Makeup

Interview with Pat Mcgrath: The Most Influential Make-up Artist in the World

By -NN

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The most influential makeup artist in the world, Pat Mcgrath creates makeup looks for majority of the runway shows per season. She’s done Dior for over a decade and Dolce & Gabbana for more than 13 years! Inspired by her mother’s love for fashion she’s a self-taught makeup artist who travels the globe. She sets trends by creating the newest looks on the runway and developing makeup products that are used all over the world. Creative adviser for Dolce & Gabbana and Global Creative Design Director of Max Factor.

Vogue named her the most influential makeup artist in the world!

2013 was a great year for me as I was lucky enough to have met Pat at a Dolce & Gabbana workshop in Milan earlier and as well had the privilege to attend the P&G Vision House event in Barcelona where I got to sit down and chat with Pat about something everyone wants to know about – spring trends, lips and achieving a natural looking flawless makeup look.

Waiting outside Pat’s hotel room on the 49th floor executive suites of the Hotel Arts in Barcelona, Spain.

5 minutes to go, super excited and a bit nervous!

What is spring beauty all about this year?

Pat Mcgrath: Freshly washed hair and clean, glowing skin for a young fresh look. Wet eyes, cheeks and skin. Skin is pink and muted – very natural. No matter what rich lashes are always a must. It’s all or nothing. Bold brows or bleached out. Bare face or Metallics on the eyes.

“Makeup is less made up, and is all about you.”

What is the most important element of a makeup application? And what is the best way to apply it?

The P&G Vision House

Pat Mcgrath: Every look begins with the perfect foundation. I always apply with a brush, and I use my fingers to blend. When you put on foundation with a brush, it’s heavy but when you blend it with your fingers, the heat of the hands warms it up and makes it easier to achieve a smooth and even application. Start with a tinted moisturizer or a BB/CC cream and build on it with your foundation. Add your concealer around the eyes and add dots of concealer on problem areas using a fine brush. Use a tissue to lightly take off any access foundation. Sometimes I even like to apply foundation on the center of the face and blend it slightly outwards leaving the rest of the face natural.

At the P&G Vision House event last night, a key trend you spoke about was Skin: Live Luminosity – Golden Radiance. How do you suggest is the best way to achieve natural looking glow on the skin?

Pat Mcgrath: After you apply the foundation, take a foundation one shade a little warmer and apply it around the cheek area. Use a highlighter on the cheekbones and don’t apply powder on the areas you are highlighting. Dust a highlighting powder in the hairline and on the chin, for that real all over glow. Only apply powder in the areas that need it avoiding the nose and chin and it’s important not to apply too much powder as it makes you look older.

What can you tell us about lips this season?

Pat McGrath: Matte lips are last season and this season it’s something different more glossy lips. I also love the stained lip look which can be achieved by patting the lipstick on the lips with your finger to give a fantastic fresh stained color.