Trixie Mattel is renowned for drag, but she was also voted Out100’s Readers’ Choice in the Business category. As a queer entrepreneur, Mattel has run a beauty empire, Trixie Cosmetics, for five years. She became co-owner of Wisconsin’s oldest gay bar, This Is It!, amid lockdown closures. She also launched the Trixie Motel in Palm Springs, Calif., which led to HGTV/Max’s Trixie Motel renovation show.
“I think of Trixie as a critique on Americanized beauty and capitalism, but also a rags-to-riches story — or burlap to sequins,” she says. “The largest obstacle I’ve faced is learning that work matters, but not as much as relationships. Call your mom, kiss your boyfriend, and buy your parakeet some extra millet.”
Even during Mattel’s widely-reported 2024 hiatus, her multimedia empire released new episodes of The Bald and the Beautiful podcast, installments of Netflix’s I Like to Watch web series, and content for her YouTube channel, an ever-growing platform that she calls her “proudest” accomplishment. Oh, and Mattel became the first-ever RuPaul’s Drag Race alum to reach 4 million followers on Instagram…while on a break! @trixiemattel
