One Night Only

Ok, so last night was Taffy's show again. And, as promised, I got my makeover.

Being introduced as Dan's boyfriend, and "guinea pig" model/victim was fun. Taffy, Dan, and a couple of other makeup artists, plus the entire audience at Styxx hearing him say that.  It's sweet.

Anyway, then, because the lighting on the stage is really performance lighting, and not makeup lighting, we got to go in the back room, and I got a private makeup session, complete with my own photographer, my roommate.

I was half expecting to get made up on stage, so the fact that I was hidden away in the back, was almost a disappointment, but at the same time a relief.

Now, mind you, I've watched Dan get into Shaunna Rai's makeup a few times, so I know exactly what goes into it, and how long it takes. But, I didn't realize how long it feels like it takes, when someone else is doing it. I felt like I was in the chair forever. And by the time it was the "midway" check in, to see the progress on my face, I was ready for it to be over...the painting, at least.  I was ready for the reveal, even though, at that point, there really wasn't much to reveal, other than the fact that I'd had a base put on, and was contoured.

The makeup started to get itchy, and it took most of my willpower to not reach up and scratch my face. The makeup on the eyes was the worst part of the experience, because I'm a jumpy, blinky person anyway. SO, sitting there, and having Dan, a person I trust, poking around on my eyelids, with my eyes closed so I didn't know when or where he was at any given point, was enough to drive me nuts.

When we got to the lips, I was happy. It was almost over, by then. I'd been able to catch glimpses of myself in the mirror on the wall opposite where I was sitting, but, it didn't make a lot of sense to me what I was really seeing. But, I knew that we were getting close. And, when the wigs finally came out, I knew that I'd made it to the home stretch.

Judging from watching Shaunna Rai finish getting ready for a show, I figured that I was probably going to get at least two different wigs before we settled on something...or before Dan did. And, I wasn't disappointed. The first wig, was the black, curly Cher wig. Apparently, it was too dark.  And, of the other five or six wigs, it was the one that I was hoping NOT to get, that I got.  It wasn't that I didn't like the red wig...It's just that the last time I was in drag, I was a redhead.  Not to mention, when I go around in red hair, I look so much like my mother...

It all came together great though, in the end. And I was shocked that people didn't recognize me.  I mean, yeah, I'm wearing a wig, and makeup, but it's not like I changed bodies while they were waiting in the audience. And, yet, people who I socialize with on a regular basis, had no idea that it was me.

So, what started off as a night that was supposed to just be fun, kind of accidentally, (although, a "happy accident") became a social experiment.  Even though, I was still dressed in my boy clothes, and literally, the only changes in my look were that I was wearing a hair cutting cape, to keep the makeup off my clothes, and I had makeup and a wig on, people didn't know it was me.  The part where I really had fun, was afterward, when I got all kinds of compliments. People were amazed at the work that Dan had done on me, and more than I couple times, I got, "Gurrrl, you looked so good, I didn't even know it was you!"

It was fun to play make-believe with a new face and hair. But, that was all it was. I was extremely conscious of the fact that I was still Steve, and still shy, even though I was standing up in front of a full bar of people that I barely know. And, it was an odd mix of feelings. Part of me was basking in the attention. The rest of me was ready for it to be over, and get out of face. Once it was over though, I was glad to get back to being Steve, instead of One Night.

 Would I do it again? For something like Taffy's show, probably. For something to just go and do on a Friday night, probably not.  Unless Kathy Griffin needs a stunt double...in which case, I might consider it, because I might be able to pull off the look. The attitude and mannerisms, I'd need to study up on, though.

I shaved my beard for this?

As part of Taffy Pulls's weekly RuPaul's Drag Race viewing party, there are always things going on. This week, I happen to be one of those things.  If you're not on my Facebook, you may have missed the fact that tonight, I'm going to be undergoing a makeover.  Not just any makeover, mind you, but a drag makeover.

For the past year and a half, I've had a goatee that I've been very proud of. I shaved it off once, because I got bored of it, and immediately grew it back, because it was the beginning of winter, and it was too cold without it.  As of yesterday, it was gone away again. And, I feel quite naked without it.

Do I trust Dan to do this to me? You bet. He does hair and makeup for a living! He knows what he's doing.  Am I nervous about what I'm going to look like? Well, a little. I'm not going to be in full out drag. No dresses or jumpsuits for me. I'm just "getting into face".  I'm kinda feeling like I'm Shaunna Rai and Vanila Honey-Bush's younger brother, who they got bored, and decided to play "dress up" with.  Kinda like when my mom and aunts used to do that to my uncle...I think I'm more nervous about whether I'm going to really like what I look like "dragged up"...

Overall, I'm excited, and really can't wait to see the outcome, because I know that Dan will do his best to make me look...(dare I say it?)  FABULOUS!

Upcoming Shows

Various Mondays: Styxx for Watch RuPaul's Drag Race with Taffy Pulls

April 10: Danielle's Birthday Show at Blackstones

April 12: Phierce Friday with DJ Aga at Mainestreet Ogunquit

April 13: Shaunna Rai and her Dolls at Altera

April 18: Battle of the Divas, P!nk vs Kelly Clarkson at Club Cafe, Boston

May 4th, 7pm at Bates College

June 10: Miss Blackstones Competition

Your Boob's in the Sink

Over the weekend,  I woke up to a conversation containing those words. And, so, it got me thinking. A question that I have heard from a few people,  on a few occasions,  is, "How do they get their boobs?"

Sarcastic me always wants to respond, "They stole them from a biological  woman." Because, just like a bio woman, there are plenty of ways to make yourself have breasts, or the illusion of them.

When I did Guys in Gowns, my boobs were literally made from rolled up socks stuffed in my dress.

Everyone knows the old stand-by of stuffing tissues in a bra. And, there's a picture that keeps showing up on my Facebook with the caption "You know, you're supposed to take them out of the box..."

A lady never reveals her secrets,  but, given that I'm not a lady, I can reveal secrets. Lol. I have seen both Shaunna Rai and Vanila Honey-Bush use silicone-y falsies that look similar to boneless chicken breasts. These, being the ones that were found in the sink...

On a larger scale, there is the breastplate. A rubbery thing that wraps around the neck, like a big necklace, with boobs on it.

And, on a smaller scale, there is just contouring with makeup.  I've showed my mom pictures of Shaunna Rai with only contouring done, that she was like, "You're kidding". This, to me, is the coolest way of "making a chest." Because,  with the right dress, and the right contouring, it looks like a real set of breasts.

Shaunna Rai and Her Dolls at Altera

Coming to Lewiston,  April 13th, for one night...Shaunna Rai, Vanila Honey-Bush, Desta Toot and Taffy Pulls.

Tickets are $5 in advance,  or $7 at the door.

I want to be Taffy-fied

Originally,  this was supposed to be the title of a post in which Taffy Pulls demonstrates on me, the way she does her makeup. 
However, the last two weeks of Taffy's RuPaul's Drag Race Viewing Party, at Styxx, have given me a chance to experiment on my own. In honor of Snatch Game, last week, on the show, Taffy asked for volunteers to dress up as her, complete with outfits she has worn, and her wigs.

I'd known in advance that this was the plan for that night. And, I'd planned on shaving off the goatee so that I wouldn't look so silly. And, I forgot to. So, I turned out looking like a bearded Taffy. It was fun. I made a fool of myself in front of a bunch of people who were drinking, in a gay bar.

This week, in honor of the girls on the show having a challenge of putting on face in the dark, Taffy asked for volunteers to do makeup blindly.  Thinking, oh, I've watched Shaunna Rai, Tatoola, Vanila Honey-Bush and Taffy put on face a ton, I should be able to do this no problem. Yeah, not so much. I kinda choked. I was freaking out. "What the hell are all these things for?" kept going through my head.
I had a cheering section telling me to just throw stuff on. I forgot that when you do makeup for drag, that it's supposed to be a little (a lot) bolder, and less " natural". So the face I put on was barely noticeable.  Closer to a term that I've heard Shaunna Rai use, "tranny realness", than Drag "fishiness".  Although,  either way, it was still really badly done.

Would I do it again?  Hell yeah. I had so much fun, both times.  I'm half tempted to be Taffy's underwear model next week,  because it would be fun. Only half though, because I don't know if I dare dress down that much for three minutes,  in front of a group of drunk gay guys.

Outside my Comfort Zone

"I'd wear that (blue gown with a fade to silver and rhinestones)" is not the way I expected to start a conversation about Drag clothes shopping. Especially, given that I've said before that drag clothing shopping makes me a little uncomfortable.

In the past few months, I think I've spent equal amounts of time looking at women's clothing, and men's.  And, the more time that I spend with Dan, shopping for Shaunna Rai, the less weird it seems to me.

I spent yesterday with Dan and Ryan shopping for Shaunna Rai and Vanila Honey-Bush. It was a fun day, because,  it's always fun with the two of them. Seeing the "sibling-like" relationship they have was interesting.

They've got similar taste in clothes,  with some exceptions.  Shaunna Rai tends to go for off the shoulder outfits. And Vanila was looking for sleeves.

Going in to Deb, I was nervous,  because,  here we were, three guys, going into a store that is definitely a women's clothing store, and a gaggle of teenage boys walked past as we went in. The clerks asked if we were finding everything ok. (I always wonder what they must be thinking as they ask.)

At Forever XXI (21), the girls found matching outfits. And, I felt slightly less self conscious, as there were a lot of guys in there. Granted,  it was because they were there with their girlfriends. But, I didn't feel as much like people were staring at me.

At H&M, it was much more interesting.  As we did our own shopping,  it was pointed out that there was another drag queen shopping there. That explained the man looking at clothes in the women's section...

By the time we got to Torrid, I was getting tired of the drag shopping. And the (biological) women were less friendly.  They gave us dirty looks. They were thoughtful enough to keep their mouths shut,  but, by the time we left there, I was done with it.

Unfortunately, for me, Dan and Ryan still had more shopping to do. And, because I was less interested in the shopping,  I was more interested in people's reactions to us being in the women's clothes. There were dirty looks, and some blatant "we're avoiding this area, because you're here" behavior. 

I was very glad when it was time to go home. Partly because I was ready, and partly due to feeling sick to my stomach. 

Oddly enough, after a full day of it yesterday,  I went again with Dan, this morning. And, I found the importance of final clearance. Shaunna Rai got a jacket for 70 cents.

Anyway, back to my original thought, that it was funny that when I go shopping for Shaunna Rai, I look at things, and think,  "I'd wear that. (If I did drag.) I told Dan that one day, thinking he would give me a hard time. When he told me that he thought that a lot of guys do that, it made me feel less weird about being there, in the first place.

I'm stepping out of my comfort zone. It's a work in progress, for me, to be entirely comfortable with all of this.  But, I'm seeing progress.