Pat McGrath on Star Wars, Zoë Kravitz, and Taylor Swift
Ahead, for Glamour's Big Beauty Questions, McGrath shares her best beauty advice, favorite ways to unwind, and what it was like working with Kravitz and Swift.
Glamour: This is not your first time working on a project tied to film and the big screen. You've also done character work, like creating Zoë Kravitz's look in The Batman and Taylor Swift's look in the “Bejeweled” music video. How do you approach that creative process?
Pat McGrath: I'm always given incredible inspiration. Whether it be on a movie or the runway—emotions, colors, textures, fabrics—it's the same. Working with Taylor, you get the storyboard, the beautiful sets. You really cannot help but be inspired to create something new. With Taylor, it was looking at the ’20s, but then also giving that cyber graphic crystal finish to the eye to give it that modernity to vintage. It was a lot of fun. Taylor is an amazing director as well. So wonderful to work with.
And the same with working on Batman and Zoë as Catwoman, creating all those looks was so much fun. Working for days and days with Zoë on set and the lighting and Zoë's costume, it was so remarkable. You can't help but be inspired. I usually take a lot as well from the lighting and the atmosphere. That's why it was really important for Zoë to have that sparkle as if she had, in a way, been out in that Berlin nightlife.
What’s one beauty trend you’re obsessed with right now?
I'm always obsessed with metallics, from a subtle sheen to all the way graphic majorness. I love that with metallics you can create looks that are natural or completely diva. I'm obsessed as well with my three five-pan palettes, which are designed to work with the characters' energies and looks. Our pots are really, really gorgeous with the chromatic finish. We've got these incredible ChromaLuxe artistry pigments, which are the Star Wars edition, and we've got these fantastic value formulas. They can be applied with their fingers, or you can apply them with brushes.
What’s one beauty rule you swear by?
That there are no rules. The beauty rule that I swear by is the fact that you should be free. Do what makes you feel good. As I always say, use makeup without caution and really have fun. Playing with color or no color, it's all about the skin cleaning and keeping your skin really fresh and hydrated. I love my new skin care, Divine Skin: Rose 001 Essence; it gives you supersoft, hydrated skin. It's my backstage secret to prepping every model. It works with the foundation perfectly to give you that beautiful glean and glow.
Fill in the blank. I feel most beautiful when…
When I help others feel beautiful.
You travel constantly. What city or country gives you the greatest beauty inspiration?
It's impossible to choose just one; for me, just to be able to travel now that we have our freedom to travel again is such a joy. To travel to old or new places, I always feel fortunate, inspired, and very blessed, and I always get excited when I have somewhere to go. It's great.
