10 Beauty Lessons That RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Taught Us This Season

After 13 seasons of US Drag Race, countless spin offs including All Stars, Drag U and Secret Celebrity, numerous international series like Canada, Holland, and the soon to be launching Australia, the chances of repeating looks are high, and the standards even higher. But two queens this season stood out for their creativity and ability to translate iconic runway looks into drag masterpieces - East London's finest, Bimini Bon Boulash and the Welsh dragon, Tayce. A reminder that if you are looking for a way to breathe new life into your look, start by taking references from designer shows; like Bimini's ingenious amoeba look from the Prehistoric runway (a nod to Iris Van Herpen and an incredible use of braids), or Tayce's ethereal seashell moment inspired by Versace Spring Summer 21. Who else could pull off slicked down hair full of shells and aqua marine eyeshadow but a true queen?!

Speaking of Tayce and sheer hair envy, her signature look of long, sleek lengths might be the current hair inspo you need after months without regular haircuts. If your salon is already booked up and you have a wait ahead of you, why not invest some time in deep conditioning your hair to prevent breakage and split ends, and for those with coloured hair RUSH salon recommends, 'To slow down your colour fading, avoid washing your hair every day. Not something you'll all want to hear, but the more you wash your hair, the quicker your colour will fade. Whilst washing, use cool water instead of hot water as hot water can remove essential oils and moisture from your hair.'

Take some pages out of chameleon Lawrence Chaney's book when it comes to experimenting with colour and embracing the bold and the beautiful. Whether a violet wig with two toned eyebrows, fluorescent orange highlights, or a deep red smoky eye, Lawrence's style is always fun and fearless, a good opportunity to try that new style you've been apprehensively putting off. Whether it's a small change like switching out black eyeliner for a jewel tone, opting for the red lipstick over the everyday nude, or a total hair transformation, serve it with attitude.

Poor Joe Black… and if you've seen all the memes you know what we mean. When it comes to deciding whether to splash the cash or be cleverly frugal, there are a couple of areas where you can save a few pennies, and ones that are better off investing in. For eyeshadows, blushers, bronzers or anything powder based that adds colour, highly pigmented products have the best pay off (and the least chalky fall out) and are worth paying a little extra for. However when it comes to the basics like a shampoo, mascara, or a moisturiser with an SPF, most high street versions rival the big spenders by containing the same ingredients in slightly more modest packaging, but give equally good results. If ever in doubt, skip the beauty jargon and use an app like 'Think Dirty', that lets you scan the barcode of a product and gives an unbiased rating on the long-term benefits, active ingredients and environmental impact to help you get more bang for your buck.

You might not be ready to take the plunge and go for a full cherry red, lace front wig quite yet, but Ellie Diamond's affinity for a soft pink hue is the ideal inspiration for a fresh Spring style. Quirky and cool, there is a pastel shade to suit every skin tone, with peachy pinks warming fair skin, soft lavender and rose golds complimenting olive skin, and richer brights and grey violets a cool contrast for darker skin.

Well, that is, as long as you aren't attempting to cut your own fringe without reading up first. But if lockdown has taught us anything, it's to how to get creative when necessary, and there's no better example of a resourceful queen than A'whora. Whether fashioning a couture level look out of bin liners, or werking the runway dressed as a bag of chips (complete with chip fork earrings), A'Whora proves that with a little determination and vision, you can achieve a professional results for a fraction of the cost. With that being said, we've put together handy 'how to' guides on everything from colouring your hair at hometo mastering your own gel manicure so you have the Dos and Don't's on home beauty to get the best possible results.

If there's one thing drag queens know, it's how to contour and the power of make-up placement to change the shape of a face. In a show of serious cheekbone inspo, create definition like a pro by taking some sculpting tips from their step-by-step routine: creating shadow under the cheekbones, the sides of the nose, and the jaw, before layering with contrasting highlight, and adding a little warmth to the cheeks with a blush a la Cherry Valentine.

We can't be the only ones with sheer leg envy when it comes to Asttina Mandella, those legs go on, and on… and on… With Summer (nearly) around the corner, we're inspired to prepare for mini skirt season by giving our legs a little extra attention after hibernating through winter. For touchably smooth legs in between waxes, we've answered all of your epilating questions, and if your skin is in need of some TLC try starting with a scrub to exfoliate, which will get rid of dead, flaky skin and boost circulation. Finish with a balmy serum like This Works Perfect Legs Skin Miracle, £38, for a subtle glow.

You can't discuss Drag Race beauty lessons with mentioning the master, RuPaul. Always looking airbrushed to perfection, Ru's flawless make up is down to Drag Race Alumni, Raven who has served as Ru's make-up artist since 2009, but this season it is the selection of gravity defying wigs that really stole the show. From the Dolly Parton bouncy, blonde in episode 3, to the warm, honey copper in the finale, this season was all about the curls. Curly hair can have an unfair reputation as being difficult to manage, but the trick is to resist the temptation to overwork it. For bouncy, shiny curls to rival Ru's use a leave in conditioner or curl cream after washing, and only brush while wet to avoid fizz and breakage.

Our favourite 'plant-based princess' Bimini Bon Boulash is vocal about her vegan ethics, and a great reminder to think about how we shop, particularly in the beauty industry. It's now easier than ever to make greener choices for your make up bag, with searches for vegan and cruelty free make-up climbing year on year, and big brands like L'Oreal and Aveda pledging to minimise their environmental impact with recycled packaging and vegan ingredients. Industry leaders Lush have an extensive vegan range with everything from fragrance to foundation, so there's no better reason to try going green this year.