by Tanya Scholes
It almost felt like I was getting ready for a first date. My hair was freshly washed and styled, my eyebrows were plucked and my legs and bikini line were shaved (although I’m not sure that this was quite necessary – I wasn’t planning to do the interview nude, although a) stranger things have happened and b) the shaving thrilled my husband). I had my best smoky eyes meticulously crafted, of which, much time was spent determining the critical colour palette to correspond with my outfit. I suspect that since my wedding day, I’d never been this nervous.  

Well, you would be too if you were meeting a famous (my words not hers), DRAG QUEEN!  

I met Heaven Lee Hytes this past Thursday for drinks at Crews on Church. She arrived at the table with shots for us to share together. It was barely 6PM and we were off to a great start. For the next three hours we bonded over everything from Kylie (the hot white dress!) to sergers (she got one for Xmas – I was so jealous!) to cheerleading (I promised to lend her my old high school uniform which I still love to clean the house in!) to circumcision (thankfully – for both of us – someone decided it would be a good thing to cut the end of willies off!). I even kind of got a feeling of what it would feel like up on stage (albeit I had no audience) when Heaven Lee taught me some great choreography à la Pussy Cat Dolls.  

Yes, as Kylie said, ‘it was love at first site.’ I was totally en amour.  

I had so many questions – wouldn’t you? I mean come on – where DO the boy bits hide in those microscopic outfits that allow nothing to be left to the imagination? Let’s just say that they ALL get creatively tucked away and leave it at that? And, what exactly is the career path to becoming a Drag Queen? But most importantly and selfishly I wanted BEAUTY TIPS!  

Heaven Lee Hytes was born on December 2nd (uhm…same date as Britney Spears…no wonder she can dance), grew up in Orangeville and went to Orangeville District Secondary School. In 2002 she moved to Toronto and became a regular in the audience at Crews’ drag shows. Eventually, being recognized as a fixture in the audience, but with an obvious flare for the stage, fellow Queen, Adryan Lee asked her to be a participant in ‘Magical Makeover’ at Woody’s. Although Heaven Lee didn’t win (there wasn’t enough to really make over), it got her past her stage fright (with the help of a little liquid courage) and gave her the guts to enter Crews’ Monday night talent show for the first time. Dawning a black sheer outfit and working it to Dannii Minogue’s ‘Put The Needle On It’, a star was born and Heaven Lee won the show with the MOST audience votes ever in the history of the competition. Today, Heaven Lee (named Heaven by her Drag Mother, Adryan Lee and took the name Lee as a symbol of their relationship) has regular gigs at Crews and can’t even go to the Eaton’s Centre without being recognized…even when she’s not made up! When asked if she is Heaven Lee Hytes by the paparazzi, HLH’s favourite response is, “why, does she owe you any money…no, well then yes, I am!” 

So ladies, this is what you’ve been waiting for: the beauty tips. Here are the top 5 tips from her Highness, Heaven Lee Hytes: 

  1. Do NOT, under any circumstances, go to bed with your make-up on (we’re all guilty of it especially after a night on the sauce)
  2. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize
  3. Don’t wash your hair every day
  4. Always condition from the ends up
  5. For god’s sake – get your eyebrows waxed (see, I told you I’d be under scrutiny)

 

Heaven Lee also let me in on some of her favourite things that keep her primped properly, such as: Star Nails on Parliament and Caffery Van Horn for hair.  Then comes Sephora to fill the make-up bag (in hers you will ONLY find Make Up For Ever and maybe) and for those of you in the market for a corset for date night, Toronto’s Lovesick Corrective Apparel. For all of you aspiring Queens, here’s Heaven Lee’s recipe for success:  continuously reinvent your performances, change up your music, do something that nobody has done before, stay humble, remember where you came from and be REAL. And I’d have to say Heaven Lee is one of the most authentic people I have met. No shit. She certainly lives up to her advice to ‘participate in life’. After my first night running amuck with a drag queen, I have decided that while Priscilla will always be Queen of the Dessert, Heaven Lee Hytes is definitely Queen of Toronto! My only disappointment with Heaven Lee is that she kisses everyone – and here I thought I was special!  

With aspirations of performing with The Pussycat Dolls, there is only one direction for this queen and that is UP! I sense a biography will be in order – likely to be called ‘Angels In Heaven’ – a story you won’t want to miss. So, no matter if you’re straight, bi, trans, white, black, brown or rainbow coloured, for a good night, Heaven Lee has got you covered (although don’t expect her to be). 

Heaven Lee Hytes performs every Friday and Saturday at 11PM at Crews on Church.