Adam Lambert talks ‘The Witch-Hunt’ tour and his lifelong love of makeup: ‘I didn't know any other boys who painted their faces after school’

Adam Lambert talks to Yahoo Entertainment about ‘The Witch-Hunt’ tour and his lifelong love of makeup. Lambert tells Yahoo, "I didn't know any other boys who painted their faces after school."

Video Transcript

[MUSIC PLAYING]

LYNDSEY PARKER: So obviously, I'm very excited for "The Witch Hunt" tour. I'm already kind of dressed up. I'm in Halloween mode. It's the most magical time of the year.

ADAM LAMBERT: It is.

LYNDSEY PARKER: When you do Halloween, like you give Heidi Klum a run for her money. When it comes to the costuming, I know you go all out for Halloween. I remember even back when you were on idol you said, you love to play dress up. So of course you know, I'm curious actually as you growing up. Halloween must-- and being able to dress in costumes must have been a really great way to express yourself.

You know, it's like the one time of year that all boys can wear makeup, wear glitter, wigs. You know what-- cosplayers, whatever fantasy they have. That must have-- do you have any childhood memories of like, how Hallow-- I mean, is that why Halloween is so important to you?

ADAM LAMBERT: I think, there's some parallels there. It was-- there was no limit. There was no like holding back. You could just kind of do whatever you wanted, you know. And it's interesting you mentioned cosplay and things like that.

I feel like in more recent years, there's been this whole movement of like, the cosplay thing is like a big deal now, it's a big scene. I don't really think that was necessarily the case when I was a kid. I don't know if that was like a thing. And even just the way like makeup has become such a thing. You know what I mean, probably because we're all on social media.

But you know, you go on like TikTok or Instagram now, and there's just like tons of people with makeup tutorials and channels, and a lot of guys. And I think when I was younger, I felt kind of like-- like an odd one for liking that stuff. And there's a lot of guys out there that are playing with makeup which is great. And it's not even mutually exclusive to sexuality anymore. I mean its-- and it wasn't in the 70s and the 80s, which is what's so funny I always say to people like.

I remember when I first came out into the scene, and I was getting like a lot of like kind of cringe-worthy questions in the press about like, what mascara do you use? I'm like, do you ask a woman that? Like what-- but you know, I think it was just a weird time. It was a time of transition, and now, I don't think it's much of-- it's not really like a thing. You know what I mean?

LYNDSEY PARKER: Actually, Yeah, I mean, it was not that long ago in the history of things when you were on American Idol, and that was what 13 years ago. It was like, the Guy-next-door versus the Guyliner.

ADAM LAMBERT: Well, that was the thing that always crack me up. I think, like the middle American mainstream TV audience, they weren't really exposed to some of that stuff.

LYNDSEY PARKER: What were your early experiences with wearing makeup? Whether it was Halloween or just trying to glam yourself up or whatever. Because obviously, you're great at. You do tutorials now.

ADAM LAMBERT: Yeah, I need to do another one. I think this month, I think I should pump out a few more. I think it's appropriate. I think I remember being a kid like like in middle school-- you know, I already started doing theater, and definitely wearing costumes for roles and stuff. And I had gotten really into like, theater makeup.

I remember I had like a like a book of like an instructional book, and I had to make some old, how to make yourself look. Sick. You know like theater stuff. And that kind of slowly segued into like more fantasies makeup stuff. And I was so into it but it was something that I did feel-- I think when I was an adolescent, I felt a little embarrassed though. I didn't know any other boys that were painting their face after school.

And I literally would go home and like, be in the mirror painting my face. You know, I liked it. I thought it was fun. I thought it was expressive, and you know it is art. And then as I got a little older, I started getting really interested in like fashion editorial makeup.

And looking at that and ripping things out of magazines, and I started messing with like regular cosmetics. You know, certain brands, Mac and all that stuff. And you know, I had a job, and I had enough money I could go buy some stuff for a little kid. And really I wanted to do makeup for a little while. I thought that was what I was going to end up doing.

Because it was so easy and it was fun. And I remember for high school dances, I would spread the word amongst people that I could do makeup for girls. For doing the formal-- something a little amped up more than they were used to. And I would have them pay me like 20 bucks a pop. And I would put like seven appointments in all afternoon, the night of a dance.

But I would have a date as well to go to the dance with. I would do her makeup, and we would go to the dance together. And I had enough money because of that day to pay for a dinner.

LYNDSEY PARKER: Do you ever ever Goth face?

ADAM LAMBERT: You know it's funny. I think I enjoyed the aesthetic of Goth because I remember as a teenager, I was just like, ooh, wow. That's cool. These kids are like theatrical. They're like wearing all black and all this makeup, and I remember hot topic going into the mall, and going into hot topic and being like, Ooh this is cool.

It makes me feel kind of like some kind of way. And I don't know what it is, but I really-- like I was drawn to it. But I don't think I had the like emotional makeup of a Goth.

LYNDSEY PARKER: You're too cheerful?

ADAM LAMBERT: I wasn't like brooding about anything. I wasn't necessarily into like super, super, dark music. But I skimmed around, I was like Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson, and stuff around that time in the 90s that was sort of dark and grungy, I guess. I don't know. I was drawn to it, but I don't think I was like ever considered Goth.

But of course, every Halloween when I was a teenager, all I wanted to do was wear black lipstick and spikes and black hair, and all that stuff.

LYNDSEY PARKER: Oh, that's the day when everybody gets to be Goth. What are some of your favorite costumes you've worked? Every year, it seems you-- when it comes to Halloween, you like one up yourself?

ADAM LAMBERT: I have so much fun. I mean, last year for Halloween, we had enough time on our hands to like, to make stuff. And I love doing that. It was a fun project. I made this whole like Aquaman, Merman, Poseidon thing.

You know, it was very Amazon craft queen with a glue gun. And prosthetics from Etsy. You know, I mean, I went all out. That werewolf guy that I was one year, that was pretty wild. I was walking into a party, and people didn't even know it was me.

Plenty of vampire looks to be proud of, plenty of devil looks. I like the classic like, archetypal monsters but then putting like a sort of me twist on it. Making it kind of glam and kind of fashion.

LYNDSEY PARKER: You must have seen a lot of people go with you for Halloween.

ADAM LAMBERT: I don't think I've ever actually seen anybody around Halloween dressed as me, but I have seen online. Adam Lambert wig.

LYNDSEY PARKER: Yeah, I've seen that too. But it's like the emo wig. It's like the--

ADAM LAMBERT: The blue with the blue.

LYNDSEY PARKER: Yeah.

ADAM LAMBERT: But it's funny because that's like, Wow, OK. Well, I guess you know you've made it when they're making Halloween accessories after you. And then, I've seen some drag Kings do me online. I've seen some videos, which is very cool.

LYNDSEY PARKER: If someone was going to dress as you for Halloween, what is like your most iconic? Like kind of recognizable outfit? That you would say, this is the outfit to--

ADAM LAMBERT: Maybe that "For Your Entertainment" video, that was the first video. That was pretty fashion, you know.

LYNDSEY PARKER: What can we expect from this tour?

ADAM LAMBERT: We started doing this last year for the first time. And I think because of us coming out of the pandemic last year, I was trying to express something maybe a little bit darker for the show. And this year, I'm feeling like a little more lightweight, a little more playful. I think the show will be a lot of fun. And there's a lot of covers in the set this year.

There's like a lot of songs that I haven't done before.

LYNDSEY PARKER: Are you going to do "Bela Lugosi's Dead" by Bauhaus? I'm just going to volunteer that as a suggestion.

ADAM LAMBERT: Not that one. That's a good one, but not that one. But I am doing Depeche Mode situation.