Published by: Julia
RuPaul’s Masterclass is all about self-expression and authenticity. He shows you how to find the confidence to truly be yourself and get the most out of life. As well as sharing his drag queen tips.
Update: Masterclass is currently doing a buy 1 gift 1 promotion. Well worth checking out!
What to expect from RuPaul´s Self-awareness and authenticity masterclass
Before I dive in and tell you more about this masterclass, I have a confession to make. I am not a big fan of drag. So, while I had heard of RuPaul’s Drag Race show, I had never watched an episode of this multi Emmy award-winning tv program.
As a result, I nearly did not initially take RuPaul´s masterclass. But, when I watched the trailer I realized that his course was not only aimed at his fans or would-be drag queens. Far from it.
I genuinely think it has something to offer most people. RuPaul and drag fans are likely to enjoy it the most. But, it is pitched in a way that will appeal to and be of help to all kinds of people.
To create this masterclass, RuPaul clearly drew deeply on his life experiences. As a result, he treats his fans, and other students, to an in-depth look at who he is and his life journey.
For someone who is struggling with addiction, RuPaul´s masterclass has even more to offer. He has been there and found a way to live well while sober. Something he also talks about during this masterclass. It will also do someone who suffers from anxiety or a lack of confidence the world of good.
This course is so much more than a form of entertainment or pure education.
But, RuPaul has not forgotten that many budding drag queens are looking to him for guidance. He has ensured that there is plenty of highly relevant and practical advice for them too.
With the help of Zaldy and Raven RuPaul shows them how to transform themselves in the most glamorous drag queen imaginable. Everything is covered, including wigs, choosing the best dress and makeup. If that is the part of the course, you are mainly interested in finding out more about, I suggest you skip ahead to the end of my RuPaul drag queen masterclass review.
By the way, we recommend purchasing Masterclass for more than just one single course. The value comes when you take several. If you want to read our review of the whole platform, check out this Masterclass review article.
If you want to just find out what some of the best masterclasses are, this is the article for you.
Know and understand yourself
RuPaul is a proponent of finding out what you are good at and working to enhance that. This, as he says, is what you bring to the party.
It is interesting to hear that he did not really realize that he needed to be himself until he was in his 30s. That is when he was able to “find his frequency”. Once he started to be honest and truly be himself he found that like-minded people naturally gravitated towards him and he to them. At that point, life got a lot easier for him.
RuPaul´s advice is to spend quiet time reflecting. But, unfortunately, he does not share how. However, I don´t think that matters because it is really easy to try out different forms of meditation, breathing exercises or maybe spending time in the quiet of nature. So, everyone can create time to reflect in the way that RuPaul suggests.
However, he does cover in detail how to put the negative experiences you have in childhood where they belong. To truly recover from the bad things people have said and done to you through life.
You are born naked and the rest is drag. Meaning, everything you put on is, in essence, something that was built.
RuPaul Teaches Self-Expression and Authenticity – Masterclass.com
Getting past childhood traumas
This is a subject that he comes back to later in the course. The Seeing Yourself video is a particularly important one. It is also very poignant. The childhood story he shares here is quite shocking. But using it he makes several very important points.
Using popular culture to inspire and motivate you
This was an interesting section. We all love music, films and stars. RuPaul does too. He explains how Diana Ross, David Bowie and Judge Judy have inspired and shaped his personal style.
It was fascinating to find out how he became interested in drag and overcame his initial reticence.
Cultivating your tribe
From a fairly early age, RuPaul experimented with creativity. He wrote books, made spoof films and was involved in the performing arts and club scene.
Through these activities, he was able to meet likeminded people- That is when his creativity really took off. His advice is for everyone to do the same. He encourages his students to seek out others, bounce ideas off each other, work on projects together. Being supportive and willing to share helps you to evolve as well.
Navigating the world around you
It is all too easy to let other people pull you down. Knowing how to recognize that is happening and neutralize it is a life skill everyone needs. RuPaul quickly takes you through how to handle bullies and be yourself despite what others think.
Owning the room
I struggled a bit with this section. RuPaul strongly believes in recognizing, feeding and channeling his energy. This idea of personal energy and spirituality kind of makes sense to me, but I am somehow still quite skeptical about it as well. So, I nearly fast-forwarded through this section. But, I didn´t and right at the end of the video, RuPaul made a very interesting and important point about anxiety.
What happens with anxiety is you are thinking ahead, or you are thinking in the past. You are not in this moment.
RuPaul Self-awareness masterclass
The thing is living like that is very negative. It stops you from enjoying the present, from getting the most out of life and living the way you really want to.
Handling your anxiety is key to your being able to “own the room”. Which by the way is not about acting in a look at me, aren´t I wonderful, way. It is about being able to be comfortable in any situation and able to make a great impression.
There is no such thing as failure
In his workbook, RuPaul states that failure represents an opportunity to improve. That sounds trite, but, again, he shares several stories that demonstrate that this can, in fact, be the case. This is another part of the course that provides a fascinating insight into Ru’s life.
How to present yourself well in any situation
Looking good is a big part of feeling good. It boosts your confidence and helps you to make the best possible impression. But, as RuPaul points out it is all about balance. What is right for one situation and person may be entirely wrong for someone else or another situation. In this section of the course he shows you:
- How to work with what people already know and dress to tap into that
- Understanding your proportions and what you can do to accommodate your imperfections
- How to dress to get what you want out of the situation
- How to strike a pose that creates the best silhouette
The above may not look like it is advice you could apply to your everyday wardrobe. But, when you take the masterclass you will soon realize what RuPaul has to say about style is actually applicable to everyone not just drag queens, superstars, and performers.
Check out the Masterclass course here.
For example, if you want to earn more money and get promoted faster, wear a suit. Doing so automatically taps into the subconscious belief most of us have that people who wear suits are organized, successful and capable. It may sound implausible, but this is borne out by several studies. Interestingly, that does not mean you have to wear a traditional one. There is plenty of scope to express your personal sense of style and be true to yourself.
You need to be present enough to know what works for you. It is time to stop fitting in and stand out.
RuPaul Masterclass.com Self-Expression and Authenticity Course
A conversation with Zaldy, RuPaul´s dress designer
On the surface, this video looks like it is purely for RuPaul´s fans and would-be drag queens. They are certainly going to enjoy this part of the masterclass. Zaldy designs all of RuPaul´s dresses. But, it was fascinating on a whole new level.
There are plenty of tips, women can use to look great in a glamorous dress. For example, I´ve got broad shoulders so struggle to look feminine in a cocktail dress. Zaldy explains, in detail, how to get past this issue.
He also shares some interesting tricks of the trade. For instance, who knew that it was possible to use a print of a model wearing a revealing dress and digitally enhance it to create a wonderful dress that looks really feminine.
Learn how Raven does RuPaul´s makeup
Makeup has a transformative effect. It is a very important part of any drag Queen´s kit. Getting it right is essential.
RuPaul opts to tap into the experience of Raven, so he has her do his makeup for him. In this section of RuPaul´s drag queen masterclass, she shares numerous tips. She covers:
Skincare for drag queens
- Preparing the skin
- Skin-friendly adhesives you can use to keep everything in place
- Stopping sweat from destroying your makeup and overall look
How to use makeup to shape and soften the face
- The right way to use a facelift kit to shape the face
- A contouring masterclass
- Using contouring, color and highlighting to create the shape you want
- How to drastically change the way your nose looks
- When to overdo an element of your makeup to achieve a more symmetrical look
How to choose and apply foundation
- Choosing the right foundation products for your skin tone
- How to use foundation to soften a strong jawline and browline
- Using foundation to create shading that reshapes
The eyes have it
- Taming your eyebrows and achieving the right shape
- How to draw the focus to your eyes and emphasize them
- Ways to reshape your eyes
Drag queen wig tips
- Choosing the right wig
- How to keep your wig in place and enhance it
- How to look after your wig
Raven takes an innovative approach to makeup. As a result, over the years, he has developed some innovative techniques. Who knew strong school glue and a spoon could be used to smooth and shape eyebrows? This section of the course was both informative and entertaining.
It is clear that RuPaul and Raven have got a great deal out of working together. They collaborate and learn from each other and are not afraid to share what they know with others. Although, I, and other students, would have liked to see them go into even more detail.
If you do want to learn more about using makeup to create a different look, you could always take Bobbi Brown´s makeup masterclass. It covers every aspect of makeup, including how to buy, use and look after the right products for you. I am pretty sure drag queens will be able to pick up quite a few tips that are relevant to them and the look they want to achieve from this makeup course.
If you have bought the all-access pass you can basically take that course for free. In fact, without having to pay a penny more you can take all 80 of the masterclasses that are available. The all-access pass opens up a world of learning. The chance to be taught by the world´s top actors, writers, artists, sports personalities, entrepreneurs and scientists is too good to pass up.
RuPaul´s masterclass workbook pdf
As you can see from my masterclass review, you get a lot of extra material when you buy one of these classes. Including access to a community that enables you to speak to other students about what you are learning. You can also get answers to all of your questions from them and RuPaul´s team.
Plus, each masterclass includes a workbook. It is in a PDF format, so you can download it and read it anywhere, anytime. I always do this and strongly encourage you to do the same.
Usually, there is something extra in the workbook and this is certainly the case with RuPaul´s. There is a ton of extra information in there. All of which is presented in a highly visual way. Making it really easy to absorb as well as enjoyable to read.