Black Friday is just around the corner, and we’ve put together some of the best gifts for the Drag Race fan in your life. These gifts are sure to brighten the holidays, so consult the “nice list” and hook your loved ones up with a fierce and unforgettable gift.
Holiday greetings with a personal touch
You can’t put them under the tree, but a video from Cameo is the gift that truly keeps on giving, A number of Drag Race stars, including Pandora Boxx, Manila Luzon and Darienne Lake – and Drag Race UK queens Divina De Campo and Cheryl Hole – will record a personalized message for your loved ones and Cameo is donating 5% of each video booked from now until December 15 to (RED), an organization dedicated to ending AIDS. The site boasts lots of other celebs participating in this special promotion including Billy Porter from Pose and Bobby Berk from Queer Eye. See all of the celebs and book your video at Cameo's website.
See the queens live
If you’ve never had the chance to see a drag show or meet your favorite queens in person, World of Wonder has got some amazing Black Friday/Cyber Monday specials to help scratch this off your bucket list. The site is offering special, reduced prices for tickets to the upcoming RuPaul’s Drag Race Live! show in Las Vegas, DragCon LA or DragCon UK. You can also give the gift of WOW Presents Plus, allowing your loved ones to check out exclusive programs like Drag Race Thailand, Werq the World and Alyssa Raw and plenty of fun stocking stuffers. For more information on WOW’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, check out their website.
Nina West hosts the “Drag Queen Christmas” tour, which is currently on the road and could be coming to a city near you. The holiday show includes performances from Willam, Latrice Royale, Roxxy Andrews, Thorgy Thor, Scarlet Envy, Manila Luzon, Shuga Cain and Lady Bunny. Get tickets at dragfans.com.
For Los Angeles-based drag fans, we’ve got the ultimate present – tickets to the cult classic play Women Behind Bars, performed at LA’s Montalbán Theater. This production stars Drag Race alums Eureka O’Hara, Thorgy Thor and Chi Chi DeVayne along with the iconic Miss Coco Peru and John Waters favorites Traci Lords and Mink Stole. From Black Friday to Cyber Monday, you can get 25% off select seats with the promo code JAILBREAK25.
Totes, tees and such
Lots of queens sell unique gifts on their websites. Over on Shangela’s site, you can grab cute tees, pins and posters. Nothing’s cuter than this colorful lunch box, from who else but Pandora Boxx. Manila Luzon’s site has gorgeous dolls dressed in her iconic fashions from All-Stars (including the maxi pad-inspired gown she wasn’t allowed to wear on the “Padded for the Gods” runway) and Latrice Royale fans can carry their “Chunky Yet Funky” chocolate bar and lots more in a “Good God Get a Grip Girl” tote bag.
If you’re a fan of “one stop shopping”, Drag Queen Merch has a wide array of products from so many queens, I can’t list them all. From season one’s Bebe Zahara Benet and Ongina to Ben DeLaCreme, Bob the Drag Queen, Katya, Gia Gunn, Raja, Mrs. Kasha Davis and Race Chaser’s Willam and Alaska, there’s bound to be something for every drag fan.
Get your hands on merch from the queens of Drag Race UK with Binge Designs. The site has products from Blu Hydrangea, Crystal and The Vivienne. This is where you can show your love for the Frock Destroyers and the legendary Miss Coco Peru with some fun, colorful tees, tops and accessories.
Beat your mug
If you have makeup fanatics on your holiday shopping list, the queens have some stunning cosmetics to bring a little extra beauty to the holidays.
Willam’s Coverboy collection has some amazing lipsticks, eyelashes and glitter jellies. This Black Friday, don’t miss the Coverboy live event. Willam will join Nicole Byer, for makeovers, giveaways and special offers on his fantastic line. Check out all of the fun at shopcoverboy.com starting at 3pm PST/6pm EST on Friday, November 29.
But wait, there’s more! Alyssa Edwards teamed with Anastasia Beverly Hills to create a beautiful eye shadow palette. Kim Chi teamed up with NYX Cosmetics to put together an affordable, yet crazy glam collection. There are also gorgeous products available from Drag Race alums Miss Fame and, of course, the fabulous Trixie Mattel. Of course, don’t forget Mama Ru’s collection with Mally for QVC.
Reading is fundamental
Books make great stocking stuffers, and the some of the queens of Drag Race have proven to be masters of the written word. From some sage advice to a joke or two to bring a smile to your face, these books will keep you company in between seasons.
It won’t be out until May, but if you have patient friends who are fans of Trixie Mattel and Katya, they might appreciate a pre-order of their upcoming book Trixie and Katya’s Guide to Modern Womanhood. In this collection of essays, how-tos and photos, “Trixie and Katya will advise readers on beauty and fashion and tackle other vital components of a happy home, such as money, entertaining, and friendship; sharing advice and personal stories in high-concept fashion.“
If you can’t wait until May, there are plenty of great titles available to put under the tree this Christmas. Mama Ru has written three books, her first, is a little tough to find, but her 2010 advice book Workin' It!: RuPaul's Guide to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Style and last year’s Guru are both available at Amazon or wherever you buy books.
Ru’s best Judy, Michelle Visage, also offers some advice in her 2015 book, The Diva Rules: Ditch the Drama, Find Your Strength, and Sparkle Your Way to the Top. The sassy, no-nonsense judge shares 25 life lessons, including “Keep Your Shit Together,” “Give Good Face” and “Be Thankful You’re a Misfit.” Sounds like good advice to me.
Season 6 champion Bianca Del Rio brings her unique worldview to the masses in 2018’s Blame It On Bianca Del Rio: The Expert On Nothing With An Opinion On Everything. In an advice book like no other, Bianca “shares her opinions loudly and proudly, offering raucous, hilarious, no-holds-barred commentary on the everyday annoyances, big and small, that color her world, and make it a living, albeit amusing, hell for anyone who inhabits it.”
Take one of our favorite queens, Willam, with you wherever you go with her 2016 book, Suck Less: Where There’s a Willam, There’s a Way. The book delivers “clap backs and life hacks and tips on classing up a simple grab-and-run lifting spree to the much more dignified act of larceny.” If you’re a fan of Willam’s YouTube channel, you’re sure to love this book.
Put a little love in your heart
Give a gift that makes a true difference in someone’s life. Nina West, through her Nina West Foundation, is providing grants to LGBTQ+ organizations across the U.S. The grants will greatly aid organizations that work with the community on issues including healthcare, homelessness, trans rights, youth advocacy, veteran support, HIV and AIDS, equal rights, suicide prevention, addiction and recovery, anti-bullying, immigration, and more. You can learn more and donate on the Nina West Foundation website.
That’s it for our guide to make the season fierce and fabulous. Now get to shopping! If you need some inspiration, check out this flashback video of RuPaul at the mall – and happy (and stress-free) Black Friday to you!
