I’m back, finally! After a month of painful wrestling with my dissertation and other nasty bits of uni work I can finally turn my attention back to my first love – perfume. The last month has been both stressful and refreshing – stressful for obvious reasons and refreshing because it felt like a good time to take a blogging break so that now, when all the work has been handed in, I can come back with a fresh mind and renewed enthusiasm.

Despite the absence of blogging during my uni-fest I have managed to stay (relatively) sane. This can be attributed to three things; the constant support of Nigel (my partner), a metric ton of Maltesers and a constant supply of episodes of my new all-time favourite TV programme – RuPaul’s Drag Race. That’s right squirrel friends, all one needs to get oneself through a tough time is a parade of drag queens…

If you haven’t had the pleasure of watching RuPaul’s Drag Race then; a) watch it now (go on) and; b) simply picture the model-filled runway of America’s Next Top Model crossed with the home-made fashions of Project Runway with a generous dollop of drag queen fabulous-ness on top. Now can you see why it is perhaps the absolute greatest thing on earth?

I love RuPaul’s Drag Race so much that I thought I would pay my own scented tribute to the queens that make it so darn sickening (that’s sickening in the good sense of the word FYI) to watch. So without further ado I present to you the latest instalment in the Scent a Celebrity Series, an episode containing perfumes and queens who display the ultimate levels of Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve and Talent – gentleman, start your engines, and may the best woman, smell!

Some best bits from Season 5 – definitely NSFW!

It would be incredibly disrespectful to start this article with any other drag queen than the grand high bitch herself – RuPaul. RuPaul is the grand marshall of RuPaul’s Drag Race (the clue really is in the name) and is the most successful drag queen in the world, having been one of the very few, if not the only queen to cross over into mainstream television, music and film.

RuPaul is the supermodel of the world – an exotic glamazon who exudes sexiness, kindness and a whole dose of fierceness to boot. She knows how to werk the runway and acts as mother to all the queens lucky enough to take part in Drag Race. There simply is nobody quite like her.

To my mind the only fragrance (other than Dior’s Ambre Nuit which Ru wears) that captures the exotic glamour of RuPaul is Guerlain’s undeservedly maligned Mahora – a sweeping cocktail of white flowers over a base of warm, nutty sandalwood and vanilla that smells hot and comforting all at once – a truly glamazon perfume.

Queens don’t come fiercer than Detox – just take the above Thierry Mugler film noir look for example (yes that is makeup not a filter and yes it is amazing). Looking more than just a little bit like Anjelica Houston and channeling many a diva from the 80s, Detox serves drama, glamour and cruelty in the most fabulous of ways.

Picking a scent for Detox is easy, in fact I am completely cheating with this one as during one particular runway challenge, when the girls were going for a ‘business bitch’ look, Ms Ic**t rocked a Mugler power suit and pulled a bottle of Angel out of her clutch bag to give a generous spritz. It make sense really, both Angel and Detox have a lot in common – they are the ultimate drag queens.

Jinkx Monsoon is the recent winner of Season 5 of RuPaul’s Drag Race and, as she would describe herself, is “Seattle’s premiere jewish narcoleptic drag queen.” Those familiar with Drag Race will know that Jinkx is a multi-talented queen, not just a pageant girl, and is the first of her kind to win the competition.

Paying tribute to vintage divas such as Little Edie, Jinkx approaches the art of drag with wit, sensitivity and a whole heap of moxie. Chanel’s beautiful N°22 suits Jinkx to a T, it has the whimsy and fun of tuberose and jasmine mixed with the powder and aldehydes of days gone by – perfect for the funny girl of yesteryear.

Sharon Needles is a spooky gal who brings an entirely different kind of drag to the table. Whereas many queens are attempting to look as beautiful and feminine (I believe the correct term is ‘fishy’) as possible, Ms Needles looks to shock with her witchy, alternative style of glamour.

Whether she’s a mouth-bleeding zombie or a post-plastic surgery starlet injecting her lips with silicone, Sharon Needles is a beauty with a dark heart, much like the fragrance I have picked for her – Etat Libre d’Orange’s Rossy de Palma Eau de Protection. RdP EdP is an uncomfortable, yet fascinating rose with sour and bitter facets – like Sharon, it may not entirely be your thing but there’s something about it that keeps you intrigued.

Manila Luzon is a bright, colourful and fun queen with more than enough camp humour and Filipino sass to make her one of the best bitches Drag Race has seen – whether it was her portrayal of a twisted space monkey or scarily accurate interpretation of Imelda Marcos, Manila knows how to rock some serious fashions whilst getting the laughs.

One perfume full of camp fun and fashions is Gorilla Perfume’s Ladyboy – the scent of bananas and violet leaf that captures the feel of risque nights in Bangkok and really shouldn’t work but totally does. Both Ladyboy and Manila are captivating, outrageous and entirely loveable

Willam is definitely one of the most divisive queens to have ever pounded the runway at RuPaul’s Drag Race. Filled with confidence due to her career in film and television, Willam definitely knew how to wind up the other queens before being infamously asked to sashay away for breaking the rules.

Personally I love Willam, she is a victim of her own ballsy, sarcastic sense of humour that one can’t quite work out whether it is calculated and mean or simply hilarious (be sure to check out Willam’s Beatdown and RuPaulogize for proof).

Being a blonde that knows how to have a good time, William seems perfectly suited to  Etat Libre d’Orange’s Vraie Blonde – a perfume that smells like the party girl the morning after the night before, a night which may or may not have involved one too many peach bellinis and some Sécrétions Magnifique.

It’s impossible not to love Latrice Royale – “large and in charge, chunky yet funky” she knows how to serve plus size glamour with a hint of rehabilitated chic (if you’re wondering if such a thing exists – it does). Glittering with more sequins than you thought was ever possible Latrice is a soulful queen who shines in personality, not just in appearance.

Thierry Mugler’s Alien Le Goût du Parfum is a syrupy sweet tour de force of shimmer and sparkle with an unhealthy and calorific dose of salted caramel that makes for something unabashedly addictive – just like our lovely Latrice! Jesus is a biscuit y’all!

Raja is the most high-fashion drag queen to have graced the competition, having worked with Tyra Banks on America’s Next Top Model and being a fabulous purveyor of some seriously fabulous couture. An elegant gazelle with enough androgyny to be reminiscent of Grace Jones in her finest Philip Treacy headpiece, Raja’s style of drag is something entirely new.

Unlike a lot of the other queens Raja isn’t able to hide her boyishness, making for an interesting gender blend that is unsettling yet fierce. Alexander McQueen’s fragrant opus Kingdom, with its overdose of cumin and rose, is a perfume achieves just this and I think it’s just high-fashion enough for the gorgeous Raja to approve.

Join the Discussion!

Do you watch RuPaul’s Drag Race?

Who is your favourite drag queen? What scent would you choose for them?

Do you agree with my choices?

Leave your thoughts in the comments box below, and remember – if you can’t love yourself, how in the hell you gon’ love anybody else? Can I get an Amen up in here?!

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