This week’s RuPaul’s Drag Race challenge tested the contestants on multiple levels: the girls had to create a scent, design a perfume bottle, come up with a clever name, and, finally, shoot a successful ad. With Aubrey O’Day co-directing the commercials with Michelle Visage, the judges were tougher than ever, and one weak spot would be enough to put a lady in jeopardy. But some queens concocted the perfect blend of glamor and camp, so much so that the campaigns they created could (and, as far as we’re concerned, should) be picked up in real life.
Red Hot: Alaska
Just as she was lamenting that she hadn’t won a big challenge yet, Alaska pulled together a musky, sexy perfume and went for a comedic (and quite dirty) take on her ad, sporting red both in the commercial and on the runway.
Should Be Tamed: Coco Montrese
Coco’s idea, the kiss-ass-y “Ru Animale,” involved so much leopard print and fur that she got lost in the video, and her portrayal of her personality as a queen became muddled. As we saw last week when she won the roast challenge, Coco is a funny girl and should consider sticking to her campier side, since her glamor look reads as a bit tacky anyway.
Secretly Lost: Alyssa Edwards
Alyssa had issues narrowing down her ideas, and ended up just doing a confused Victoria’s Secret knockoff ad, which immediately threw her into the bottom two, where her beauty and passion on the dance floor rescued her from elimination. This wasn’t her first time lip syncing for her life, so now the pressure is on Alyssa to focus.
A Whole Lotta Woman: Roxxxy Andrews
After her breakdown last week, we learned that Roxxxy has never before talked openly about the scars she bears from when her mother abandoned her and her brother at a bus stop when she was only three years old. She owned up to her displaced anger towards Jinkx, and decided to put her best foot forward in the competition from now on — and while she wasn’t a big winner this week with her perfume ad, she took home the crown in being a layered and confident woman.
Pure Addiction: Detox
With her hilarious and sexy ad for her fragrance, “heroine” (a double entendre meant to imply the drug and a strong woman), Detox’s many talents and consistent professionalism have restored her place at the top of the pack.
Head in the Clouds: Jinkx Monsoon
Her ad for “Delusion” was one of the most clever, depicting Jinkx waking up in a filthy apartment after imaging herself as the wealthy woman at the center of a ménage à trois. She also admitted to having feelings for Ivy Winters, who seemed to be the nicest to her of all the queens. As far as we know, their romance hasn’t gone anywhere yet, but we’re crossing our fingers for those crazy girls!
Shaky Business: Ivy Winters
Ivy’s desire to ace the perfume challenge because it reflected an actual passion of hers led to overthinking and nervousness, as she was jittery throughout. And her lip sync, which she tried to keep minimal and focused on her lips themselves, ended up costing her a chance at the crown. We’ll miss Ivy — she was the sweetest queen of the bunch, with very little shade to throw.