Pat McGrath: The Makeup Artist Behind Black Hollywood's Most Fabulous Faces
You can’t have a conversation about the most influential makeup artists in the industry without including Pat McGrath.
The British makeup maven’s career spans over 25 years in the industry working with some of the biggest brands and most influential stars in the game. She’s an innovator and she’s got the receipts to prove it.
Among her many honors, McGrath was the first makeup artist to receive the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CDFA) Founder’s Award. She won The British Fashion Council 2017 Award for Fashion Creator and was included as one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2019. She was the first makeup artist to receive damehood, when Queen Elizabeth II gave McGrath the title D.B.E. (Dame of the British Empire) for her contribution to the Fashion and Beauty industry and Diversity.
McGrath has collaborated with luxury brands, including Prada, Miu Miu, Dior and Gucci, creating makeup looks for their runway shows, and she’s served as Beauty Editor-at-Large for British Vogue since 2017.
Since launching her makeup line, PAT MCGRATH LABS in 2015, McGrath has garnered a massive following for her stunning eye shadow palettes and glittery glosses. Her debut product GOLD 001 — formulated for eyes, lips and cheeks — sold out almost immediately when it launched on her social media channels.
Beauty influencers swear by her products. Tamoie Kay gave her Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Blurring Under Eye Powder a 10 out of 10 on TikTok.
Taffy called the Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Concealer a “dreamy concealer.”
You can guarantee you’ll see her shades on famous faces at almost every red carpet event. Doja Cat, Tyla and Bad Bunny are among the stars who got Met Gala glam this year with the help of PAT MCGRATH LABS products.
Lucky for us, McGrath loves what she does, telling InStyle in 2023 that working in the beauty industry doesn’t feel like work at all. She credits her mother with instilling her with a passion to create products in an inclusive array of colors that compliment every skin tone.
“I owe my love of makeup to my mother [Jean McGrath],” she said. “When I was growing up in England, we would spend every Friday shopping at department stores so she could create new beauty looks.”
