The Makeup Renaissance of Pat McGrath

Every season, the beauty world goes through the same cycle—trend roundups, backstage insights, and the inevitable “how to recreate this runway look” articles. But this year, something different happened.

At Maison Margiela’s couture show, Dame Pat McGrath didn’t just create a memorable makeup look—she created an entirely new moment in beauty. The eerie, doll-like effect she achieved wasn’t just about makeup. It was about illusion, transformation, and bringing art back to the runway in a way that had everyone asking, "How did she do that?"

The speculation started immediately. Some thought it was Kryolan's Liquid Glass, which sold out almost instantly, frustrating professional makeup artists who actually use it for work. Others pointed to Skin Illustrator's Liquids Clear Gloss, and while that was close, it wasn’t quite right. Eventually, makeup artist Erin Parsons cracked the code. She pieced together backstage clues—reports of a “water-based liquid that was slightly blue,” models peeling off a glossy layer—and guessed that the secret was a diluted gel mask, airbrushed over the makeup. She was right.

Pat’s Masterclass & My Attempt at Recreating It

Pat McGrath, generous as ever, didn’t leave the beauty world guessing for long. She walked us through exactly how she created the look, confirming that after the makeup was complete, she sealed everything with Skin Illustrator’s Liquids Clear Gloss. This acted as a barrier between the makeup and the final airbrushed gel mask layer.

Naturally, I had to try it myself.

I didn’t have the Skin Illustrator gloss yet, so I went straight in with the gel mask mixture. I blended the Freeman Cucumber Peel Off Mask with the Proot Calendula Peel Off Mask, diluting it with water until it reached a syrupy consistency. Since I was just playing around, I skipped the special FX glue—mostly because I wasn’t thinking about it. Of course, that came back to bite me.

After a few layers, the mask started peeling off. Of course. I had skipped the glue and, worse, forgot to not move my face. I switched from airbrushing to using a brush to speed things up, but that ended up disturbing the makeup underneath. Suddenly, I felt like I was backstage at the show, panicking as if Pat McGrath herself was about to inspect my work.

I grabbed the special FX glue, touched up the peeling areas, added another layer of the mask, concealed the mistakes, and applied one final layer. The process wasn’t perfect, but I learned a lot about why this technique took three years to develop.

The Power of Innovation in Beauty

Pat McGrath didn’t just create a viral makeup moment—she redefined what’s possible on the runway. She took a look that could have been a simple “porcelain doll” concept and elevated it into something cinematic, surreal, and entirely new.

Of course, she also used this moment to introduce her own glass skin product. And obviously, I’ll be buying it.

This is why she’s Mother. It’s not just about the makeup—it’s about the innovation, the artistry, and the way she makes us believe that beauty can still surprise us.

You can see what my doll makeup looked like here.