Workin' It!: RuPaul's Guide to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Style by RuPaul

Author:RuPaul
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

DON’T GET IT TWISTED.

HEADED STRAIGHT FOR HER CROWNING GLORY.

Proportion is everything

The decision to become a full-time blonde came from my desire to create a cartoon character image that could be easily identified as a brand. From my collection of pop culture influences, I added two parts Diana Ross, a pinch of Bugs Bunny, two heaping spoonfuls of Dolly Parton, a dash of Joseph Campbell, and three parts Cher. It worked. I worked. You better work!

I was mesmerized by those hairy marvels of modern man

I was introduced to lace-front wigs around the time I was changing my look from underground “black hooker” to mainstream “glamazon.” I bought my first from Barry Hendrickson at Bitz-n-Pieces in New York City. Lace-front wigs are custom made to emulate your own hairline. A thin, virtually transparent layer of lace is sewn to a wig and individual hairs are looped through the lace. This gives the illusion of hair growing out of your scalp. The good ones cost anywhere from $800 to $1,500, but you can get non-custom ones much cheaper. The problem with non-custom lace-fronts is that everyone’s head proportions and hairline are different—making the degree of “spookability” much higher.

I prefer my lace-front wigs to be synthetic. They’re more durable and hold on to the style much longer. Mathu usually uses a full lace-front wig, plus a comparably sized matching piece to add volume on top. No matter how big he makes the hair look on the wig stand, it always looks much smaller on my head. I’m six foot four—hello. And with hair, heels, and attitude…I’m through the mother-freakin’ roof! Needless to say, proportion is everything.

People always ask me, “How many wigs do you own?” Truth is, I don’t really know. Probably one hundred, but the number of “girls” (as we like to call the wigs) currently in rotation for filming and performances is closer to fifteen. Keep in mind that each girl is actually two wigs, making the count thirty. Some of my girls have been with me, still in rotation, for fifteen or more years. After a girl has served her purpose, she is sent back to Bitz-n-Pieces for cleaning and reconditioning. Then back to Mathu for repurposing. Some girls have twin sisters, but most don’t. So if you see a curly girl in these pages that is the same color as a straight girl on other pages, chances are she’s the same girl.

STYLING WIGS

I wish I could tell you of the myriad great wig stylists out there, but I can’t. Basically it breaks down into two camps: the people who can style human hair wigs and the ones who can style synthetic. Rarely have I met someone who can do both. Synthetic requires steam to get a curl, while human wigs can be set and styled the way you would your own hair. That said, the biggest hurdle in finding the right wig stylist is making sure he or she doesn’t turn your girl into a “pageant-do” or, worse, the “matronly mother-in-law.

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