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Think of the coolest girl in your high school.
The House of Avalon/Instagram
Not the one who was “cool” because she was rich, pretty, and mean.
She’s the kind of girl who got good grades, was well-dressed, and had a sharp wit.
She had a presence, but it wasn’t put on: it was easy and natural.
Marko Monroe
“I don’t care if she slays or not I just love Symone,” she gushes.
It’s a good thing, then, that slaying happens to be Symone’s specialty.
You’llneversee Miss Symone with an ankle, kneecap, or elbow not glistening for the gods.
The House of Avalon
“I did an amateur night and I was like, ‘Oh, this is thisit.
This is what I live for.'”
She took to the art form like a fish to water.
The House of Avalon/Instagram
“I got myself together and saved my money.
The cards just really aligned.
A space opened up out here for me to move into.”
The House of Avalon
The singer/makeup mogul/lingerie czar slid into the queen’s DMsjust tostan.
“You soooo EVERYTHING!”
“Nasty Lil bitch!
I live for every second of it!
You’re a true joy to watch!”
ALLURE: You’re clearly a fan-favorite on this season ofDrag Race.
How does it feel to have all these people rooting for you?
You just never know how you’re going to be received.
To have people receive me so well has been so beautiful and heartwarming.
Coming from where I’m from, you dream big and hope to make it.
To have people stand behind you and love what you do has just been so beautiful.
ALLURE:Now, wehave toget into some of the hair looks you’ve served.
The first is yourpromo look.
I immediately thought of a hairstyleNikki Nelms createdfor anAllureshoot.It’s such a gorgeous rendition.
Then, I read the credits and found out Gigi [Goode] had done the wig for you.
I didn’t know she was nice with wigs like that!
SYMONE:She can turn awig.
She is a hair witch diva.
ALLURE:I was completely floored.
Tell me about how you arrived at creating that look.
SYMONE:[The theme of the shoot] was “Pastel Pinup.”
I was talking with my house, and we all said, “You know what?
Why don’t we doourversion of a pinup?”
I was [thinking of] all these things I love about our culture.
This is Urban Pinup."
I was very nervous about the look because you’re either going to get it or you won’t.
But it’s still a very striking one and I’m just so proud of it.
I saw that hairstyle from Nikki and was like, “That’s it.
That’s the hair.”
So we did, of course, modify it a little bit.
ALLURE: I think it’s very easy for the audience to connect to your looks.
I immediately get the references because they’re always so rooted in Black culture.
SYMONE:And that’s what I wanted.
Of course, I try not to doexactlythe same thing.
Can we talk a little bit about the hair?
I thought, “Why don’t we do something in that realm?”
And then of course that silhouette, that beautiful silhouette!
We didn’t have enough time.
So I thought, “Okay, how do we do it in the timeframe that we have?”
And the suggestion washairbeads and I was like, “Oh my God, that’s it.
That’s what we’re doing.
“Michael Brambila, the one who constructed [the bikiini], did that all by hand.
[After that,] we had to focus on the hair.
I wanted to push it to the next level.
Gigi did that hair as well and there wasmathinvolved.
We had grid paper.
We lined it out.
We counted the braids.
And so she went through tendril by tendril and threw those beads on there to spell out my name.
ALLURE:Another thing that you have been known for on the runway is that melaninshining.
You are constantly slick and gorgeous; what punch in of body-care do you use?
SYMONE:Oh my God, I’m giving away my secrets!
Okay, I moisturize twice a day.
I’m obsessed with it.
One of the things growing up was you got the lotion on the lotion.
It was always a thing, especially for my mom, that I moisturize twice a day.
So, I usebaby oil gel.
I want to convey that in every way possible.
So, we need that skin popping.
When I do the baby oil gel, it’s not one layer.
I put on three to four layers of it.
So, I’m really slick, really oiled down there’s no escaping what’s going on there.
ALLURE:Oh my God, I love it.
SYMONE:For foundation, I actually use theJuvia’s Place foundationbecause I love how full coverage it is.
It’s thick, but it spreads easily.
I’ll combine it with theNars Radiant Longwear Foundation.
And then I love a highlighter, darling.
I love to be highlit.
So, I use Anastasia’sSun Dipped Glow Kitto bring all that shine out.
Just like I said, I want to radiate inside and out.
ALLURE: Who are some of the style icons that inspire you?
SYMONE:Rihanna is my girl.
She’s my number one.
ALLURE:Didn’t she slide into your DMs recently?
SYMONE:She did.
I said, “Y’all, y’all, y’all.
Rihanna just slid into my DMs, y’all.
This is not a joke.
This is not a drill, okay?”
When I first looked at it I thought, “@Badgalriri?
Okay, whatever,” because you never know.
Sometimes there’s one tricky little extra I at the end or G in the name somewhere.
And then I saw the checkmark and knew it was the real deal.The message she sent mewas very sweet.
You could not ask for more from someone that you look up to and admire inside and out.
Her style, it’s effortless, it’s edgy, it makes you think, it’s fearless.
It’s all of the things that I want Symone to look like.
I also loveGrace Jones.
The androgyny, the fearlessness in her style.
Lil’ Kim, too.
I love her sexiness, her unapologeticness… is that a word?
ALLURE:It is today.
SYMONE: Put it in Webster’s!
All of the fearlessness of all those women, I put in my little box.
And then when I want to get real glamorous, I’ll putDiana Rossin there.
All of those people put together make up who Symone is.
ALLURE:And it’s clear looking at your drag.
SYMONE:You get it, which I love because that was the whole point.
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