Black-British makeup artist Pat McGrath is the most influential icon in the beauty industry after decades of creating stunning, ahead of its time makeup looks for influential runway shows, and a fan base so loyal that they refer to her as “Mother“. She’s build an impressive profile, working with Fashion magazines like American, English, and French Vogue, W, and Harper’s Bazaar and brands like designers including Prada, Miu Miu, Comme des Garçons, Dolce and Gabbana, Versace, Balenciaga, Gucci and In 2004 was named global creative-design director for Procter and Gamble, where she is in charge of Max Factor and Cover Girl cosmetics. She is also known for her inventive use of materials: her most creative make-up is handmade, and she works mainly with her fingers instead of with brushes.
McGrath released her eponymous makeup line Pat McGrath Labs in 2016 to great success. The line immediately became a staple at Sephora. The make-up line debuted with $40 product Gold 001, a multipurpose gold pigment which came with a bag full of sequins, and it sold out all 1,000 units in just six minutes. It’s other signature products Skin Fetish 003, a three-piece highlighting kit, and Lust 004, a sparkly lip kit have also seen huge success, selling out as well. McGrath recently accepted an investment from New York City-based investment firm Eurazeo Brands earlier this week, a $60 million investment by Eurazeo, made the company a minority shareholder, which launched Pat McGrath Labs’s valuation at an estimated $1 billion.
Before becoming a makeup artist, McGrath used to work as a receptionist to help support herself, while simultaneously working on her future as a makeup artist. She advises: “Build your career slowly; then people start to trust you and pay you well.” Pat McGrath Labs was voted the number one most engaged beauty brand in a Facebook survey of 500 top beauty brands and has over two million followers on Instagram. McGrath was even honored by Queen Elizabeth and was named a Member of the Order of the British Empire.
It has always been my dream to create an iconic beauty brand that goes beyond the usual limitations, that lives outside the parameters of what is expected ,I am thrilled to be working with the unique and expert team at Eurazeo Brands. – said McGrath in a statement via press release.
This news comes after Kylie Jenner’s success with her makeup line Kylie Cosmetics, as recently highlighted by Forbes placing her net worth at $800 million dollars. It’s easy to forget about the growth and success of Pat McGrath Labs, and this new evaluation is a reminder of the empire McGrath has built in her own right, her love for makeup has given her the knowledge to build a black-owned billion dollar business.
My intention when I created Labs was that the people that used our products would be empowered to explore a fearless, daring attitude towards makeup—that’s why we always write ‘Use Without Caution’ on everything we make, I’ve always believed that the most extraordinary results occur only when one feels unbound by any notion of constraint or limitation. – In an interview with InStyle, McGrath explained how she created her line.
