We Asked A RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under Finalist For Her Top Beauty Tips
You better werk
By Natalie McGowan | 6th November 2025It’s Freya Armani‘s world, and we’re all just living in it. The RuPaul Drag Race Down Under S4 finalist shares her holy grail beauty products to stay snatched and serving, from start to finish. See her hot tips and takes below.
1+2. Prep & prime
“One of my fave prep steps after moisturiser is primer, and finding the right one can completely change the finish of your makeup! My current fave combo is the Fenty Hydro Primer followed by the NYX Face Glue. A combo that creates a hydrating, blurring, and tacky base, perfect for long-wear makeup.”
3. Come on, colour corrector
“As a mixed-race queen, my beard undertone can sometimes seem green after shaving my face. The best way to cover this shade is with a brick/orangey colour corrector. In my decade-long journey with cosmetics, I really have tried almost all of the best! The thickest consistency (therefore the best coverage) I have found is this Kim Chi Beauty product. I never have to worry about pigmentation under my eyes or my beard area when using this product to correct, before going in with foundation.”
4. Laying the foundation
“Skin-like finish, hyper-blurring, and soft – This is the Lady Gaga foundation that saved the world (well, at least mine)! Typically, a more full-coverage foundation is used for drag makeup; however, this buildable formula is suitable for all skin types and is created using skincare ingredients to give it that gorgeous finish. I pair this with the classic drag queen staple Kryolan stick foundation and my skin appears smooth, lively, and filteresque.”
5. A little bit of blush
“I love a pink/rosey blush as much as the next diva, but my fave is a peachy sunset blush. Getting those orange, yellow, and peachy pink vibes adds so much depth to the face on the appropriate skin tone. Pink blush suits all, but why not stand out with a richer, unique-toned blush!”
6. Just add highlighter
“There are so many beautiful highlighter formulas. In my experience, a lot of them leave a shadow of pigment which can appear on the face as a streak or ‘line’ that isn’t necessarily flattering. The Fenty Diamond Bomb highlighter, however, gives me the glitter that I want with none of the ashy shadow underneath. It’s highlighter in first class. Pure sparkle!”
7. Love me some lip liner
“When it comes to lip liner, the ‘tyre track’ lip liner where it’s unintentionally smudgey, skippy, or uneven is sooo last decade. Avoid the pencils that feel dry as paper. Utilising a creamy formulated lip liner, with a sharp edge, provides a smooth look and makes it easier to connect lip lines. The shade Vanilla Bean is my absolute go-to for a chocolatey brown outer lip to show off my best assets.”
8. Get your gloss on
“Extra, extra! Matte is OUT, being MUGGY is in! Lip gloss to me is the cherry on top of a fabulous makeup ‘lewk’. I never miss an opportunity to make my lips look juicy and plump. Mario’s Supershine lip glosses are the only glosses I’ve found that do. Not. Get. Sticky. Remembering the words to your lip sync is one thing, but having your lips tack together in the middle of a performance is the worst feeling. Also, who wants dry lips?! This gloss I love because it adds a sheer wash of colour to the centre of your lips, shines like a dream, and never disappoints me by getting sticky after applying.”
9. The perfect palette
“When it comes to eyeshadow, you want three things: pigment, blendability, and versatility. I adore this palette because it has something for every occasion! Bright, colourful eyeshadow pigments, sexy neutrals, as well as mattes and shimmers. They blend beautifully, payoff is paying off, and I sometimes even use this palette not only on my eyes but also around the face.”
10. Contour & bronzer: the ultimate power couple
“If you’re not cream contouring before you powder contour, let me put you on. I could list several contour sticks that can get the job done. However, for quality and ease, I recommend you hit up Patrick Ta because his formulas blend like butter and leave no streaks, as some others might. If we’re talking good value for money too, this duo gives you the cream contour AND the powder bronzer for the one-two punch. Admittedly, the shade range is quite limited to five options, but if any of these shades suit your skin tone, they’re truly fab.”
11. Spray now, slay later
“Now I know what you’re thinking, hairspray isn’t a makeup product. But, after a good few layers of Elmer’s glue on the brow, adding a layer or two of Got2B hairspray will keep that brow block locked in all night! Prosaide on certain people is known to leak through the makeup or ruin your brow block if you sweat, and Elmer’s just isn’t strong enough on its own (especially if you’re a thick brow hair kinda person). Trust me on this one, elevate your brow block and give it a go, you won’t be sorry.”
12. Lashes for days
“Lashes, in my opinion, are another aspect that can make or break a queen’s mug. Positioning of the lash, using the wrong glue, and not customising your lash are all mistakes we’ve made or seen before. To get the Freya Armani mug, get yourself a nice flare-style lash, trim both ends to fit your specific eye shape. Then, glue the band of the lash as close to your lash line at the start and slightly elevated towards the outer lash line. This will give you the cat-eye effect while also lifting your eye shape for a more feminine look. My fave style is the ‘Fairah’ lashes from Wigged Out – lengthy, and feminine, but still great volume for a drag lash.”
13. One Size Powder Melt Setting Spray
“I could list 15 setting sprays alone and talk about them at length! I actually use 2-3 sprays because they all do slightly different things. Honourable mentions: Urban Decay All Nighter is a classic, Makeup by Mario, Fenty, and NYX all have great setting sprays. My current fave combo is the One/Size Powder Melt to hydrate, melt powders into the skin, and give the skin a glassy finish, followed by their On Til Dawn spray to lock the mug in all night long; if you find this one a little too matte or drying on the skin – fear not! Finishing with a third hydrating spray on top will mean you get the longevity of On Til Dawn as well as a hydrating glow on top.”
14. IG filter but IRL
“If you’ve made it this far, well done. Here come the secret tips. Summer is approaching swiftly, which means more pool parties and drag brunches during the day, and you won’t catch me wearing thirty layers in drag in this heat, trust. There are a lot of body makeup brands but not all work in the right way. I look for colour and transfer-proof, and sweat-resistant. I stumbled onto this brand that ships to Australia, and their body perfector formula dries fast and creates a smooth, blurry skin finish that makes your body look like an Instagram filter but irl! It’s delicious, and if you’re someone who wants your legs or arms to glow just as much as that gorgeous face, this one’s for you.”
15. Last but not least, eye primer
“I know, I know, you’re thinking, what’s wrong with concealer on the eyes? Can’t you just use clown white as an eye base like other queens? The answer is sure. For some reason, unbeknownst to me, none of those work for my eyelids. I possibly just have very hydrated eyelids and those products just slip right off, or make the eyeshadows look messy? Don’t worry, I’ll check in with my GP about it soon, but what works fabulously for me is the ABH Eye Primer. I’ve been using it for years, the tacky primer helps set the pigments down, blends well without losing richness of colour, and never disappoints me by allowing sweat to ruin my eyeshadow.”
