When Mother talks, you listen. Mother, of course, is the inimitable Pat McGrath. Her eponymous cosmetics line has become an instant favorite of editors, influencers, makeup artists, and consumers since she launched her first product (Gold 001) in 2015. Now Pat McGrath Labs is valued at a billion dollars and offers a vast array of products to ogle over. From lipsticks and glosses to pigments and mascara, Mother has done the most to make sure we are taken care of. While I would never question her grand vision, I’ll admit to wondering: When will my skin get some love?
Nothing McGrath does is without tremendous effort and an eye for perfection (it’s why we love her). She’s known for creating stunning makeup looks at the shows of Christian Dior, Givenchy, Balenciaga, Prada, Stella McCartney, Louis Vuitton, among many others—designing looks that range from simple to ornate works of living art. The base of all these looks is a complexion that appears to be touched by God herself, which is why I’ve been itching to get my hands on her latest release, Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection Foundation ($68).
Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection has a serum-like consistency, with ingredients that help hydrate, blur, and smooth the skin. At the launch event in Los Angeles, McGrath demonstrated how layerable it is by using her hands for a soft wash of coverage, then building it up with a brush and a sponge. The foundation gradient includes five shade families, each split into seven undertones (with the exception of the “deep” family, which has eight). It’s packed with what the brand calls a Vita-Serum Complex and Diamond Core Powder Technology, meant to hold in moisture and optically blur the skin too. What I find most interesting is that McGrath says it’s “post-perfecting,” meaning you can keep applying throughout the day, even after powder. As a woman of 32 with an oily complexion, it seems like my skin is constantly eating my makeup—and I’m also noticing fine lines start to develop. In short, the formula was made for me; the blurring properties and fact that I can powder without a care in the world make me absolutely giddy.
The foundation also comes in a kit that McGrath refers to as The System ($150), which includes a silicone-free primer and powder. The primer features hyaluronic acid, which emulates the dewy glow that McGrath creates on the runway. “Everything is built from that whole idea of skin care, which is how you should look when you’re wearing foundation—like you’re taking care of your skin,” she says. She also explains that the powder does not cake and that your skin will still glow while wearing it, which was true for me, as you’ll see below. After watching McGrath and her team demo the makeup on models of varying ages with different skin tones, I couldn’t wait to give them a try on my own face.
