Iconic British makeup artist Pat McGrath worked with John Galliano to create the makeup design for his Spring 2024 haute couture Maison Margiela show. The looks featured bleached brows etched over with thinner rounded arches, unusual yellow blush, and bright blue eyeshadow. Some looks featured opulent metallic green and brown eyeshadow, subtle black-tinted lips, or pouts with pink applied just in the centre, emulating a porcelain doll.
However, the centrepiece (which has now turned into an internet obsession) was the glossy skin finish. From videos on McGrath’s Instagram, it’s clear that this was applied after makeup using an airbrush, but the product she layered onto the model’s faces is yet to be revealed. The ethereal, shiny glow has sent everyone, especially makeup artists, into a frenzy trying to figure out what product she used to achieve the perfect glass-like sheen, with one commenter on Pat McGrath’s Instagram claiming that she “Broke the internet“.
@patmcgrathreal MAJOR LOVE ❤️❤️❤️ Thank you for the love and support!! All will be REVEALED soon 👀👀👀 Stay tuned!! xx Pat #MaisonMargiela #JohnGalliano #patmcgrathlabs
♬ DJ Snake style EDM, KPOP beats(1172433) – Invis!ble Cats
Various theories have emerged online. Initially, it was believed to be Kryolan’s Liquid Glass, which has since sold out, but McGrath took to the TikTok comment section to confirm that it wasn’t the product she used: “Amazing!! But we will show the real product soon! Stay tuned,” leaving fans on tenterhooks waiting for the big reveal. Celebrity makeup artist and TikToker Katie Jane Hughes theorised that McGrath used the Natura Bissē Diamond Luminous Glowing Mask, but disproved her own theory after trialling the product and finding it had a pinkish tint which didn’t match the looks from the show.
So far, the most convincing suggestion has come from Erin Parsons, influencer and makeup artist to the stars who actually worked earlier in her career assisting Pat McGrath at fashion week. In a TikTok explaining her theory, Parsons shared a source who worked as an assistant on the Margiela show, who explained: “It is a custom mix […] all I can say for sure is that it was a water-based product as we had to be very careful with what we use underneath […] the colour of the mix looked a bit like Listerine mouthwash.”
Using these clues, Parsons deduced it must be a watered-down solution of Freeman’s renewing cucumber peel-off gel mask, and the results do look exceedingly similar to McGrath’s original looks. However, Parsons used an airbrush to spray on the five layers of product, so unfortunately for us non-professional makeup enthusiasts, achieving the look is not particularly attainable.
@erinparsonsmakeup Replying to @. All hail Pat McGrath 🙇🏻♀️ @Pat McGrath Labs i still hope she announces what it is! #patmcgrath #glassskin #margiela #johngalliano #kryolanglass
♬ original sound – Erin Parsons
While we eagerly await the real product reveal, whether it turns out to be a peeling mask, or something that McGrath and her team formulated for her own makeup brand that we could use at home, we can peruse the products that she did confirm were used at the show. On her Instagram, she lists her Divine Skin: Rose 001™ essence, the Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection foundation, and the Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection concealer as the products she used to create the base under the sheen.
As influencers and makeup artists continue to attempt to emulate McGrath’s iconic ‘glass skin’ looks online, anticipation builds for the big reveal. This demonstrates Pat McGrath’s unceasing star power as an innovative makeup artist, whom Vogue named “The most influential makeup artist in the world” way back in 2007, but is still fiercely revolutionising the game today.
