By Hannah Ziegler
“RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars” Season 5 winner Shea Couleé joined University of Maryland students for a drag makeup tutorial and Q&A session hosted by Student Entertainment Events (SEE) on Thursday.
The hour-long tutorial covered a wide range of topics including makeup tips, zodiac signs, favorite “Drag Race” memories and Couleé’s family roots in Maryland.
“I spent a lot of time going to Maryland growing up. When I saw that I was going to be doing this gig I got excited. I was like, ‘Yes Maryland is a little hidden gem and we love her,’” Couleé said at the start of the tutorial.
“Now that I’m talking about Maryland, I want some crab cakes,” she added.
Couleé curated a red and gold makeup look to celebrate SEE’s 50th anniversary. 80 students attended the Zoom to see the reigning “Drag Race All Stars” champion perfect her look.
“I’m a huge fan of ‘Drag Race’ but also love makeup in general. Shea is my favorite drag queen of all time so I was excited to see her and combine that with my love of makeup,” said Kelsey Flavin, a freshman business major.
Students of all makeup skill levels were excited to attend the event, interact with a fan-favorite “Drag Race” contestant and learn new makeup tips.
“I have been watching ‘Drag Race’ for years. I have watched every season. I also love learning how to do cool makeup so that was fun,” said sophomore special education major Sophia Waltz.
Couleé kept a casual tone throughout the tutorial, making some students feel more welcomed into the often difficult to master drag makeup routine.
“The way she talked to everybody and checked in on us was really sweet,” Waltz said.
“I definitely didn’t do any of [the makeup] right, but it was still so cool,” said Claire Iannini, a freshman government and politics major with an international relations concentration.
At times, watching the live video felt like intruding on a FaceTime call. Couleé called on multiple students during the tutorial to unmute and let her know how their look was turning out. Iannini said getting called on by Couleé was her personal highlight of the event.
“She called on my friend and me and I was like, ‘Oh my god, this is happening,’” Iannini said.
Couleé also called out freshman government and politics major Casey Lopes.
“I was screaming on the inside. I was freaking out, but I tried to be cool with Shea. I did not expect her to call on me, but it was so cool when she did.”
Despite the casual tone, Couleé’s trademark poise and humor was still present throughout the conversation. She switched between giving instructions and answering questions from the chat, often transitioning between both within the same breath.
Some participants who were struggling with their looks asked Couleé for help in the chat. When dozens of participants said their looks had gone wrong, Couleé intervened with words of encouragement and restated her tips for a flawless drag face.
“You all should feel confident. And you know what? Red and gold are not colors for everybody, you know, kind of crease is not everyone’s cup of tea. You already look beautiful. You aren’t trying to fool as many people as I am,” Couleé said.
One participant that Couleé called on told her they were struggling with the makeup techniques, comparing themselves to a red raccoon. Couleé chimed in with encouragement.
“You have to own that and let that be the inspiration for your look. Raccoons can be chic, girl,” Couleé said.
Many students enjoyed the supportive community in the Zoom call. Spearheaded by Couleé, participants complimented each other’s looks in the chat and reminded one another that enjoying makeup matters more than being good at it.
“Everyone was so nice and supportive. We were all hyping each other up no matter the makeup skills, so that was fun,” Lopes said. “It was great to find that community of people who love ‘Drag Race’ like me.”
Featured photo: Shea Couleé shows off her finished drag makeup look to students through Zoom. Hannah Ziegler/Stories Beneath the Shell