie” who dressed to impress in lace, diamonds, and of course, tiaras. Her signature look went against the grain of the overly transformative and theatrical drag, but instead bordered on ‘biological woman’ with seamlessly sculpted skin, diffused smokey eyes of taupe and champagne gold, and softly snatched hyper-realistic eyebrows. Now we can find her kicking up a storm (quite literally) on TikTok, showing us exactly how it’s done. 

Dahlia Sin

£ 30

Warm Edit Eyeshadow Palette

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£ 32

Beautyblender Bounce Foundation Shade 4.20

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£ 26.40

Huda Beauty Tantour

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£ 19

Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade

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Although her time in the Ru Paul limelight may have been fleeting, our favourite broc-ally left her mark when it came to her edgy Brooklyn street style and dreamy makeup artistry. Playing with colour a little differently, Dahlia kept her makeup fresh and modern to match her outfits—think a wash of pastel blue across the lids to wear with her faded denim dress and jacket. This hazy-daze approach to her looks made her stand out amongst the other dolled up queens and transformed drag makeup into something wearable beyond the main stage—and her flawlessly blended contour and minimal eye makeup still continues to inspire us to this very day. 

Alyssa Edwards

£ 9.85

Tatti Lashes TL4

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£ 10

Revolution Pro Lustre Highlighter

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£ 27.50

Lancôme L’Absolu Rouge Drama Matte Lipstick

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£ 32

Fenty Beauty Instant Retouch Setting Powder

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Known for her big hair and her even bigger stage presence, Alyssa Edwards stole the show during her time on the fifth season of Drag Race, earning her the well-deserved title of fan favourite. While dancing may have been Alyssa’s true claim to fame, we couldn’t help but be completely in awe of her divine makeup artistry that so resembled the late glamour icon, Marilyn Monroe. Rarely caught without a bold swipe of matte lipstick and a full, fluttery lash, it was only a matter of time before Alyssa paired up with Anastasia Beverly Hills circa 2019 to create her very own eyeshadow palette that saw us gagging for more. 

Words by Vinona Baines

The post The Queens of The Past and Their Most Iconic Makeup Looks appeared first on Voir Fashion.

The Drag Queen. The outlandish, amplified, exaggerated emulation of womanhood. An art form that has gone from having to be tucked away (if you’ll pardon the pun) in underground gay clubs, to being booked as acts in the most famous clubs in the world. Slowly, but surely, it has grown and is now recognised as a highly influential craft that has altered main stream culture forever.

Almost exactly a decade ago, on February 2nd 2009, a TV programme aired on the American Channel Logo. A TV show that was initially just a show to find the ‘next drag super star’ is now seen as the undeniable ‘Big Bang’ in the evolution of negative attitudes towards diversity.

That revolutionary TV show goes by the name of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ and was created by none other than the reigning monarch of drag, her Royal Highness RuPaul Charles. A show that due to its nature began life having only a very niche, cult following is now considered a staple of modern television, winning countless awards.

Drag Race would have probably had the same success had it simply stuck to showing the superficial side of drag, as the creativity and talent the queens possess is undeniable. However, what gives the show its heart are the back-stage sections that reveal the queens out of their strong drag looks and personas. We see their vulnerability, as they tell their heartbreaking personal stories of having to face constant and sometimes brutal oppression simply because of who they are. It is this raw, unadulterated part of the show that has given visibility to issues such as racism and homophobia, causing a revolution in the way diversity is accepted today.

A wise drag queen once said ‘we’re all born naked and the rest is drag’. Tampering with your own identity is something everyone does. From the hairstyle you choose, to the scarf you throw on when it’s a bit nippy outside, we all want to be perceived in a certain way, and so make conscious efforts to achieve this. Drag Queens have built their reputation on playing with the gender norms society has created, and so are the leading pioneers of experimenting with identity. According to RuPaul, the term ‘Drag’ applies to us all, regardless of our race, gender or social background. ‘Drag’ is how we choose to present ourselves to the world, and which personas we adopt as we move through life. Everyone is in drag to a certain extent.

This is perhaps why in today’s society where the lens on gender identity is ever- broadening, Drag Race and Drag in general has become such a popular culture obsession. Inspiring people to express themselves and not give a damn, because, (as Ru says at the end of every episode of Drag Race),

‘If you can’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?!’

Now, it has by no means been ideal, but it has been bearable having to spend extortionate amounts on Netflix subscriptions or trawling for hours to find a working link to illegally download the weekly episode (only original Drag Race fans will empathise). However, these hardships we have had to endure as UK Drag Race fans have all been worth it, as on the third of October at 8:00pm Momma Ru gave us the gift. A gift we have all been patiently waiting for for nearly a decade; Drag Race UK. The excitement of Drag Race fans across the UK was palpable, as drag Race UK aired on the BBC.

True, our British Drag Race hopefuls aren’t famous for their put-together pageantry like their transatlantic sisters. But for what they lack in that area, they more than make up for in what British drag queens are famous for; quick, outrageous humour and a shining passion for creativity.

From Crystal’s edgy, East London style of drag that challenges gender stereotypes, to the brash humour of Baga Chipz who bases her drag act on a young Princess Diana – and the Coronation Street cast circa 1970 (how very British). We finally have a celebration of camp, creative and comedic British drag at it’s finest, and long may it continue!

In light of this, we’d like to take the time to shout out to all the drag queens out there, from the UK and across the seas! Thank you for daring to be different, and in doing so representing the underdogs and cast-offs of society; all the people who are scared to be themselves. We thank you for enabling people, whether gay, straight or trans to express who they are. Rather than having to t into an identity that society finds acceptable. But most importantly, you have shared the almighty secret of how you keep your foundation in place for over twelve hours without having to pritt-stick your face prior to application. So, from us all, thank you. Long live the queens!

Words by Ella Winfield

Graphics by Fiona Campbell

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The post Life’s A Drag appeared first on Voir Fashion.

The season seven winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Violet Chachki, has been making a loud statement in the fashion industry, making appearances on the runway at Dilara Findikolgu as Satan, and Moschino as a sexy conjoined twin. Now, the drag superstar features in Prada’s new AW18 campaign, killing it as a drag Marilyn Monroe.

The inventive and evocative short film shot by Willy Vanderperre embraces the multidimensionality of womanhood by starring Hollywood actress Sarah Paulson. She plays multiple incarnations of one character, whilst on the move through the glowing nocturnal landscape of Las Vegas and its famous Sunset Strip.

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The post Prada’s Drag Race Down Sunset Strip appeared first on Voir Fashion.