BOYSTOWN — Nate Stoner can thank "The Jersey Shore" for his drag career.
"My comedy ensemble 4 Days Late wrote 'Jersey Shore: The Musical," Stoner said. "I obviously am not the type to play any of the guys, so they cast me as Angelina, which we all thought was hilarious."
Stoner said he loved testing new makeup looks and soon found himself competing alongside friends in Circuit drag shows. Before long, Stoner's drag persona, Specificity Jones, was born.
"I've always been an artist of some kind, so drag has really been a great platform to do all of those things," said Stoner, who has degrees in theater and graphic design.
"I get to perform. I get to paint," Stoner said. "I take a lot of pride in my makeup because it's a reflection of who I am as a designer as well. If I couldn't paint my face, I wouldn't expect people to hire me to paint their logos."
Kyla Gardner says the process took seven hours:
While most drag queens lip sync their performances, Stoner jumps at any opportunity to sing live. He has a recurring role in the Boystown revival of "Snow White and the Seven Drag Queens" at Hydrate Nightclub, 3458 N. Halsted St.
This month, the campy show started adding an "Ever After Show" musical revue with monthly themes like "Scream Queens" and "Killer Queens from Outer Space."
Stoner recently sat down with DNAinfo Chicago to talk drag makeup and Halloween plans. It typically takes the performer 3-5 hours to transform into Specificity Jones, but Stoner offered some quick tips for people trying over-the-top makeup this Halloween.
Start with contours and highlights:
Use makeup slightly darker than your skintone to mask a manly jaw or push back your least-favorite features. Makeup slightly lighter than your skintone highlights your forehead, cheekbones and nose. Stoner favors oil-based special effects makeup. Watch the video at the top of the page to see the full contour transformation.
'They're sisters, not twins':
When it comes to eyeliner, Stoner opts for gel over liquid ("It's impossible"). He said you can never draw too close to your eyes and shouldn't stress about each eye's makeup lining up perfectly. "It's the same with eyebrows as it is with your eyes — they're sisters, not twins. A little asymmetry isn't a terrible thing. It helps in pictures to do angles and cute faces and expressions."
Go for full lashes and weave glue:
False lashes don't need to lay flush with your whole lash line, Stoner said. Starting at the inner corner of your eye, line up the false lashes with your real ones. After that, it's OK for the false lashes to sit just above your natural lash line — especially if you're wearing eyeliner, Stoner said. And go for weave glue: It works much better than lash glue.
Always use lip liner:
For a perfect lip, Stoner recommends using lip liner around the entire lip. Go for a darker lipstick color on the edges, moving toward something slightly lighter in the center. That'll highlights your lips and make them look really full.
MacGyver your special effects:
For a recent animal-themed performance, Stoner painted scales on his skin using fishnet stockings, a hanger and duct tape. Dotting paint through any type of patterned type will create a cool effect, he said.
Stoner is performing as Specificity Jones in the "Ever After Show" at Hydrate Nightclub, 3458 N. Halsted St., on Nov. 7. The "Snow White" crew is also putting on a Halloween-themed show at Whiskey Trust, 3206 N. Halsted St., at 9 p.m. Friday.
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