Kansas-based drag queen Monique Heart gives The Hunger Games actress Amandla Stenberg a fabulous makeover that will make you gag, honey!
Condé Nast’s them.‘s newest installment of “Drag Me,” a makeover series that showcases the drag makeup skills of former RuPaul’s Drag Race contestants, features the “heart” of RPDR‘s season 10 that transforms the young actress’ look into one that is nothing short of stunning. But while Heart paints Stenberg’s face, the two start a conversation about what it’s like for people of color to do drag.
“It’s hard to be a queen of color in the Midwest, especially in today’s society,” Heart says.
After making Stenberg’s eyes pop with the vibrant hues of pink and blue, Heart recounts her early experience as an aspiring black queen when she had to make a point to stand out and appear “distinctive” in order to be more palatable to the white patrons who went to the gay-themed restaurant where she worked. The core of the issue was that white patrons were under the impression that black queens all look the same.
Heart had a similar experience on the reality TV show when one of the contestants was perplexed by who was who when all the black queens were getting out of drag. “It’s always going to be a battle in terms of trying to create representation and be a part of important projects but still have to navigate white institutions that don’t always value you the same way they value white people,” she says.
To complete her makeover masterpiece, Heart gently pats glitter on Stenberg’s cheekbones as she poses for the camera. To show off her finished look, the actress dons a glamorous, sparkly pantsuit and Heart can’t help but praise her work, saying, “Stunning!”
Watch the full video here:
