SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — What you see on stage at a drag queen show, takes hours backstage.
“Makeup takes about 4 hours on average,” Drag Performer at Lips Restaurant BillyAnna says.
Drag queens Crystal Bullet, BillyAnna and Tootie, don’t just call themselves performers: They’re walking artists.
“Art has always been a big part of my life,” Drag Performer at Lips Restaurant Crystal Bullet says. “Whether it was sketching or drawing. As a child, I used to always just kind of give my time to that.”
But their looks aren’t just fierce, they’re expensive.
“Makeup is still very expensive,” Crystal Bullet said. “Foundations cost about $30 to $40. Eyeshadow palettes, depending on where you're buying them from, can range from $20 and above.”
A complete look from head to toe can cost hundreds of dollars.
Last year, China exported over $670 million in makeup and skincare to the U.S. While it’s not the top exporter, Trump’s tariffs on China could still push prices even higher.
But these queens, have a secret weapon: "Resourcefullness."
“One thing about a drag queen is we are very resourceful,” Crystal Bullet says. “We'll find a way to utilize something that most won’t.”
From paper lashes, to drag sales, to hand-me-downs.
“A girl that works for us showed up the other day with this fabulous hat, right? It was a curtain and a hat that she glued together and for $20 it looks like a $1000 costume,” Drag Performer at Lips Restaurant Tootie said. “So drag queens, we know how to do it, baby.”
In the end tariffs might make makeup more costly, but it wont dim their spotlight.
