In our experience, there is no such thing as an unexciting beauty sale. We gladly welcome any opportunity to peruse our favorite retailers for the trusty products we already love in addition to (hopefully) discovering exciting new formulas as well. That said, some sales are especially exciting and physically surge our blood pressure with anticipation. The latest salivation-inducing example? Pat McGrath Labs Spring VIP Sale, a very exciting event due to three factors: A) Pat McGrath herself is a makeup artist legend and her products are heart-stoppingly stunning, B) the brand's non-sale price tags are equally heart-stopping, and C) said items rarely go on sale. So if you're low on some of your favorites from the Mother's labs or have always wanted to try but balked at the sticker shock. now is your time to shine. (And we mean that literally.)
From April 3 through 17, Pat McGrath Labs is offering 20% off all purchases under $150 and 25% off all purchases over $150 on PatMcgrath.com. (No code is required and the brand is also offering free domestic shipping.) To get you started and inspired, I'm sharing 20 editor-approved favorites we're predicting will sell out fast. Keep scrolling!
Face
Primer:
If you're in the market for a new primer, now is the time to treat yourself to this holy-grail mattifying primer. It's water-based and loaded with skin-improving ingredients like hyaluronic acid and purified botanical extracts to make your skin look smooth, refined, and velvety-soft.
Foundation:
No joke—this is one of the best foundations I've tried since becoming a beauty editor. (Our entire team tried and reviewed it here!) In some kind of reverse foundation psychology, it somehow looks better the longer you wear it and features skincare-grade ingredients to keep your complexion plump, dewy, and filter-level flawless. Pro tip: The foundation brush below makes a huge difference and is worth the extra splurge!
Foundation Brush:
Concealer:
In very exciting news, Pat McGrath Labs recently launched its highly anticipated concealer (in 36 different shades, no less!) to match the pandemonium its holy-grail foundation sparked. I have yet to get my hands on it, but I'm pretty much counting down the days. If it's even half as good as the foundation, I will be blissfully overjoyed. And because I'm a tool snob, I'll obviously be snatching up the special concealer brush to ensure my application is makeup artist–level precise.
Concealer Brush:
Powder:
Powder—historically, it's a love-it-or-hate-it product category, but Mother's loose setting formula will undoubtedly convert anyone who's previously snubbed the stuff. (The brand also makes a special under-eye blurring powder that's pressed and equally fabulous if that's the kind of thing that strikes your fancy.) Need a brush? The below option is expert- and backstage-approved thanks to the full, slightly tapered shape. Plus, it's cruelty-free, vegan, and even boasts an FSC-certified wood handle.
Powder Brush:
Highlighter:
Pat McGrath Labs has a few different options for highlighter, but it's this double-ended award winner that has my heart forever and ever. It's perfect if you want a hint of sun-kissed glow that never looks unnaturally wet or sparkly. It's a selfie essential, and I love using the brand's multipurpose buffing brush below to nail my application. (I usually go for my cheekbones, the tip of my nose, Cupid's bow, and temples.)
Buffing Brush:
Lips
Lip Balm:
First things first—lip balm (and a good one) is one of the often-overlooked steps in any makeup routine. Before you go in with your liners, sticks, and glosses, you MUST prep with a luxe balm like this one. True to form, McGrath and her product development team have outdone themselves by debuting a lip balm that not only comes in tons of stunning tints (clear, pearlescent, and sheer iterations are all on the table) but also has been dipped with so many lip-saving ingredients like soothing emollients, antioxidants, and vitamins. This one—called Nude Astral—is the one lurking in my shopping cart.
Lip Liner:
My life changed for the better the first time picked up lip liner, and Pat McGrath's formula is one of the best money can buy. It's perfect for creating definition and contour. Plus, it's waterproof and won't budge until you want it to (aka, when you're washing it off).
Matte Lipstick:
One of the things I love most about Pat McGrath Labs is all the different options she gives us for finishes. Some people love matte, some people like shine, and some people are somewhere in the middle. I recommend exploring her three different collections; MatteTrance, LuxeTrance, and BlitzTrance (and perhaps trying one from each) to have some fun and see what you love most. Layering is also highly encouraged.
Creamy Lipstick:
McGrath describes this hydrating collection as the best way to "laminate your lips" with color and shine. Obsessed and currently in the mood to experiment with this vampy shade called Exxotica.
Super-Shiny Lipstick:
A full-coverage, luxuriously creamy lipstick that's infused with light-catching pigments and reflective pearls. Club Kiss—magenta with pink pearl—is the precise shade I have my eye on right now.
Lip Gloss:
If Lil Mama were still singing about lip gloss, we know Mother McGrath's formula would be a shining star within her lyrics. The formula isn't sticky, so even gloss skeptics will be pleased, and you can also have your cake and eat it too because the collection offers every shade, finish, and ratio of sparkle and shine a beauty lover could ask for.
Eyes
Eye Shadow Palette:
If you're a palette person, McGrath's selection will likely send you into a frenzy. That said, this 10-pan selection has been my lid MO all spring, and I plan on maintaining the obsession right into spring. Her palettes ARE an investment, so there's no better time to make the leap than an epic sale.
Eye Shadow Single:
The Pat McGrath website describes the loveliness of the brand's single-shot shadows best: "cross-polymorphic mattes that deliver an ultra-soft focus effect, gel-powder metallics that exude velvety-smooth iridescence, and high-impact pearlescent shimmers that lavish eyes in lustrous multidimensional color." I mean, how can we resist? Must layer all.
Gel Eye Pencil:
There are two types of people in this world: the pencil crowd and the liquid-liner crowd. Luckily, Mother has gifted us with divine offerings to suit either preference. This smooth-as-silk gel pencil is waterproof and delivers amazing color payoff—choose from both matte and/or iridescent finishes.
Liquid Eyeliner:
Not all liquid lines are user-friendly and easy to wield across our finicky lids. Yet this one is comparably foolproof. Not only is the inky black formula waterproof for budge-free wear, but it will also last a full 24 hours and even features a high-tech flexible tip to make your application as stress-free and precise as physically possible.
Mascara:
Last but not least, no look is ever complete without a little (or a lot) of mascara. This one is easy to layer and builds lots of volume, lift, and length without weighing down your lashes. It boasts an eye-catching satiny shine that's amazingly photogenic, and the lash-improving formula is strategically boosted with conditioning peptides and panthenol to keep your flutter strong, hydrated, and feathery-soft.
Up next: Pat McGrath's Foundation Is Supposed to Give You "Couture Skin"—So We Tried It
