We asked Bianca Del Rio — winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race season six who’s currently touring across America — about her behind-the-scenes slippers, the mushroom coffee she double-orders, and the fishnet tights she buys on repeat.
I never thought I was fancy enough to have an actual rider, so I was very diplomatic in the beginning, thinking, Okay: water, wine, some candy. But then a doctor told me when your voice or your throat is dry, a vapor type of candy actually dries out your throat more. Instead, they suggested using a Jolly Rancher because it causes you to salivate and it creates more moisture in your mouth. And I only eat the cherry ones because if not — if I eat a blue or green one — I look crazy in a meet-and-greet photo where my mouth is open. That I learned the hard way. I have a tendency to just open my mouth really, really wide when I’m taking these photos, and so I realized about six cities later, which was pretty catastrophic once I figured it out. So the cherry ones came in because of that, and because it matches my lipstick. It’s slightly vain, but also recommended by a doctor.
I’m completely hooked. I go through a three-month chunk of this stuff within a month. Now I’m double-ordering so that I always have it. I have tried other mushroom coffees, but the Ryze coffee has become my absolute favorite. I double up on the dosage so it comes out extra potent. It’s my new favorite thing, and it’s rare for me to order something that I like and actually enjoy it.
Your skin just gets so dry. It’s basically anything that can give me moisture back in my face. Because when you’re doing show to show to show, back to back, literally your face is going to fall off. Now, regular women I would say probably don’t experience it as much because I’m actually shaving, exfoliating, then adding makeup and taking it off. And there’s not much healing time in between. And I do dabble in a touch of cosmetics, so it does become extensive. So I need any moisture that I can get and keep! And the Aquaphor is amazing. There are other variations of Aquaphor; I find the stick has been the easiest, it’s my new favorite version of it. (Although when I’m in Australia, I do use the Pawpaw. I recently saw a photo of Madonna backstage and directly on her counter was Pawpaw. Listen, if it’s good enough for Madonna, it’s good enough for me.)
I’m going to be very honest: I like them because they’re cheap and available. I can always find them, which is great. The crazy thing is in America sadly when you’re trying to shop and buy razors, it’s literally worse than trying to get a bill passed in Congress. You have to go through so many obstacles because they’re all locked up hidden away, because apparently they’re a hot item for people to steal. So I try to order them online, which I know people are gonna say is horrible, but I like to be well stocked with them. I find it’s the best affordable razor that I can use. And I can also get my hands on it no matter what city I’m in — America or overseas. And you do go through quite a few razors. I can tell you in a pinch, I have used a hotel razor, which has one or maybe half a blade, and I’ve even gone the route of using scissors — don’t ask. But the reason anything exists on this list is because I have tried other things, or things have really gone badly, that I have to insist on these few items. Because some things can really fuck you up.
This is not a lapse in judgment: This is pure comfort. As a 48-, soon to be 49-year-old drag queen, my feet have worked hard. So I have to have comfort; I would never wear these publicly. But I do wear them in the privacy of backstage, knowing this is the pre-shoe before I know I’m going to ruin my feet by wearing heels. So this is the behind-the-scenes shoe. And it’s extremely comfortable. Though they’re not the most attractive shoes, they do last. And people don’t care anymore! You’ve seen people since the pandemic, you go, “What the fuck happened to you?” So you know, it’s a sad day when I’m wearing Crocs. Only privately, though. As a drag queen, I already have fun on my feet; I don’t need to add to it.
They’re pricey — that’s my issue with these, but they do work. How often do you buy something expensive that doesn’t work? These Capezios, you can wash and dry them — which I highly recommend for some drag queens, you should. They’re durable, and they last, and you know — this is a little behind-the-scenes thing. I told you about the Crocs, I’m going to tell you this. I also don’t shave my legs. So I use a series of inexpensive tights, I buy them wholesale, and I layer those. And then I put the fancy ones — which are the Capezio fishnets — on top. The problem with them is they’re very hard to get in my size, because I have to get medium tall because I’m a man. And I buy them in bulk, but they’re literally $20 to $30 depending on where you get them. I do recommend getting them, because they’re there for dances. And I don’t know if you know this, but I have been known to do some movements onstage. I’m giving you all the dirt today. They do run out quickly, some colors are always out of stock. So when I get them I have to buy them in bulk. And I hope that they’re listening and they’ll send me some.
It’s really funny that you might think I’m trying to align myself in some big fancy yoga spa. No, I use this spray because the dressing rooms stink! You go into some of these dressing rooms — and I’m not going to name names (U.K., Texas, Florida) — and they stink. You need to have something that’s not too flowery, or something that’s not too heavy. You need something to just make the room smell like a spa. Have you ever walked into a hotel and thought, Oh my God, this place smells so pleasant? It smells like loveliness. And this chakra spray from Aveda is a lovely aromatherapy kind of thing. It is beyond expensive — but it does make the room smell nice. So I highly recommend it, it just takes the edge off the room that I’m walking into.
Listen, when you’ve done drag as long as I have — which is now 28 years — very few products that I had in 1996 are available anymore. And that is the problem with cosmetics; you find an item you like, and all of a sudden they’ve discontinued everything. I’ve been fortunate enough to find the one lipstick that is the right shade of lipstick for me (because there’s many shades of red lipstick) that is still in production. Ruby Woo is a very blue, blue red, which is what I love — don’t come to me with a tomato red, I don’t want no orange-pinky red. I want a blue red, because if not, your teeth look yellow. Also, it’s a matte lipstick with great pigment. It doesn’t get all over the microphone when I’m talking — a lot of drag queens love all this glittery liquidy shit, but that ends up in my wig and ends up on my face. So the matte lipstick kind of just stains my lips. And it’s the best one to use. And thankfully it is still in existence. So I’m beyond grateful for M.A.C for continuing, and it’s really the best lipstick I’ve ever used for what I do. And they’ve never given me any free ones. So M.A.C, make this happen, and Capezio needs to get with it.
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