The 13 Best Pat McGrath Labs Products for Every Look, Tested & Reviewed
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Make the sidewalk your catwalk with Pat McGrath’s highly pigmented and impossibly chic makeup.
InStyle / Brian Kopinski
It isn’t surprising that celebrity makeup artist Pat McGrath has her own makeup line. After all, nowadays, anyone with a shred of influence can launch a beauty collection. However, what is surprising is the fact that she waited over two decades to debut her first product. McGrath spent these 20 years socking away ideas and inspirations while painting the world’s most beautiful faces backstage at fashion shows or on the sets of photo shoots. She let all that information and knowledge marinate as she conjured up her product line.
“My goal is to offer a truly elevated and unparalleled experience for all my fellow beauty lovers,” says Pat McGrath.
McGrath is well aware that there’s a new beauty brand, influencer, or buzzy product nearly every day, but even in this saturated market, her products are far and away more luxurious, pigmented, and wearable than many of her counterparts. “My line is my entire career, wrapped up into products I know do not exist anywhere else,” she says. “My philosophy has always been that if I want a product and cannot find it, I make it.”
Editor's Pick: Pat McGrath Labs FetishEyes Long-wear Liquid Eye Shadow
What We Love: These pigmented pops of color are powerful enough to wear on their own, yet versatile enough to layer on top of your favorite powders.
What We Don’t Love: Currently, they are only available in glitter, and we wish there were matte shades for casual days.
When we think about eyeshadows, we think of Dame Pat McGrath. And only the Dame; there is no one else in her orbit. Synonymous with glittery, glitzy, going-for-IT style makeup, McGrath's legendary jumbo eyeshadow palettes are simply iconic, and for senior beauty commerce editor, Kaitlin Clark, something about each palette of kaleidoscope colors and shiny finishes reignites the wild, youthful, and wholesome fun of playing with makeup. "Yes, of course, neutral palettes are 'sensible' and 'responsible' and 'professional' and day-to-day, you'll likely use them more than, say, McGrath's slime-green glitter or a metallic violet glaze," she says. "But I am all about fun and I will always be in my Pat McGrath Eyeshadow Era. They're just irresistible, like some kind of gravitational or magnetic pull towards a makeup look that says 'I'm full of energy, life, and vibrance, who's with me?!'"
If one look at a dozen pots of bright colors, glitters, and glazes just for you to mix, match, and go wild, says Clark, doesn't bring back a flood of childhood nostalgia, sneaking into your mom or grandma's stash of makeup and putting pink lipstick everywhere, then you may need a PML glitterbomb palette stat most of all. "Each shade is intensely pigmented and packed with more glitter and shine than Mariah Carey's house; it's a shadow palette for anyone who wants a moment—or a lifetime!—that's all about an unapologetic eye party."
Shades: 7｜Feature: Bursts of glitter, bright colors, and a palette that's all about an eye party｜Size: 0.2 oz
Best Face Coverage: Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection Foundation
What We Love: With over 36 shades, this buildable coverage foundation has a match for every skin tone.
What We Don’t Love: Those with oily skin may need to set it with a powder to keep it matte and in place.
With all the foundations out there, how could anything be missing? The answer: One that does it all. Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection feels more like a face serum than a liquid foundation, but its weightless texture wears like nothing at all. Upon first swipe, it offers a satiny, sheer layer of coverage, but if you are looking for something a little more intense, simply brush on an extra layer. It also comes in 36 shades in five levels, ranging from very light to very deep, so no skin tone will be left behind without a true match.
Best of all, McGrath insists that she doesn’t play favorites with her products, but when asked which ones she’d place in her top three, she couldn’t leave out the Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection System. “With the Sublime Perfection Foundation and Sublime Perfection Concealer, I released 36 shades that I would need in my kit if I needed to cover the world,” she says. “Not only are they perfect shades, but also the most exquisite formula and flawless finish that is buildable and versatile.”
Will we be adding to our cart? Check, check, and check.
Shades: 36｜Feature: Customizable, buildable coverage｜Size: 1.8 oz
Best Concealer: Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection Concealer
What We Love: The creamy texture melts into the skin and stays all day.
What We Don’t Love: This formula is super pigmented, so it can be easy to apply too much.
For McGrath, strong pigmentation is essential, but especially in complexion products. “Everything at Pat McGrath Labs is perfectly pigmented to ensure that they provide the perfect color payoff,” she says. Beyond that, she says her top priorities when whipping up a new face makeup product are: An easy application, blendability, and most of all, diversity. “Everything needs to be universally flattering and come in a wide range of shades and textures to complement diverse skin tones and skin types,” she says.
And just like the foundation, this concealer checks all the boxes: A truly foolproof concealer in 36 shades and undertones that spreads and blends like butter and a radiant finish. This skin-like look convincingly covers everything from dark circles to blemishes without looking chalky or sinking into your creases. But be careful with how much you apply—a little dot of this highly pigmented formula goes a long way.
Use a sponge to dab the concealer onto the blemish for a more natural looking finish or use a concealer or even small pointed foundation brush to amp up the coverage. McGrath’s tip? Tap in with your fingers—the heat from your hands will warm up the product and melt it into your skin.
Shades: 36｜Feature: Full-coverage｜Size: 0.16 oz
Best Mascara: Pat McGrath Labs FetishEyes Mascara
What We Love: The formula is infused with conditioning peptides to hydrate lashes while lengthening them.
What We Don’t Love: Anyone with oily lids should use a primer before this mascara.
Let’s be real for a minute: With all the incredible drugstore mascara options on the market, spending over $30 dollars for a single tube can feel unnecessary. That said, when you find a formula you can trust, it’s impossible to break up.
We consider this mascara as one of our makeup bag staples. Even after just one swipe, our lashes look long, thick and darker than midnight. Although who wants to stop with one swipe? Not us—we love this jet-black mascara for its extremely buildable nature, especially for the nights we want big, thick-looking lashes, but without the clumps. We wore this to our friend’s wedding and while we were thrilled it stayed in place from the afternoon ceremony through the after party, we did learn the hard way that it is not waterproof.
Shades: 1｜Feature: Smudge-proof wear｜Size: 0.27 oz
Best Powder: Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection Blurring Under-Eye Powder
What We Love: Available in five flexible shades, everyone can find their match.
What We Don’t Love: It can make very dry skin look patchy.
Known for her signature dewy, poreless skin, applying a powder from McGrath’s collection may feel wrong, but it is so, so right. First, this setting powder comes in five shades—light, medium, yellow, deep, baby pink—which is important to note because even though many powders claim to work on any and all skin tones, they rarely deliver on the promise. Second, this powder is an ironclad lock to keep your makeup looking fresh and in the exact spot where you applied it.
While it is marketed for under eyes only, we tend to go a little crazy and dust it everywhere. Yes, it works that well.
Shades: 5 | Feature: Silky texture, supreme comfort｜Size: 0.14 oz
Best Palette: Pat McGrath Labs Mothership VII Eyeshadow Palette - Divine Rose Collection
What We Love: The ultra pigmented shades last forever.
What We Don’t Love: The larger palette doesn’t travel well, so a midday touchup is unlikely.
If there is one thing and one thing only that Pat McGrath Labs is known for, it is the jumbo eyeshadow palettes. Filled with matte, metallic and astral colors across a rainbow of 10 rich hues, each more striking than the next. Although we thought there’s no way we’d wear the bright yellow cold hue within the palette, we were surprised with how incredibly wearable it was. Each shade is versatile and can easily be taken from day to night.
“Use the Intensifeyes Artistry Wand on the eyelids as a primer before applying eye shadow,” recommends McGrath. “This not only hydrates the delicate skin on the eyelids, but it also helps the eye shadow to adhere better and appear more vibrant.”
Shades: 10｜Feature: Powerful pigment｜Size: 0.15 oz
Best Blush: Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish: Divine Powder Blush
What We Love: It layers without looking chalky.
What We Don’t Love: Many shades are often sold out.
In a world where cream blushes dominate the conversation, this powerful powder remains unbothered. This tried-and-true formula has been buzzy since it launched and hasn’t slowed down one bit. According to McGrath, this powder blush remains the most anticipated production in the brand’s entire history.
“When it launched, it was beyond,” says McGrath. “People were obsessed with it.” And it’s easy to see why. Instead of simply sitting on top of the skin, the ultra fine dust sinks into cheekbones for a natural-looking flush. Its easy-to-blend formula means that amping up the color is as easy as another swipe.
Shades: 12｜Feature: Ultra blendable｜Size: 0.34 oz
Best Highlighter: Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish: Highlighter + Balm Duo
What We Love: This dual sided tool allows you to customize your highlight.
What We Don’t Love: It is one of the brand’s more subtle products.
Remember how I said McGrath doesn’t play favorites when it comes to her products? Well, she doesn’t. Or at least not really.
As much as she loves each and every product in her line, her signature look is “fresh and dewy skin.” For her, the Skin Fetish Highlighter + Balm Dup is “an absolute must.” And we have to agree. We spent the past few weeks testing the entirety of McGrath’s collection for this story, but this product has been in our makeup bag for years. We fell in love with its customizable take on dewy skin. Simply use the balm side for a glitter-free sheen or take the highlighter end to illuminate. We like to use them both together for the most gorgeously radiant glow.
Shades: 5｜Feature: Lit from within glow｜Size: 0.12 oz
Best Brush: Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish: Divine Blush Brush
What We Love: The tapered tip makes it easy to get product exactly where you want.
What We Don’t Love: It’s a little tricky to wash.
McGrath’s Divine Blush Brush is composed of incredibly soft, synthetic bristles, formed into a delicately tapered tip to allow for targeted application and easy blendability. While it’s intended to evenly diffuse powder blush across the cheeks, we also love to use it to sculpt our cheekbones with bronzer or contour powder. But truly, the entire Pat McGrath Labs makeup brush collection is stellar and you can't go wrong with a single one.
Feature: Targeted application
Best Eyeliner: Pat McGrath Labs Perma Precision Liquid Eyeliner
What We Love: It slides across eyelids without pulling or tugging.
What We Don’t Love: We wish it was available in more shades.
No one does eyes better than Mother (what the supermodels and celebs call her), and her liquid liner is elevated, silky and shockingly easy to use. It’s filled with inky black pigment and the felt tip—which many liquid liners get it wrong—is an exquisite balance of firm and flexible for a totally controlled application. It’s also waterproof, sweatproof, and smudge-proof.
The only downside is the teeny shade range. Currently, this liner is only available in Xtreme Black and Xtreme Black Coffee. Consider this our formal call to Mother to dream up some more colorways.
Shades: 2｜Feature: Smudge-proof wear｜Size: 0.41 oz
Best Lipstick: Pat McGrath Labs MatteTrance Lipstick
What We Love: The matte finish has serious staying power.
What We Don’t Love: Many shades sell out quickly, so it is hard to find the one that you want.
Forget everything you think you know about matte lips. McGrath has somehow figured out how to walk the tightrope between a matte lipstick and a hydrating salve. This long-lasting lipstick has the staying power of a matte formula, but with the moisturizing quality of a balm. Even after hours of wear, our lips didn’t look like we just spent the day in the Sahara without water.
Each powdery bullet is infused with oil for an extra buttery application. For an even smoother application, we recommend prepping your pucker with an exfoliating lip scrub, followed by a rich cream to create a hydrated lipstick foundation. It’s available in 34 shades across neutral mauves to bright berries to deep merlots. We love Peep Show, a pinky-peach nude, for daily wear and Elson 2, a fiery orange-red, or Full Panic, a true fuchsia, for nights out. Just be quick, because many of these shades will sell out if you let them sit for too long. Remember, this is a matte finish, so if you prefer something glossier, this may not be the right lip product for you.
Shades: 34｜Feature: Oil-infused powder｜Size: 0.14 oz
Best Lip Gloss: Pat McGrath Labs Lust Gloss
What We Love: It’s pigmented, available in a variety of shades and textures, and layers well over other lip products.
What We Don’t Love: The doe-foot applicator could be a little bigger.
For many people, lip gloss is their intro into the world of lippies. With a sheer, shiny texture that is nearly impossible to mess up, it’s a lot less intimidating than long-wear liquid or traditional bullet lipsticks. But this is not the sticky, goopy gloss of yore: This is grown-up gloss. It’s pigmented enough to coat your lips in a sexy shimmer, but it's translucent enough to deliver that shimmering luster.
Available in 38 shades, you are free to choose between shimmers, glitters, and shines. Exaggerate your lip liner application just a hair above your cupid’s bow to give the illusion of a fuller pout. For an extra bold look, swipe this over your MatteTrance lipstick.
Shades: 38｜Feature: Tacky, not sticky｜Size: 0.15 oz
Best Skincare: Pat McGrath Labs Divine Skin: Rose 001 The Essence
What We Love: This ultra gentle hydrator can be used in your routine or throughout the day to keep your skin looking dewy.
What We Don’t Love: The rose scent is strong, so if you are sensitive to fragrance, this isn’t for you.
As previously mentioned, McGrath’s signature dewy skin is the look she holds most dear. Makeup can enhance skin, but skincare improves and elevates the feel of skin. This essence was her most surprising launch to date and we can’t get enough. This bi-phase solution smooths and hydrates skin. After cleansing, shake a few drops of the essence into your hands then pat the silky liquid directly onto your skin, moving around the face to let it sink into every crevice.
Just be warned, it has a strong rosy scent, so if you are sensitive to fragrance, this may not be the right essence for you.
Feature: All-day hydration｜Size: 3.38 oz
What to Keep in Mind
Your Makeup Goals: Think about your makeup goals and what you want your overall look to be before selecting any of the Dame’s rich, bright pigments and formulas. If you’re looking for a product to use everyday, go for a neutral-toned palette so you have on-hand to create an array of subtle eye looks. Remember, makeup is all about self-expression, so choose the products that you’ll feel confident wearing, and your true beauty will shine through.
Your Questions, Answered
Who is Pat McGrath?
Pat McGrath is a British beauty industry veteran with over 25 years of experience as a makeup artist. Throughout her career, she has conceptualized and perfected makeup looks for countless magazine spreads and hundreds of celebrity red carpet appearances. Before launching her eponymous makeup line in 2015, she spent years working behind the scenes at other brands, including Giorgio Armani Beauty and CoverGirl.
Is Pat McGrath Labs cruelty-free?
Though not certified cruelty-free by PETA or Leaping Bunny, Pat McGrath Labs does not test on animals.
Why Shop With Us
Anneke Knot is a full-time fashion and beauty freelance writer at InStyle. To do the hard job of narrowing down Pat McGrath Labs entire collection of incredible makeup to just a few products, she tested dozens herself and of course, interviewed Mother.
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Read the original article on InStyle.
