‘Drag Race’ star led students in virtual makeup tutorial

As a part of the University of Maryland’s Multicultural Involvement and Community Advocacy workplace’s annual Pride Month celebration, Student Entertainment Events hosted a virtual drag makeup workshop on Thursday with RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars season 5 winner Shea Couleé. 
SEE sometimes hosts two drag occasions every spring: a big drag present with native performers and a preferred headliner — comparable to Drag Race alumna BeBe Zahara Benet in 2018 and Miz Cracker in 2019 — in addition to a smaller drag makeup workshop with an area drag artist.
This yr, due to COVID-19 restrictions, SEE Performing Arts Director Avni Khera determined to mix the occasions and do the makeup workshop on a bigger scale with a well known performer.
“I felt just like the makeup workshop was a very enjoyable factor, like somewhat supplemental occasion that we do to sort of enhance the annual drag present that we usually do,” Khera stated. “But my foremost purpose this yr was to make occasions that have been very interactive that folks might really participate in as a substitute of simply being a spectator.”
Students adopted alongside as greatest they might as Couleé effortlessly painted on a pink reduce crease with gold glitter and black winged eyeliner — a glance impressed by SEE’s fiftieth anniversary and meant to showcase this college’s colours. 
[One year after campus shut down, Studio A is still creating]
It was thrilling to look at Couleé undergo her makeup routine. Drag Race viewers solely get to see the completed look on the runway, so it was attention-grabbing to look at the transformation step-by-step and see what merchandise she prefers.
While doing her makeup, Couleé addressed as many feedback as she might from the viewers. People requested questions starting from what it was wish to work with Rihanna in her fall Savage X Fenty present (she smells like an angel) to who she thinks will win season 13 of Drag Race (no decide but, however Rosé has grown on her all through the season). There have been additionally extra fundamental questions, like about her favourite trip spot (Amsterdam, as a result of it’s like Disney World for adults). 
Talking to Couleé immediately was a singular expertise for attendees, particularly for Drag Race followers like junior journalism main Michael Purdie, who stated he didn’t count on the occasion to be so interactive. 
“She was responding to folks in the chat … I used to be simply so shocked about that,” he stated. “She referred to as on me as soon as as a result of I stated I regarded ugly with the makeup on, after which she pinned me and put me on and began speaking to me and my pals, which is loopy as a result of I’m like, ‘Oh my God, I’m speaking to Shea Couleé!’”
Purdie is already excited for subsequent yr’s occasions and even has a couple of concepts for performers he wish to see.
“Lemon is an enormous one which I like,” he stated. “Jaida Essence Hall — she received season 12 — she’s nice, and Gigi Goode from season 12 — they’ve actually nice makeup abilities, and I feel there’s rather a lot that I can be taught from them.”
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Hopefully subsequent yr the pandemic may have subsided and SEE will host its annual drag present in particular person as soon as once more. This yr’s drag makeup workshop, nonetheless, was nonetheless an unimaginable expertise. Getting to work together with Couleé, who’s on the prime of her sport after successful All Stars season 5 final yr, is a chance students in all probability wouldn’t have had throughout a drag present with tons of of attendees.
This occasion was Purdie’s first time experimenting with makeup on himself, however he stated he’s excited to proceed utilizing the free makeup merchandise he obtained from being one of many first 50 folks to join the occasion.
“In phrases of drag makeup, I don’t know if I’m going to get into it an excessive amount of as a result of I don’t see myself doing drag performances and stuff,” he stated. “But perhaps only for enjoyable, if me and my pals in the future wish to get into drag makeup, now I do know somewhat bit greater than I did earlier than.”