The Glowdown: Pat McGrath Shares the Beauty Secrets We All Want to Know

Welcome to The Glowdown, the series where we dive into the beauty secrets of our favourite celebrities as they get real about their routines and non-negotiables exclusively with us. Join them as they sit in our beauty hot seat and we fire off a round of quick questions, giving you never-before-shared insight into the products they cannot live without, their secrets to red carpet–ready skin, beauty pet peeves, and the genius tips they have picked up from experts along the way. This is no-holds-barred beauty at its finest.

This month, we're talking to iconic celebrity makeup artist and all-round beauty expert Pat McGrath. With 25 years in the industry, McGrath is one of the most in-demand makeup artists in the world, conceptualising the makeup direction for every major fashion week show you can imagine and painting the most famous of faces for magazine covers. In 2015, she launched Pat McGrath Labs, which has become one of the most celebrated makeup brands for its innovative formulas. Ahead, we asked McGrath about her favourite makeup products and tips—and she did not disappoint.

1. Which makeup product gives you the biggest mood boost?

The new Divine Blush: Legendary Glow Colour Balms are my new favourite instant mood booster! They provide a natural and subtle flush of colour to the cheeks, creating a healthy and fresh appearance. They blend seamlessly into the skin, giving a soft, dewy finish that mimics a natural flush. I’m also obsessed with their versatility, easy application, buildable coverage and the nourishing ingredients that pamper the skin.

2. If you could steal someone else’s makeup bag, whose would it be?

Don’t tell anyone, but I’m known to carry 67 cases of makeup when I’m travelling, so I’d be more worried about who might want to steal from mine!

3. You’ve got a spot. Are you team pop it, or team leave it alone?

Leave it. I used to see so many models by the end of fashion week with dehydrated, congested skin. The worst thing you could do is pop it. My backstage secret—rose water. It’s what inspired me to go to the lab and create my own essence using proprietary ingredients.

4. You only have one product to use for the rest of your life. What is it?

You’re asking a woman who travels with 67 suitcases to choose one product? You’re truly testing me, my love! But I suppose, as of today, it would have to be the Legendary Glow Colour Balm. Its versatile, luminous effect makes it an indispensable darling in my beauty repertoire. Either that or my most perfect Lust Gloss in the world— shade Bronze Venus. 

5. What’s the best piece of beauty advice that you have ever received?

My mother once told me, "If you cannot find the right makeup product, make it yourself.”

6. It’s a bad hair day, what do you do?

I do two braids. Sometimes, the simplest styles can be the most chic!

7. What is your signature fragrance?

I love layering scents for the ultimate sensorial experience. I also adore the scent of roses. When I’m travelling there is nothing more calming than a fresh bouquet of white roses.

8. Strong lip or a strong eye?

It really just depends on my mood, darling! Some days it's a bold lip with my MatteTrance Lipstick in Elson, and other days it's a captivating eye with one of my favourite palettes, Mothership V: Bronze Seduction. But one thing is for sure, there's always going to be a glow!

9. You’re having your nails done, what’s your go-to colour?

Everyone gets so experimental with their nails. I find it so inspiring and had so much fun creating a nail set with Supreme. We did stickers and three different shades—it was so much fun. On a typical day I do stick to buff or clear [polish]. I also wear my Supreme Red on my toenails.

10. What is your beauty philosophy in a sentence?

Beauty comes from within. It’s kindness, compassion, laughter and authenticity. It’s the energy you bring to the world. Makeup is a movement. It is all about self-expression and as I always say, "Use without caution." This saying is written on every product.

11. What is your favourite lipstick colour?

Every colour has its moment, my angel! Today, I'm quite enamoured with my MatteTrance Lipstick’s bold reds like Elson and Forbidden Love, but I can never resist a major nude. I am obsessed with Nude Venus and Omi, named after Naomi Campbell.

12. What’s your biggest beauty no-no?

What I love about beauty is that there are no rules. My purpose is to create products that push the boundaries of beauty whilst fuelling passion and taking experimentation to a whole new dimension.

13. Candles, reed diffusers or nothing at all?

I love creating a sensorial experience. I layer my scents depending on the mood. Whether it is lighting multiple Diptyque, Byredo or Cire Trudon candles, it is all about crafting the perfect atmosphere for creativity to flourish.

14. If you could share one piece of beauty advice, what would it be?

Always take time to enjoy your beauty ritual. It's not just about the end result—it's about the transformative journey of self-expression and creativity.

15. What beauty product do you recommend to everyone?

I am obsessed with everything. But, today, I’m particularly obsessed with my new Divine Blush: Legendary Glow Colour Balm. It works wonders for everyone, providing that radiant, healthy glow we all desire. It also has to be my Skin Fetish: Highlighter + Balm Duo. Everyone that works with me calls it the "shiny stick", and it really does give you that "lit from within" glow. It’s effortless to apply and it takes any look to another dimension.

16. Name one beauty product that is always in your handbag?

Lust Gloss in Bronze Venus and Divine Blush in Paradise Venus. A recent addition to the handbag is probably my Divine Bronzer, for on-the-go radiance and glow.

17. Are you team dewy or matte?

Both have their charm, but with Skin Fetish: Highlighter + Balm Duo in Xtreme Cyber Lotus, a translucent coral with pink-blue reflex pearls, it's all about that irresistible dewy glow.

18. The greatest drugstore product for under £10?

I am obsessed with cotton buds, whether they are pointed or round.

19. Your brows, in one word?

Groomed and sculpted. Oops, that was two!

20. Your worst hairstyle (or hair moment) ever…

My loves, every moment, every style, is part of the journey. No regrets, only lessons and evolution.

21. You have to wear your hair crimped or blue eyeshadow for the rest of your life: Which do you choose?

Both. It takes me straight back to working on shoots in the '90s. I would be creating a bold blue eye for i-D whilst Edward Enninful was styling it.

22. Makeup primer: Love it or hate it?

It has its place in the beauty arsenal, especially my Intensifeyes Artistry Wand—an eye artistry enhancer that combines the versatility of a mixing liquid with an easy-to-use pen to deliver instantly amplified shadow vibrancy that lasts. Have you not tried our Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Primer?! It’s heaven! Sometimes I even use it on the skin without any other makeup! That's how good it is!

23. Confession time–how often do you clean your makeup brushes?

My brushes get a thorough cleaning after every use, and let’s just say I have LOTS of makeup brushes.

24. What beauty rule do you always break?

Every single one if I can! Self-expression has no rules and I’m told I like to push boundaries.

25. Would you rather have ultra-skinny brows or bleached brows?

Darling, it's all about context and the overall look. Both can make quite a striking statement when executed with confidence.

26. Which celebrity’s hair would you love to steal?

I couldn’t pick one—Naomi, Mona and Janae—the list is endless of empowering women with incredible hair.

27. Which era of beauty inspires you most?

Every era has its charm and unique aesthetics, but I have a soft spot for the decadence and drama of London and New York in the '70s and '80s. And I am obsessed with the '90s for its hyper-real rave feeling.

28. Eyelash curlers: Love them or hate them?

Love them! A good eyelash curler is a must-have in my kit. It has the power to instantly awaken the eyes, adding a dramatic lift that can transform a look, especially when paired with Dark Star Mascara.

29. Best beauty hack?

Using your fingers to blend makeup can often provide the most natural finish. The warmth of your fingers helps melt the product into your skin for a seamless look. However, never forget the magic of a good Pat McGrath Labs brush for precise application.

Shop Pat McGrath's Beauty Favourites:

Next Up: The Glowdown: Elle Macpherson Shares the Beauty Secrets We All Want to Know