Drag Queen Courtney Act’s Glam Makeover

Here’s how to get the look in Courtney’s own words …

1. After I have shaved, I block out eyebrows – I use cheap glue and don’t do my whole eyebrow so that there still is a bit of realness to it, I apply the glue, comb it through and smooth it out with my finger. Usually I do around three coats but wait while it dries.
2. While my eyebrows are drying I use my Studio Fix Fluid and start on the bottom of my face. I don’t use a thin foundation brush but I use a foundation buffer brush because I prefer the texture.
3. I use a full coverage foundation by M.A.C for my contouring and highlighting. I just apply with a sponge because I find it easier. I apply it above my lip, on the bridge of my nose and all over my upper cheek all the way up to the start of my nose. I use the other side of my sponge to blend it in. It’s a couple of shades lighter than my skin color.
4. For my contouring I use a smaller foundation brush and contour along the desired cheekbone. I don’t make the line straight; I scoop it out more so it looks like a Nike tick. I also scoop out my jawbone. I blend with the back of the sponge.
5. I then contour my nose and map it out with my finger. I like to keep my highlight quite high to make it look smaller and shorter. I blend it with my finger. I then contour my eyebrows and place translucent powder over the top to set it.
6. I go over my forehead with my Studio Fix Fluid Foundation to match the rest of my face and then create what people in the industry call the beige rainbow, where in the center of my forehead I create a highlighted patch and above it just below my hairline I contour, this follows down out around the outer edges of the patch till it reaches my eyebrows.
7. I contour then from underneath my eye and take it out to the edge of the rainbow. The product and brushes you use can make all the difference.
8. I then paint on my eyebrows with an angle brush and a studio finish concealer. It doesn’t need to be perfect because I will fix it with powder later.To buff foundation out of wrinkles I pull my skin back and buff out any of the lines then set it with powder. You want to be careful that you set your eyes instead of using your puff as a potato sponge!
9. Now I’m taking my highlight with a concealer brush and paint in the negative space of eyebrow. It’s my chance to refine the shape. Putting down the full coverage acts as a good base and lets the powder hold on more and be more intense.
10. Now I’m using a highlight color vanilla from mac and I’m taking it under the brow, I use more than I should because I know that I’m going to come back and fix it later with the brown color.
11. Now I’m taking an angle brush and brown matte color. It’s important to use matte because it doesn’t reflect the light but lets people actually see your eyebrow You want the light to absorb so you can see the eyebrow. Start from the middle and work outwards, you want it to be darker in the middle.

Photography: Glenn Nutley @glennnutley, Talent: Courtney Act @courtneyact, Director/Producer: BP Major @bpmajor