Credit: Getty
Beauty
RuPaul has collaborated with Mally Beauty for an inclusive make-up collection
Updated 6 years ago
RuPaul and Mally Roncal have created a make-up collection that’s beautiful, fun and for everyone. Here, they talk to Stylist about the exciting collaboration.
Alongside his charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent, RuPaul is an icon in the beauty industry. So, when we heard that Ru has teamed up with make-up artist Mally Roncal to create a sickening beauty collection for cosmetics brand Mally Makeup, we jumped at the chance to sit down with both of them for a sneak peek.
The pair met in the early 90s, when Roncal was working as an assistant to fashion designer Kalinka. Ru came into the offices for a fitting and the two hit it off instantly.
“Ru was already the drag queen of the universe and very famous in the fashion world,” says Roncal, “There I was watching the fitting and I literally almost passed out. Obviously, he’s a beautiful man, but when he’s in full drag, it’s otherworldly.”
Ru adds that make-up can have a much bigger transformation than what’s on the outside. “You know, it still surprises me this day, when I see myself in drag and go ‘Is that me?’ I’ve never once gotten used to it,” he tells us.
“But that’s the power of make-up and how you’re able to transform yourself - not only physically, but emotionally and spiritually. Because the effort put forward in transforming yourself, it is amazing. And you can apply that to many different areas of your life.
“Years ago, my therapist said ‘You know Ru, the power you feel in drag is available to you when you’re out of drag’. What?! It never occurred to me. It’s like SuperMan and Clark Kent.
“Make-up is sort of a preliminary step into realisation, and then it extends further. That’s why I’m so passionate about this collection we’ve put together and being able to share with people out there everything we’ve learnt in this process of falling in love with make-up.”
The entire collection can be used in a variety of ways to create whoever you want to be, adds Roncal. It’s no surprise then, that with two powerhouse names, a wide range of beautiful shades and impressive formulas, the collection sold out fast in the U.S. Now, it’s finally landed in the UK, exclusive to QVC. Here’s everything you need to know about the collection…
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The idea for the collaboration stemmed from years of friendship
MR: “I had the biggest balls in the world. Somebody said to me ‘Who would be your dream collab – living/dead, anybody in the whole wide world - be?’ I didn’t skip a beat and I said RuPaul. He represents everything that I believe in and that the world would be a better place if they had RuPaul for president [laughs], right?”
The collection has been created with everybody in mind
MR: “It’s for everybody and Ru was really passionate about making sure that everyone was represented. The thing I love about the feedback we’d been getting so far is that it shows it’s for everyone. All of our drag queen friends are excited and they love it – but, my next-door neighbour, text me saying ‘I need this eyeliner in bulk, don’t sell out of it. I’m going to have my friend order it from the UK’. She’s having a friend order it in the UK, because it’s sold out in the US.”
The colours of each product were picked according to Ru’s drag aesthetic
RP: “It’s based on my go-to colours. I’m in make-up all the time and I always get to be as dramatic as I want to and break the rules. You can regulate how dramatic you want your nude lip to be, you don’t even have to wear a liner with it. In fact, the same liner which is meant for the eye can be used on the lips and used wherever you want to.”
Both of them want you to break the make-up rules by using the products however you want
RP: “They work together, they work alone, or you can mix them and create a whole new colour by mixing these two together. That’s what it’s all about - 21st century, baby! We’re breaking the rules; but not only just the rules ‘out there’, but also trying to expand your own relationship with make-up and how to make it work for you. It’s like prescription – you write your own prescription. And everyone’s different, so see what works for you!”
They wanted the collection to be fun, too
RP: “We know that the consumer wants great products – so you start with the great products. Then you offer an aesthetic; look how beautiful the packaging is. You also want to also offer a lifestyle and that’s what we’ve done here. The names are wild and fun. That’s what we love about each other and that’s what we’ve infused this collection with. It’s this approach to make-up that is not only empowering, but is full of love, is full of joy and full of possibilities to paint outside the lines. An eye pencil on your lips or a lipstick on your cheeks or a shadow on your nose. It’s all of that.”
The line-up
Mally x RuPaul Draglash Mascara, £19.50
RP: “The brush is square so you can really get in there, you get to the root of that lash and build that mascara up. It’s something really spectacular.”
MR: “If someone with blonder/red lashes puts on mascara, you can actually see where the root begins and where the mascara starts, so the brush is very important. And I love the fact that yes, it’s called Draglash, and obviously for TV we really build it up, but I have days when I just wear one coat and it’s just enough to then run out the door.”
Mally x RuPaul Limited Edition Face Defender & Sponge, £40
RP: “I’m a long, long time user of the Face Defender. It is something that has been on Mally’s cosmetics line for many years and it is a lifesaver. Obviously, I wear it all the time and on every set I go to in Hollywood, I see it in every make-up artist’s kit.”
Mally x RuPaul Lipstick for Your Life Trio, £34
RP: “These three lipstick are actually three different textures. Mally said a lot of ladies don’t like to go so deep with a red, but I love a red lip. So this one actually goes on sheer, but you can build it up to make it really pungent. But initially, it’s just very sheer.”
MR: “Yeah, it’s like a little bit of a wash of a red, but you can really go and build it. Ru really believes that everybody needs a great red so we said, if we were going to go red, then let’s go bullet proof red!”
The lipsticks are also available individually: Mama Ru (red), Werk Room (nude), TeeHee (pink), all £22 each
Mally x RuPaul Hiieee-Lighter & Ruge Duo & Blush Brush, £34
MR: “These shades, ‘So Lit’ and ‘#legend’, are the most beautiful highlight and blush; we’re all wearing it. It’s universal. If you go on very light and soft, you get a little glow and colour. But if you really go in, it does truly feel lit from within. My tip? Take the blush and then put the highlighter on top.”
Mally x RuPaul Polished Liquid Lipstick, £22 each
RP: “These here, they stay on and they do not dry out your lips. They’re those stay-on kind of lipsticks I just love so much and I wear make-up for 16-17 hours a day and the colour don’t go anywhere.”
Mally x RuPaul Realness Eyeliner Trio, £27.50
RP: “Most people wouldn’t think to put a colour like Mighty Love [a rusty red] on their eye, but this colour already exists in your actual skin, so it’s a unifier and it combines two colours. And actually, used as this trio, these pencils make your eyes look so gorgeous.”
The eyeliners are also available individually: Mighty Love (rusty red), Hey Sis (sultry grey-black) and Sequence (classic jet black), all £20 each
Mally x RuPaul RuPalette & Limited Edition Double-Ended Eyeshadow Brush
From matte neutrals to bold shimmers, these shades have been created to work against all skin tones and the line-up has everything you need to create day and night looks. Plus, with names like Kitty Gurl, Sissy That Walk, Born Naked and Tongue Pop, it’s bound to add some fun to your routine, too.
Main image: Getty / Images: QVC
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