Laveau

Ava Gina- You look gorgeous. Your body is right. Your pantyhose match your skin tone. It’s a complete package. I absolutely adore you as a redhead. Throughout this competition you have stayed true to your major inspiration. You have stuck true to being the voodoo queen since week 1. Your headpiece is gorgeous. However I would’ve liked to see more of that creativity on your dress. I love the spiders in the back so I think more could have been done to the front to really glam it up because right now, you have a huge space of “eh” surrounded by great accessories. I love the addition of the fabric on the side. Your makeup looks very nice from both far away and close up. I wouldn’t have put so much blush going down your contour line, but without a doubt you have (and always have had) the cuntiest nose in this competition. For your video, I loved that it was truly your journey in song. You killed it. The background video was great. There were a few times were you were hidden as the pictures were changing, but overall I really liked your concept. It’s amazing to see your growth, and I’m so glad with how proud you are of yourself. Gorgeous. That’s all I can say.

Robin Cradles- Laveau! You came to play this finale and I am so pleased you decided to bring this A game.  I honestly love your present look.  I admit that the make-up is not as clean as we’ve been seeing it, but I really love the lips here, the contouring, the highlighting, they’re all plusses.  Per usual, I definitely think the struggle is really working on perfecting the eye make-up and getting it blended right.  I love this hair on you, I think the color is amazing with your complexion.  As for the dress, I love this so much.  Are the ropes in the back shaped like a pentagram? That’s so fucking cool.  I do wish however that this dress went all the way down to the ground entirely not just with the side pieces.  I think the headpiece is amazing as well.  I would call this look an overall toot.  Moving onto your lipsync, I loved it so much.  I loved the mixing you did and the songs that were so contrasting, but it flowed.  Although I enjoyed the use of your projections at times, I do wish that they did not cover your face so much because it was a little bit of a struggle to see your mouth moving to the words. 

Boxxa Vine- I'll start with the look. The pentagram was an amazing addition and I immediately saw your personal style in this whole look. . I would like to see you pad a little higher. Your hips should start where your elbows meet your body and they just seem a little low in this and I do understand that with being more naked its harder with placement because you don't want any undergarments to show. I really loved this look. Great hair color on you, and I've told you in the past to watching wearing too much black stalked because you lose detail, this is the way to do black and detailed without losing anything. You really listened to past things said applied and really created an amazing look. The lip-sync was amazing, every song, every spoken word, the projection idea was amazing and while at time it was distracting it came across well. I do with it had been green screened behind you instead of over the top of you but I still like it the way you did it and I'm just so proud its on time and well done.

Liz- This was the least favorite out of the three looks you submitted. This looks definitely screams Laveau, but it feels like it needs a bit more to complete it. The dress length is rather awkward, it would have been better had it been a little longer with maybe a tool bottom, or shorter to above the knees. The headpiece is great, as well as the little spider cameo appearances in the rear. It would have been great had you made some bracelets with them or a big necklace to accessorize a bit more, or even adding them to your train. Your mug looks great, and comparing your face from your first audition to now, you really have improved and we couldn’t be any prouder. Your performance was great and interesting because of how you incorporated your journey throughout this competition. I do have to say that I wish that you had not been in front of the screen the entire time because sometimes with the darker background we weren’t able to see you and it took over your performance. But besides that it was interesting to watch and I want to congratulate you on your efforts throughout the competition and I wish you the best for your future!

Empress- From the neck up, I didn’t love this look, and from the neck down, I thought it was okay. The dress itself looks great, but I wish it was a full length dress, rather than cutting off at the knee. However, one thing I’ll say is that I loved the pentagram accent on the back of the dress. As I mentioned, I wasn’t quite into what i saw from the neck up. The hair and headpiece looked great, but the makeup...THE MAKEUP! It almost seemed like you regressed a bit to your earlier challenge makeup when I saw this look, which was a bit disappointing.  As for your lip sync, you definitely impressed me with the added effect of the projector, and truly turned it into a performance, which I definitely appreciate. With all this in mind, you did a very good job with your looks this week, and I’m super duper proud to see the progress you’ve made throughout this competition! 

Melee McQueen

Ava Gina- Ma’am. Yes. From the beginning you took our critiques to heart. Even without the fishnets, I can see that your pantyhose matches your skin tone. THANK YOU! I love that you have incorporated the bunny ears from your entrance video. This is definitely an elevation from where you started, especially makeup wise. Besides the bottom redrawn lash line (which isn’t huge) being pointed on one eye and curved on the other, you look simply fantastic. Your makeup growth has been amazing as well as your outfitting choices. This doesn’t look like a Forever 21 outfit. It’s cohesive, form fitting (those hips please choke me), and simply beautiful. I will say that the open toed shoes are a little ehhhhh for me, but I am so so so so so very impressed with your choices for your personal drag. For your video, that reveal slayed my life. Your body was completely and utterly on point I cannot even right now. I loved the choreography you put into your video. You were the only one with an extended music interlude and you sold it. You gave the sex appeal and you gave us the fun. I could see you were invested in the lipsync. You’ve grown so much in this competition, and I’m so glad to see that personality come through along with your growth in every other aspect of your drag.

Robin Cradles- Now this is the mug I like to see! Your face looks younger, fresher, and much more clean here.  I love the eye make-up a lot, I think the yellow in your inner corner is a strong touch.  I think your paint has come to new heights in this competition and I thijnk it’s amazing! With that being said, this garment, it left something to be desired.  After seeing such high fashion gigs from you, this look is coming off very pedestrian.  I like the nod to your audition video with the ears, but I do not understand how they mesh with the suit.  I almost wish you ditched the suit altogether here and opted for the lingerie underneath and did like a risque bunny look.  As for your lipsync, you always bring high energy and fun.  I do wish the camera wasn’t so shaky, but that’s just a little tip for Gluttoni to hold still and quit moving. 

Boxxa Vine- I love the live music video type of lip-sync you did almost kinda like Madonnas "Bitch I'm Madonna" video. But it was a bit of frantic stripping. Think about slowing down your stripping and making it more sensual. I enjoy the business suit but I wish the cans were bigger so they were more pronounced. It reminds me a little of Jeremy Scotts suits he made inspired by McDonalds but less campy and more you. The ears were cute but I think you could have done without them or really brought them to the next level. We've seen you make amazing head pieces and this one really isn't that special or original as you've provided for looks in the past. I love it but I'm not in love with it. 

Liz- I was interested to see what you were going to submit for your personal style because you have given us such big grand outfits week after week, that I wasn’t sure how it would turn out. I don’t want to say I am disappointed, but I was surprised by this submission. When I did my personal style my cycle I was told it was too simple and pedestrian, but that was my style back then and I have grown from that. I do think this look is rather simple, but looking at your audition this is clearly you and drag is what you want it to be and feel most comfortable in. Your mug has grown so much in this competition, your face is very subtle but beautiful, where as when you started it seemed a bit too much at times. Your performance was great to watch, I absolutely love when queens submit videos and they are moving around scenery because it just adds a bit extra to the performance. You have done so well in this competition and wish you the best of luck for the crown. I know that you will grow to be a fierce queen and I am proud to have watched this growth in you in the past couple of weeks!

Empress- After all the grand outfits you gave us this cycle, I have to be honest and say I was a bit let down with your personal drag pick. Granted, you don’t have to wear an over the top gown every time we see you, but it just seemed a bit too simple. The look itself is very nice, don’t get me wrong. The fit is great, and your body is right, I just expected a bit more. Also, I don’t think the bunny ears were necessary. They fit with your full reveal in your lip sync, but with the red dress suit look, you didn’t really need them. As for your lip sync, you kept the energy up and I enjoyed your performance, but I do wish your camera person was a bit more still. Other than that, really great work this week!

Miss Toni A. Ward

Ava Gina- I think what I like most about this look is that it’s old fashioned, but you completely sell it. It’s a beautiful dress, and I’m so happy to see you dripping in jewels. You had the farthest to come when compared to your two other sisters. You’ve fought tooth and nail each week, and you can see the improvement. I think what gets me the most is that you know you’re not where you want to be yet, but you are still so proud of yourself and confident in your drag. That is what matters the most. I am so proud of you. I am so proud that you don’t let others get you down. I can see the improvement in your face. I think one of the biggest things is that you need to decide on a definite eyebrow shape and lower placement. I think that would really help shape your face and nail down your look. For your video, it was very emotional. Your editing skills aren’t the best (the cuts left a little too much blank space in between spoken word and the songs), but you really sold the performance. I loved that it was a journey that you shared with us. You discovered yourself in this competition, and I’m glad you never turned back on that. I’m so glad that you were a part of this cycle. It’s been a pleasure watching you grow. Keep pushing babe. You’re a star.

Robin Cradles- Well, Toni, let’s start with the successes of your look here.  I think the dress is really strong and you can see a lot of Toni’s older, southern woman style.  I think the gloves and accessories are a nice touch.  I enjoy everything outfit wise about this look.  Let’s move onto what I am having the most issues with, starting with, the make-up.  It all looks like you splashed some water on your face before taking your photos.  Your face looks dull, faded, and fallen.  The eyebrows look messy and the eye make-up is looking really messy and unblended. I think this wig needs to enter retirement--I understand that it’s your “Toni” wig and what you associate Toni with--but if you like the style or the color or what, you can change up something about the hair for Toni.  It’s just--I’d like to say and can see that Toni has evolved and I think it’s time for her to evolve beyond this wig.  Moving onto your lipsync, I enjoyed the performance, but this mix was all over the map at times and the transitions did not work well.  It just jumped from song to song to song there was no like--transition period or anything which made it just seem really slapped together.  

Boxxa Vine- It's very you, but I really don't care for this wig. its kinda messy and needs a good layer of hairspray to make it look more polished and upscale. The makeup again is improved but blend up not gown with the crease. Leave the lid white and add the color above which I know I've mentioned several time sot you. The brows are a bit high for my taste but you'll slowly find what works best for you now that you have a good base makeup down. The mix. First off. Its so long and I know we told you even 8 mins was too long and you went beyond that. It's a good story line but stream line it. Your own voice overs have a lot of ambient noise in the background instead of being good and clear. The location could have been better, even hanging a curtain or removing the things from the wall next to you. It was very much you just added everything you could to the mix and didn't really stream line one good solid mix. I would have been happy with just So Much Better done well about you getting on and doing  well instead of trying to do every song you could think of. 

Liz- When you submitted this, I knew that this was Miss Toni A. Ward. Like I said before, you know how to accessorize and some of the TDR girls should learn a thing or two from you because you really have a knack for detailing your outfits. Your body looks so good here, it’s so interesting to see your audition and this look side by side because those are two completely different people. You have grown so much throughout this competition and you still have the rest of your drag career to grow and I can’t wait to see what it has in store for you. As for your lip-sync, it was nice to see that TDR has helped you with so much, but some of the editing was a bit rough with some of the pauses and the changing in songs. It could have been shortened a bit more overall because there was so much going on that it got a bit confusing to follow at times. It was a pleasure working with you this cycle Toni and I wish you the best of luck for the crown and your future, I am so proud of you dear and I hope those body rolls never stop rolling!!

Laveau

Ava Gina- I AM FLOORED! This is gorgeous! It’s strange, it’s over the top, it’s futuristic. It’s amazing. I love what you’ve done from the waist done. I love the black lines and blue spots you have for joints. It’s very cohesive, and I LOVE the color choices. I’m also really here for the faux nudity you have going on. Your makeup look fantastic. If I had to have one thing I’m not living for with this look is the shoes. I feel you could have added something to them to give them that “futuristic” feel instead of just putting on some black shoes. I’m absolutely in love with this. It is unexpected. It is unique, yet I can still see the Laveau underneath it all. For your video, I’m so happy you can see your improvement. I’m so happy with how far you’ve gone. You have so many good ideas for the future of TDR, and I’m so happy that you see the far-reaching beauty that is drag. You’ve always combined comedy with Laveau, and I’m happy to always see that shine through. Impeccable work on this. I love ya, darling!

Robin Cradles- Oh good god damn! I definitely think your future look is my favorite out of all three of the girls.  It’s purely futuristic here and I love it.  I think the clear coloring and the blue work well together.  I think this look is very cohesive except I do wish your bottom half matched your natural skin tone more.  The breast plate blends here so nicely.  I just am very happy with this look! I think the paint is strong here, I love those blue lips.  I think, yet again, your eye make-up is looking a little muddy or unclear. but I think that’s from your brows being glued down and the glue coming up.  I think you could have gone with either maybe a blue bald cap or like a blue helmet rather than a wig--I think that would be killer with this look.  I think the wig just doesn’t look right.  As for the speech, I loved it.  I loved the train because it really reminded me of your audition and it came full circle.  I thought what you said about your growth and the future of TDR was so strong.  You’re very well spoken and you have a way with words that really give you a commanding presence.  You’re approachable, accessible, and you can tell you really believe in the message of Tumblr’s Drag Race from this speech. Kudos to you, henny!

Boxxa Vine- I'll get the main critique out of the way so I can rave about how much I love this. I wish the top half matched the bottom half color wise, it's been something you've been working on all cycle and will eventually figure out but it's especially apparent in this look.  I get the Tron like robotic additions and the pops of blue are very nice and while the wig matches it could use a good brush or maybe a second one stacked on it for more volume. The look is very you and very future at the same time and I do enjoy it from head to toe. It's cohesive and very much you and your style. I do wish especially for the video that you had filled your lower waterline in black as the none filled in is kinda distracting (and maybe some subtle bottom lashes). Your video was amazing and very easy and fun to watch (the train was both cute and horrible in its own way) you go into talking about past, present, and future and really sold yourself extremely well. 

Liz- At first I thought this submission was pretty great, but once taking a look and looking at everything it seemed to fall apart a bit. It completely reads futuristic glamazon. I’ll start with the good, the make-up looks great, the bright blue lips look great on you and you seem to have gotten the hang of things with your face. Some edges need a bit more darkening but that’s minor. Speaking of darkening, you should have gone in where you have the black around your body one more time to define it more. It looks like you outlined the black first and then went in with the blue and it looks sloppy. Another thing that could have helped would be outlining your breast plate in black so that it doesn’t stand out as much as it does here. It is a bit distracting in some of the images. One last thing I would say would be that if you are going to be practically nude, you are going to have to find tights that match your skin color a bit more because again it is distracting. As far as your speech goes, you were completely sincere and you could tell that you mean everything that you said. TDR would be so proud to have you as a winner because it’s not about winning, but about helping others grow in their craft. With that said, this was a pretty good submission!

Empress- This was a cute look! It says futuristic, but in like, the 90’s trashy club kid vision of what the future would be, which I really liked. The clear coat/dress you’re wearing was a great choice, and definitely showed off your body well. Speaking of your body, I’m also really feeling the nude illusion you’re giving us here (The details of the blue circles and lines around your legs and arms was a nice touch) but I do wish you could’ve found tights that were a bit of a closer match to the rest of your body. As for the makeup, I don’t hate it, and as for the wig, it does look a bit cheap, but for this specific look, I think that worked! All in all, great job!

Melee McQueen

Ava Gina- I love that you completley altered your makeup and face for this. I would’ve liked to see more defined lines for the darkened parts on the side of your face as well as more definition for your lips. Also watch your eye crease that both sides match in terms of shading. It immediately reads future. I love the red tubing on the outfit and the nails are gorgeous. The strongest parts of this look are your headpiece and the wire train. That being said with the grandeur of the headpiece and the intricacies of the train, I feel it became a little too much to look at. I think if you had removed just one or two small accessories, this look would’ve been perfect. But overall, I see the glambot inspiration and more importantly, I see the work. Though it’s a little much, I’m so proud of your work on this. For your video, you spoke from the heart. I think not being in the chat all the time has led to some people thinking you were a little cold (of course we know you are a working gal). I’m glad that you showed the care and love that you have for your sisters and this competition. There was so much emotion there. You have a wonderful vision for the future girls. It’s been an honor to see you grow. I love ya, sweetie!

Robin Cradles- I think this gig is really interesting and intriguing, but I don’t think in the good way you intended.  It’s obviously different for Melee, it’s a lot darker than expected with a very lightly colored face and wig--and they don’t really connect.  There’s just so much going on and I don’t think it’s all working together cohesively.  I’m just not really buying what you’re selling with this look between the face and the wig being so light in color and then the dark outfit.  And the big headdress? It’s just team too much for me, Melee.  Moving onto your speech, I think it’s strong and you can tell that you really grew through this competition and want the best for TDR, but I think sometimes when you’re speaking you come off very robotic when you speak.  Inject more of your personality into your words and it’ll make people love who you are as  much as they love your looks.

Boxxa Vine-  I really like this look in its own way. This head piece is amazing and your way of talking about why you are the future was extremely passionate in the words but your tone almost comes off as robotic and not in the right way. It's hard to talk to a camera like it's a friend and convey it as a conversation not a speech but you finally digger out that emotion and really released out your passion and hoomanity. I wish the hair was even a little styled and not flat and I've said it to other girls in past week but I'm not sure if I ever did to you but wearing too much black on black negates out detail and you lose the work in the photos. This happened with your look. I'm sure theres a ton of work and detail in the look I can't see because so much is black and stacked on top. The makeup needs more pigment in the colors and the blacks, maybe gel eyeliner for the black sections to get that deep black that would have gone more with the outfit. 

Liz- This was probably my favorite submission of the three from you this week. It reads like a futuristic version of one of the four horsemen. I will have to say that there seems to be too much going on around the neck area, had you gotten rid of a bit it would have been perfect. The horse headpiece is absolutely beautiful and I want one for myself! The mug looks a bit dewy in some of the photos; just remember to give one last powder before completing your look! As for your speech, I almost started crying with you because of your self doubt and if you ever had that well I hope that you have grown from it because you are an absolutely amazing queen and the fans voting you in was for a reason and I am so glad that they did or else we would have missed out on such great creations from you. Great job with this submission dear!

Empress- I’m freakin gagged! Out of your three looks, this is definitely my favorite. This look definitely read as futuristic, and everything from the horse headpiece to the costume made this a very cohesive look with a story to tell. My only real critique would be that I wish you filled in your entire lid with liner, just because having such big lashes kind of makes them look haphazardly placed when there isn’t a dramatic amount of liner on them. I’m getting Bjork meets a robotic horse from this look, and i’m completely living for it! Consider me fucking slain! 

Miss Toni A. Ward

Ava Gina- Unfortunately, this was your weakest submission for the finale. I get you were going for the 50′s housewife glambot, but it falls a little short. I know you spent so much time competely stoning your shoes so why are they not completely in the pictures??? I do like what you’ve done with the latex skin pulling away to reveal your shiny metal interior, and your makeup looks well done. I will say to watch your lip liner. It should be on top of your lipstick, not painted over with the lipstick. You were given free reign with this look, so I’m a little disappointed that you fell back on the stereotypical future look. I love the hat though. I think you had some good ideas, but I would’ve liked to see you push your boundaries further. It’s the future! You can be whatever you want! For your video, it was extremely heartfelt. You spoke from a place a genuine care and love. You have been constantly upbeat and a work horse throughout this competition. I’m glad that the love you have for your sisters has shown through. You have the welfare of both current and future girls in mind. It was a very moving few minutes to watch your video. I love ya, doll!

Robin Cradles- Toni, I’m really upset by this look and just kind of thrown off.   Let’s start with your outfit, on it’s own, I love this dress.  It’s fitted nice and I love the way it flows.  I think the silver sash ansd silver belt were very nice touches.  The reason I say this dress works on it’s own is because there really isn’t anything futuristic about it--it doesn’t fit the challenge like we described.  I think it could have been really amplified if we saw more--robotism in your make-up.  There’s silver patches and things, but nothing screams robot, you have to kind of look for those silver spots.  I just wish you went full robot in the face or like did half of the dress and have it turn into robot legs or there was so much room to take this idea to the next level, I just think you left it flat.    Also, what is that hat? I don’t think it works here one bit.  Moving onto your video, I think your video was--emotional, honest, and you really saw the desire in your eyes to carry this title and better the TDR community.  We love you, Toni, and my heart sunk at times in your video--it was just--it was very emotional.  You can tell it came from the heart and at times, I wanted to cry.  This community loves you now and forever, Toni.

Boxxa Vine- The future of the past. It doesn't read either future or robotic almost at all. I get you added some silver almost skin cutouts but if you showed this to someone without telling them what it was I don't think most people would immediately get it. We also specifically told you not to spend so long stoning your shoes and more time on making sure the look was futuristic and polished but you said they were important then almost completely cropped them out. You need to listen when we say things and this my biggest critique about your future. If you have writing on your look make sure to flip the photo before submitting so its readable right off and again have someone take photos of your makeup not submitting selfless as it adds a higher level of professionalism and polish to the submission.

Liz- This was probably the least favorite of the three looks you gave us. It seems that you were told by Retta to not do a 50s housewife look with robotic elements, yet it seem like you went ahead and did it anyway. This was rather disappointing to hear when you are told not to do something and do it anyway; it was probably best to have changed for your best interest. Overall this looks wasn’t bad but it doesn’t clearly read futuristic. If you really wanted to be more housewife-y, you could have gone with a more Jetsons theme with rounder edges on your outfit. Your metallic sections of your body could have used a bit more darkening, because they don’t stand out as much as they should. As for your speech, it was very heartwarming to hear how much you love drag and how much you are willing to do to help others in the future. You have been very professional throughout the competition and TDR should be happy that you are part of this family.