Still a relatively new arrival from Portugul, this profound drag beauty is already getting her name in New York lights… with some GLAM nominations to boot. [Cover photo: Alexis Kmieck]
Thotyssey: Hello, Jazmine! Congrats on your GLAM nominations! List them for us, if you will!
Jazmine: Hi, thank you so much! I’m nominated for Breakthrough Artist and Best Dressed.
Those are two of the big ones! And you’ve only been a New York nightlife performer for a short time. When did you first come here and start performing here?
So I came to visit for two months last year in May, and I loved it so much that I decided to move some months later. So I’ve been living here for one year and two months now.
What was life like growing up in Portugal?
I think I had a good childhood, but I was raised in a very small town… which made me feel a lot of times judged, or that i didn’t fit in! It was not terrible, but it was challenging for sure. I don’t remember seeing other gay people around in school, which made me always be the target.
What was the drag scene like there?
The Portuguese drag scene is still very small, but it’s growing. There’s only a few gay clubs in the whole country, so it’s not a lot of opportunities for new drag.
You are extraordinary beautiful!
Thank you!
Did you learn makeup from other queens back home, or from YouTube, or just trial and error?
All of that. Since I was young I always watched the makeup gurus on YouTube, which gave me some ideas where to start. And then when I started doing drag I learned a lot with other drag queens, and trying to follow RuGirls’ makeup tutorials.
When you came to New York, how did you find the drag life and business to be different… besides the fact there there is just so damn much of it here, lol?
It’s a completely different world! But I always felt that I was born to do this. When I moved a year ago, things started happening very fast for me. I was working in every different club, with a lot of different people which made people get to know my name quickly. Every week, I was working in a different place.
It must have been a challenge to learn all those people and places, while still figuring out the tricks of the New York drag trade.
Yes, but I loved it! I’m living my dream! And things are happening so fast… that just gives me the boost to keep going.
How might you describe the type of drag you do today, as far as both the looks and the numbers you like to serve?
Since I started, I always had the most fun with my looks and my social media! I learned in New York how to have fun on stage and meeting people. I’m still mostly a fashion queen, but I am more than that… and that’s what living and working here is teaching me.
Where might people find you hosting or performing in the city in the near or distant future?
There’s some new shows coming up in the beginning of next year. But I’m very often at “ZOO” at 9BN / 3 Dollar Bill! It’s the party on Fridays and I always have the most fun doing it.
By the way, can you tell us a bit about your extraordinary fashions? Are you designing or sewing anything, or do you work with amazing people? Or are you just a smart shopper with a good eye?
I do work with amazing people for special events, but for my nightlife gigs I’m definitely just a smart shopper with a good eye! I’m very good putting looks together, and I can do that just remembering what I have in my closet! I don’t even need to have my clothes in front of me to see what is gonna look good.
It’s a great skill to have! And your IG is so beautifully cultivated… are you very hands on with setting up those shots (lighting, looks, backgrounds, etc.)?
Yes, I know exactly what I want to look like! So even when I work with other people, I always give my opinions… because at the end of the day it’s my image there.
What would you like to see happen the most in the coming years, both for your own drag career (any interest in being on Drag Race?), and for New York nightlife in general?
I still feel that I’m new here, so I’m still learning a lot every day! But yes, I wanna be on Drag Race because I love the competition part of the show; I always wanted to be a TV host and work on televison, so it’s close enough. And I want the platform to showcase my drag.
New York City is always changing; I already realized that, and I love it. I wanna see new shows coming up, and the bars and clubs working with new girls. I feel that no one wants to see the same thing for years and years, so it’s always time to change and bring new things to nightlife.
Well said! Okay let’s close with: what do you want for Christmas this year?
I wanna keep growing in this city! I wanna have new weekly shows, work with new people. And start working more with fashion.
Santa’s on it! Thanks Jazmine, and good luck at the Glams!
Check Thotyssey’s calendar for Jazmine’s upcoming appearances, and follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
Thotyssey 