THE creator of new trends like thick eyebrows and matt skin, Pat McGrath is looked upon by the beauty industry as the arbiter of future directions. Her intuitive approach and her re-interpretation of the face are matched by her instinct for people, her gentle touch and vibrant personality. She is also regarded as the pioneer of dewy skin back in the mid-90s, and responsible for reintroducing bright colours like turquoise and tangerine back into women’s make-up kits.
Currently, the make-up guru is working in partnership with Max Factor, contributing to the creative design and direction of the brand’s colour trend collections, new product and technology developments.
For fall/winter trends, McGrath said there are about 35 looks, with her favourite being the monotone look.
“The monotone verses the nothing. It’s about having a natural face, perfect skin, lashes and one colour that goes around the eyes. Sounds simple but it’s not that easy to do, and of course, you can achieve the natural perfect lashes through the False Lash Effect (FLE) Mascara,” said McGrath during an interview at the launch of the product in Beijing recently. “It’s the signature look for eyes on and off the catwalk.”
She added that fashion is always moving forward and therein lies the challenge as everyone in the industry is constantly pushing the boundaries.
“It’s a big industry moving in a gigantic wheel – it’s like Indiana Jones in The Temple Of Doom – we’re always moving! You can’t just come up with a look and be done with it because when the moment is over, you move on.
“I think when you see all that creativity and work with the most incredible people, you’re constantly seeing fabulous accessories and wonderful fabric, and it really pushes the fashion boundary. That helps us in cosmetics as well. All of a sudden it’s about black. If it’s not about wool, it’s about chiffon. If it’s not about lots of make-up, it’s about run-down make-up,” McGrath elaborated.
With so much going on, does McGrath ever get a make-up artist’s block (sort of like a writer)?
“Not really. Of course, we repeat ideas, but there is always the classic red lip done in 80 different ways. You repeat it but keep it new. Like through new light, fabric, colours and girls. The shape of faces of the models we work with can also be inspiring,” she said.
McGrath thinks Asian women are obsessed with fashion and beauty, and that they look fantastic.
“I don’t look at Asian women and think, ‘I wish they wore more make-up,’ but I would love for them to maybe play more with colours in the evening. For that matter, I think every woman in the world should be more adventurous with make-up,” she said.
When asked about the common mistakes women make when it comes to make-up, McGrath said that getting the right foundation colour matters a lot. “The foundation is important as your skin colour can go from dark to light over the seasons. That’s why it’s important for women to choose the right tones to match the skin.”
With so much going on, McGrath’s hopes for the future of beauty and technology seem relatively simple as she confessed that she would love it if women never aged.
“If there was a cream that literally stopped the ageing process, slim the face, give instant long lashes and got rid of eye bags, I think that’s where we should be heading. And, I think we’re already getting there given the kind of products that are available in the market today,” she concluded.
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