RuVeal Yourself

Each week, I will review the main challenge and runway performances for the queens of RPDR season 16. Like the main challenge, I will rank each queens’ performance from best (1) to worst (7, for this episode). Alongside the rankings, I am including “SHOOT,” “TOOT,” and “BOOT” with each look, similar to Fashion Photo RuView with Raja and Raven.

This very first runway was “RuVeal Yourself.” Basically, I assume all of the girls were able to have as many reveals as possible with their looks, but I also think the brief of the runway was to show the judges and audience a glimpse of that queen’s style and who they are. Overall, I actually don’t like this runway all that much. We have seen some pretty amazing reveals in the history of Drag Race, and a lot of these looks are… well, underwhelming. You can really go so extravagant with a theme like “RuVeal Yourself,” and a lot of the girls didn’t– which was frankly a missed opportunity.

1. Q (TOOT)

While many of the queens this week gave underwhelming reveals, Q definitely took advantage of the extravagance that this theme called for. Sequins is a fabric that is relatively easy to look cheap in, but Q combined an interesting concept and silhouette, making the sequins look so expensive! I think the concept of caterpillar to butterfly has been done to death (hello, Jasmine Masters!), but Q managed to take the concept and turn it into something different and unique. The pre-reveal look is so dark and mysterious. It’s giving Maleficent vibes if Maleficent were a beautiful bug. The reveal into the colorful, bold wings was gorgeous and very well-executed. I love the juxtaposition between the darkness of the pre-reveal look and the vividness of the wings. I also really love the headpiece and antenna-like feathers. This is definitely ART and DRAG to the tee! Easily the best runway of the episode.

2. Mirage (TOOT)

This was a strong runway from Mirage. Light blue and orange contrast each other very well. I love the feathers, sequins, and big titties. Mirage is definitely giving us Las Vegas drag with this fun showgirl/burlesque look, and I think it’s a really good example of where Mirage is from and what she can bring to the competition in terms of looks and drag identity. The reveals, or transitions into each look, weren’t really anything to write home about; she kind of just took off article after article of clothing, but I think each of the looks are very polished and well-fitted. I’d probably say I prefer the pre-reveal look with the extravagant feathered backpiece more than the post-reveal look, but all in all, this was a job well done.

3. Dawn (TOOT)

This works. I’m not really sure how I’m supposed to feel about the pre-reveal look. It looks like Dawn’s attempt to be a yeti? I’m not sure. It’s definitely different, I’ll give her that, but the pre-reveal look isn’t really something I’m particularly interested in looking at. I suppose I wish the connection between her pre-reveal look and post-reveal look made more sense. Regardless, I do think the transition between her two looks was good and clean. The post-reveal look is cute and quirky; I like the long sleeves, I think the black chaps and white fur actually work well together. Overall, it’s a fair/good attempt at the challenge at hand; I guess I just wish the concept made more sense. I’m left just a tad bit confused.

4. Xunami Muse (TOOT)

Xunami is gorgeous, for sure. And I really love red; it’s probably my favorite color. I think the color also looks amazing on Xunami. Ultimately, I can’t say I’m all that blown away by this performance from Xunami. Individually, none of the looks Xunami gave for this challenge are all that interesting. The transitions into her reveals were also a bit underwhelming. Although each of the looks is a bit remedial, I do think there is a sense of polish in all of the looks. Xunami’s face looks gorgeous, her body looks gorgeous. Her overall runway from this episode is not great, but I think it’s a passable performance. At least, for the very first runway challenge. Overall, it’s a very soft toot from me.

5. Sapphira Cristál (BOOT)

After such an impeccable talent show number, this runway performance from Sapphira leaves me wanting more, unfortunately. I think the pre-reveal look with the deep blue satin is gorgeous. But everything after that? Yeah, no, I’ll pass. I think the second purple look was fine but surely underwhelming compared to the first look. The very last reveal being a body suit with an ill-fitting titty plate is even more disappointing. Sapphira looked so classy, regal, and polished in the pre-reveal number. The very last look, however, looks incomplete and frankly lacking polish. She definitely looks gorgeous with her hair and makeup, but the basic body suit with an ill-fitting titty plate is distracting enough to the point where this is a boot for me. Definitely a missed opportunity from Sapphira.

6. Morphine Love Dion (BOOT)

This is so exceptionally underwhelming. I actually quite like the pre-reveal, towel look. Surely, the silhouette could be more interesting, but I like the towel headpiece and I think Morphine’s body looks great. My issue with this runway performance is, well, the reveal in itself– which is ultimately what this runway challenge was all about. Morphine goes from a towel look to a bikini… WOAH. My mind is so absolutely blown. I think the concept of revealing into a bathing suit from a towel dress is a bit expected and unoriginal. Morphine’s body looks great in the bikini, but the bikini itself is so incredibly pedestrian. I know Morphine is the BBL queen, but I would have loved it if she padded with the bikini look. I think that could have possibly elevated the post-reveal look to something less uninspired.

7. Amanda Tori Meating (BOOT)

I like Amanda a lot and I truly want to say something good about this runway performance, but this is pretty damn bad. The pre-reveal look is comedic, sure, but it’s giving baby drag queen vibes; it’s giving lack of polish. The face kini, combined with the dress and hair, make no sense. And that face kini — and that dress — are U-G-L-Y. I liked the transition into the second look, I suppose, but the second look, too, does not make any sense to me. Transitionally, the two looks don’t connect in any way. Also, the hair and makeup on the second look are almost as bad as the face kini and hair on the pre-reveal look. The three titties is fun and comedic, just as absurd as the concept of the pre-reveal look, but there is just so much polish missing between the two looks that I can’t possibly overlook.

CHALLENGE AVERAGE:
1. Sapphira Cristál (1.0): 1
2. Mirage (2.0): 2
3. Q (3.0): 3
4. Amanda Tori Meating (4.0): 4
5. Morphine Love Dion (5.0): 5
6. Dawn (6.0): 6
7. Xunami Muse (7.0): 7

RUNWAY AVERAGE:
1. Q (1.0): 1
2. Mirage (2.0): 2
3. Dawn (3.0): 3
4. Xunami Muse (4.0): 4
5. Sapphira Cristál (5.0): 5
6. Morphine Love Dion (6.0): 6
7. Amanda Tori Meating (7.0): 7