RuPaul's Makeup Artist Competed on 'Drag Race' as Fan Favorite Raven

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Catherine Di Meglio is a content writer and YouTube host at talent recap. With a love of all things entertainment, she earned her Master’s degree in media management from Wagner College in 2021. Catherine is a New York City girl who has many passions including beauty and fashion, photography, traveling, and making memories with loved ones.

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When you think of drag, I bet one name in particular comes to mind: RuPaul. Her iconic face, wigs, and wardrobe have set the standard of beauty for Queens generations to come. With some of the most impressive looks ever displayed on television, I bet you’re all wondering who is responsible behind the scenes. To my surprise, fan favorite queen, Raven, has been working as Ru’s makeup artist for the past five years. She opened up earlier this week about working with the icon.

Raven Comes Full Circle as RuPaul’s Makeup Artist

In 2016, the queen was asked to be RuPaul’s personal makeup artist. Up until working for the boss, Raven had only seen Ru in drag once the whole process was completed. She never thought she would experience the inner workings. Surprisingly, the fan favorite initially declined the offer, but took on the responsibility after reconsidering. Five years later, Raven remains RuPaul’s sole provider of a fabulous face.

“We’ve done the U.K, ‘Saturday Night Live,’ and all these different things,” Raven told Variety . “It’s a crazy thing to wrap your head around when you are responsible for getting the queen of drag into drag.”

The queen was forced to work under new and unexpected conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was essential to instill new safety protocols during this time. Fully committing to the challenge, Raven earned her third consecutive Variety, Nonfiction, or Reality Program makeup Emmy.

Known for her bold colors, Raven uses her own unique approach to make even simple looks stand out.

“I’m known for perfecting a beige face that looks good with any costume and hairstyle,” she said. “But your job is to make the goddess of drag look like a goddess, so it’s always about pushing yourself. I love dipping in and saying, ‘Let’s try this,’ and 99% of the time, Ru says, ‘Sure, let’s do it’.”

In the Drag Race season 13 finale, Raven was responsible for providing a makeup look to compliment her neon dress. Laced with 300,000 Swarovski crystals, the artist had a lot to consider while creating her design. She came up with two different designs for Ru’s finale appearance, stating that she would never send someone out in the same look twice. As we know, RuPaul feels the exact same way about fashion.

The Fan Favorite on Drag Race

Season two of RuPaul’s Drag Race featured Raven. Known for her quick wit, fashion sense, and stunning makeup, it’s no surprise the stand-out performer was selected to work for RuPaul. The California-native snagged the runner-up spot on the show’s second season. Raven was positively critiqued week after week for her consistent work on the runway. The queen exhibited superstar quality and was highly praised for her fashion sense.

In the finale, Raven lost the title of “America’s Next Drag Superstar” to Tyra Sanchez. Her over the top performance in the final lip sync battle secured her the win. Raven returned to compete in All Stars 1, coming in second place once again.

Raven currently hosts a web show with fellow queen Raja. Fashion Photo Ruview can be watched on the WOWPresents YouTube channel.

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