I have long been low-level obsessed with Pat McGrath’s Instagram feed, which displays such masterful make-up myth-making that I’ve been wondering when I might get the chance to smear some of her stuff on the back of my hand. Just to see. Just to feel part of it. Well, now I’ve tried it on my face.
McGrath’s approach is pure catwalk. Where other brands translate fashion show glamour for everyday life, Pat asks us to elevate; to heighten our hopes and be brave. And the products are of such luminous quality that it is not so much a challenge as a privilege.
My favourite eyeshadow palette is her Mothership V Bronze Seduction Palette (£110), which boasts 10 shades from chocolate brown to vivid opalescent wonder. ‘Use without caution,’ she advises on the box. So it’s playtime round my house. But an easy ‘in’ — because I know that brave eyeshadows and bold lips can scare us — is the Skin Fetish Highlighter + Balm Duo (£49), which delivers runway radiance to everyday faces. A double-ended cylinder, it houses a transparent balm at one end and a highlighter at the other. The balm glides on for the subtlest glow, but the highlighter offers real precision. Pat’s nude shade does not declare itself through glitter or shimmer. It merely declares your cheekbones — as though they were all of our own making.
This is clever, quality make-up. Something to work with, work on, work towards. I, for one, feel invigorated by its landing in London. I’ve never known a time when we have been more in need of a little innocent fun.
Pat McGrath Labs is available at Selfridges (selfridges.com)
