Page 168 of The Black Flamingo


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but not necessarily about your gender.

Know what you want to do before

you decide how you want to look.

Get friends to help you. If you don’t

have friends, make some. Watch online

tutorials. Remember eyebrows are sisters,

not twins. Go to makeup counters in

department stores and try their products.

Keep the receipts—they often convince

you to buy more than you need

or will ever use. Know that your skin tone

matters—not just for finding the right

shade of foundation but also for finding

the right tone for your act.

Do NOT do blackface . . . unless . . .

No, just don’t do it. Remember

makeup doesn’t make your drag work,

clothes don’t make your drag work—

your attitude and intentions are what

make it work. Aesthetic isn’t everything

but don’t look a mess... unless it’s on purpose.

Do everything with purpose.

Be in control, even if you plan to

make it look like chaos. Read the room.

Be shady but not bitchy. Don’t punch

or kick downward at groups in society

with less power or privilege than you.

Tuck it away, if you want to. Stuff

your trousers with a sock, if you want to.

Wear a chest plate to give you pecs