Joey Arias: The Drag Artist Talks Beauty, Bowie, and the Three Things Every Woman Needs

When asked to describe the chanteuse that is Joey Arias, the cabaret legend herself (or himself—deciding upon a pronoun poses a challenge) can sum it up it one word: seductive. Unlike many of the contestants on RuPaul’s Drag Race, Arias understands the art of “simplicity in makeup.” And when she uses the word simplicity, she doesn’t necessarily mean a dash of powder and lip balm (although that’s perfectly acceptable for day or a wedding). For stage, she contours (the last step of her maquillage method) but doesn’t take it as far as your regular drag queen. “I don’t put on any white and brown,” the two pigments typically employed to carve out cheekbones. Arias doesn’t do anything “clown-y,” either, although she would if it meant “getting paid.” Longtime collaborator Thierry Mugler gave the performer a piece of advice that still resonates, which Arias recalled during our interview: “If you’re going to do your own thing, just [put on a] black bra and panties. Don’t start putting all this shit on yourself. No pinks and greens and fluff and feathers. Please don’t do that!” With her perfectly articulated arches, razor-sharp liquid liner, and impeccable red lips, she’s like a forties film star, citing women like Joan Crawford and Marlene Dietrich as icons. Here, Arias shares some of her best beauty tips and how she continues the magic after the makeup comes off.

—Amber Kallor

The scene: Cabaret lounge-meets-museum. Irving Plaza in Union Square is transformed by MAC Cosmetics to pay homage to Arias—with some of her most memorable ensembles on display, along with her new film directed by Mugler, Z Chromosome. A series of makeup wipes—some reminiscent of the Rorschach test—are also encased in glass in the middle of the room.

Can I first ask you about these makeup wipes? Was it your idea to turn them into art?

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It started as a joke years ago. I think it started in Berlin. But it wasn’t until I did Cirque du Soleil Zumanity [Arias was the Las Vegas show's emcee for five years] that I was rushing to get out of the theater—after, like, two shows, I’d throw the wipe on the table and of course they would lay there, and I’d leave and come back and see these wipes and I’d think, Huh, what am I doing here? This is kind of something! So I started saving them and I’ve got probably like two or three thousand wipes now from Cirque du Soleil.

So you’ve been saving them since you hit the stage in Vegas?

Since 2003. Every time I do a show, we do the wipes. My partner, Juano Diaz, is a painter from Scotland. He had an art show in New York about two years ago. It was his art, and people wanted to meet him. And he asked me if I could throw up a little section of some art with him. Because, you know, I went to art school and everything. Juano, he got them and actually framed [the wipes] floating on glass…I had about ten of them among his paintings. I had a row, and it said, “MAC Wipes: Create Your Own Art.”

Is there a technique to how you take off your makeup?

It all depends on how you feel that night when you’re taking your makeup off. It might be a little aggressive or it might be gentle. Sometimes it’s like a rush. It all depends on how I want the eyes to come out, or do I want them to look like more of a mask, or do I want them to marry each other, do I want them to be more abstract like two people kissing or something from outer space? It all depends on how I rub the wipe. People are just blown away.

So what are your go-to MAC products that eventually end up on the wipes?

Well, the MAC wipes, for damn sure! I like their lipsticks and their shadows. All the shadows. I don’t really try too many colors because there’s a certain scheme. I’m not really always like, “Pink lips!” I’m a brand already, so I’ve got to stick to a look. In this video [Z Chromosome], I stretched out and did some different things—I was very Cirque du Soleil. Mugler wanted me to put red glitter on. That was for fun.

Which red are you wearing in the film?

It’s Russian Red with some black liner, and then I put the red glitter dust [on top].

Is the black for depth?

Yes, to give it a shape.

What’s the best beauty trick you ever learned?

One of the most beautiful makeup artists I’ve ever met is Mathu Andersen, who does all of RuPaul’s makeup, and he’s taught me a few tricks…Maybe only four or five makeup artists have [ever] done my makeup, but just the simplicity of makeup and shadowing—it takes time. You can’t rush. Keep it natural.

So you don’t necessarily contour like a Kardashian. What’s your technique?

Look at my cheekbones and just [see] how I want my face to move. On RuPaul’s Drag Race they put white. I just put a little base on, very light, and get a sponge and kind of wipe it off, and then powder to set everything down. Then I draw the eyes, eyebrows, lashes, lips, and then contour. Contour is last.

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So Mugler suggests keeping it simple with just a black bra and panties. Is that all a girl needs?

Just a black bra and panties! And stockings. That’s it. Gotta keep it elegant, gotta keep it, as Mugler says, “Classy, classic, and cheap.”

What does your nighttime beauty routine entail?

Well, it all depends. If I’m going to do shows, I have to pace myself. And usually the shows I do now are about eight or nine, so it’s like, prepare, relax, gym, e-mails, feed our little dog Grumble, take a bath, start looking for an outfit, and then get ready.

How long does it take you to apply your makeup?

It could be anywhere from fifteen minutes to three hours.

What about taking it off?

That part takes about three seconds.

At least you’ve found a way to make your hard work stand the test of time with your wipe art. So what is the craziest, best night out you’ve ever had?

My craziest, best night out ever? I’ve got so many of them! But I would say in Paris, with Mugler, having dinner. There were about ten people—I’m not going to say the names. Mugler said, “We’re going to have dinner with Iman and her husband.” And I was kind of like, “OK!” And we were all there and all of a sudden they walked in, and I’m like, “Duh! David Bowie!” I sang with him on Saturday Night Live, so we saw each other a couple of times very briefly. He walked in and he had not seen me [since] I transformed, started dressing up, and we sat there for hours—hours—screaming and laughing, having the best time. It was amazing. And then we walked through Paris and David put his arm around me and said, “You really blossomed so beautifully. I’m so proud of you. You just moved on.” He said, “I wish you looked like this when we did Saturday Night Live!” He probably wouldn’t have worked with me if I did that! We were laughing.

What were you wearing that night?

Oh, I was wearing a Mugler suit. Elegant. Very chic. Nothing crazy.

You recently got married—what kind of makeup did you wear on your wedding day?

Seriously, I wore just a powder.

No lashes or anything?

No, no. I just put powder on. Because it was daytime—it was like 7 in the morning. I just wore a black suit and powder…And beautiful black glasses—they’re called mantaray, so they looked very alien.

So no need even for mascara.

No, honey. You put the lashes on when you have a business meeting because that’s when you mean business.

David Beckham's Bandana Diaries

There was a lot for fashion fans to appreciate in last night’s BBC1 David Beckham Brazil travelogue Into The Unknown.

First, the footage of Victoria, pristine in a black sweater with white Wednesday Addams collar, anxious about the humidity that her husband would soon encounter. “What are you going to do about your hair?” she asked, adding: “I don’t even go to humid countries because of my hair … you should wear a hat through the whole thing.”

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Sure enough, Beckham wore a selection of chapeaus in Brazil, from baseball caps to wide-brimmed straw hats. But really, it was all about his bandanas. Beckham’s bandanas were black and red and blue; they were hair bands, neckerchiefs and accessories, wrapped tightly around wrists and draped handsomely out of jeans pockets. Sometimes, he wore two bandanas at once.

Given that much of Beckham’s trip was spent riding a motorbike, his bandanas were practical, sure, but Brand Beckham knows its fashion motifs and cannot help deploying them, even in the Amazon jungle. According to US GQ, Bandanas are “this season’s undisputed soft accessory”, as seen on the spring/summer 2014 catwalk of Louis Vuitton, where the scarves were used as neck-ties and as an inspiration for printed trainers.

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Prior to Louis Vuitton, bandanas have been a slow-burning street trend, popping up on twentysomething celebrities for a couple of years. Justin Bieber, for example, ties his at the front of his head, in the style of Tupac Shakur, while One Direction’s most fashion-forward heartthrob, Harry Styles, wears his as a Keith Richards-style headband. As the existence of many “how to tie a bandana like a gangster” YouTube tutorials attests, for some young men – often the posh ones, it must be said – the 2014 bandana has become popular partly because of its gangland connotations. Perhaps this is why the classic rock Axl Rose bandana – worn wide, across the forehead, over long, poker-straight hair – has yet to be revived. But as the 1990s comeback continues, whether we like it or not, it is probably only a matter of time. Whether you see bandanas as a worry, a fashion statement or a simple piece of biker practicality, they are definitely back. Spot them on sweaty young heads this festival season.

Festival Beauty: Hair and Makeup Ideas for Governors Ball

Cross the artist lineup from Coachella with an island in the East River and wildly unpredictable weather and you get Governors Ball. Taking place this weekend on Randall's Island in New York City, it's the music festival for city slickers who don't have flowers to wear in their hair and wouldn't dream of sleeping under the stars. This year, it's going to be 80 degrees and sunny, which means you'll need SPF, sunglasses, and a sweatproof beauty look.

Hair. This mohawk-braid-ponytail hybrid (above) does double-duty: It keeps your hair out of your face all day without falling apart, and it makes you look cooler than everyone else. Here's how to do it:

1. Spray a dry shampoo or texturizing spray all over dry hair to bulk it up as much as possible.

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2. Gather the center four inches of hair at the hairline and tease it, then secure it into a pompadour with bobby pins.

3. Starting with the hair right behind the pompadour, begin braiding an upside-down French braid, crossing pieces under one another rather than over so the braid sticks up as high as possible. As you add sections of hair from the sides of your head, make sure to pull them tight.

4. You can braid down to the nape of your neck if you have shorter hair (or if your arms are starting to cramp) or go all the way to the end. Secure with an elastic and mist with hair spray.

Makeup. Putting on foundation in humid weather always feels a little gross, but Allure editors swear by Shiseido UV Protective Compact Foundation SPF 36 and Eau Thermale Avène High Protection Tinted Compact SPF 50 for sticky summer days. They provide light coverage with a matte finish and are small enough to fit in your pocket for touch-ups. And since music festivals are as much about the music as they are about getting photographed—and cool street-style girls always have bold lips—you want a lipstick that won't end up all over your face but doesn't feel dry and tight, either. Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick in Melted Ruby is a classic, bright red that won't compete with your badass hair.

Pedicure. Birkenstocks are back, and all the fashion-y girls are wearing them in silver. If you're wearing 'em, manicurist April Foreman recommends choosing a cool tone for your pedicure polish. "Gray, blue, and violet look best with silver," she says. Her pick: Essie in Parka Perfect.

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Mel Ottenberg and Adam Selman Talk Rihanna’s Scandalous CFDA Look

“It’s so naked,” said Mel Ottenberg while en route to the CFDA Awards with Rihanna, the 2014 Fashion Icon of the Year. “I don’t know if it’s shocking—I’m with her all the time, so my shock gauge is off, but I told her that I thought she was ready for this dress a while ago, and that I wasn’t. I’m the prude, and I’m just catching up.”

Naturally, Ottenberg was referring to RiRi’s translucent CFDA gown—a fishnet number smattered with more than 230,000 Swarovski crystals. Designed by the star’s collaborator (and Ottenberg’s boyfriend), Adam Selman, the look leaves little to the imagination. So if Instagram explodes tonight, it’s Rihanna’s fault. “We definitely wanted to make it a little bit scandalous,” Selman told right after the chanteuse walked out the door. “The dress is just fishnet and crystals and a couple of fingers crossed. But fashion is about beauty, and the [female] body is part of that.”

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“So many people didn’t sleep last night,” admitted Ottenberg. “I would say at least eight people worked nonstop from 8 p.m. last night to 3 p.m. today putting on the finishing touches.” Equal parts Deco showgirl and Hollywood glam, the gown was conceived last month in L.A., while Selman and Ottenberg were dressing Rihanna for the MTV Movie Awards. “We started talking about it, and I sketched it shortly after,” said Selman, noting it was a heavily collaborative process. In fact, the matching do-rag was all Rih’s idea. “It brings such a Rihanna feel to the whole thing,” said Selman. “It seals the deal.” Selman’s initial sketches of the outfit debut exclusively here.

Further accessorized with a pink Pologeorgis fur stole, Manolo Blahnik heels, a ring and earrings by Paul Morelli, and a pinky ring by Jacob, the look is decidedly less tame than what we’re used to seeing at the CFDAs. Gasps and whispers no doubt echoed throughout Alice Tully Hall. But did you really expect the pop princess—who was recently banned from Instagram for her nip-pics—to turn up in a standard DVF wrap dress?

Seeing as Rihanna’s every move is photographed ad nauseam, one would imagine that designers were chomping at the bit to dress her for the Oscars of fashion. So why did she go with Selman? “We wanted to do an American designer, and he was just the right choice,” explained Ottenberg. “He’s worked so closely with us, and so hard for us. He’s turned it out for her so many times, and we were excited to do this with him.”

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Selman, who has not only crafted custom tour costumes for Rihanna since 2011 but also co-designed her River Island capsule, was touched by the choice. “She could have had any designer make any dress, so for me it’s an exciting statement that she chose to wear me on such a big night of fashion. She has really put me in the spotlight.” Selman won’t be attending the ceremony with Mme. Rih (“I’m having a cocktail instead,” he laughed), but he’ll be meeting up with the singer for dinner to celebrate their sartorial coup.

“I did this look for her so she’d have a good time,” offered Ottenberg when asked what he was going for. “This was the perfect night do to something fun, and I wanted her to have something great that you couldn’t find anywhere else in the world.” To that point, it’s doubtful that anyone else on the planet could have pulled off the ensemble—which, for the record, I’d have to say she did. “She’s daring, she’s bold, and she’s not afraid of fashion. She doesn’t let fashion overcome her,” said Selman of the Bad Gal’s icon status. “She embraces it and makes everything she puts on her own. Not many people do that.”