Margiela Couture 2024 Makeup: Every Product Pat McGrath Used

Finally, Pat McGrath Reveals Her Margiela Makeup Secrets

3 months ago in BeautyWords By Alexandra Pauly

Finally, we have answers to the biggest beauty mystery of our time: the makeup at Maison Margiela's 2024 couture show.

On January 25, creative director John Galliano reminded us all that fashion and beauty are far more than it-bags and unboxing videos — they're a form of storytelling and ultimately, art. The designer's dramatic corsets and romantic, anatomy-enhancing gowns were a meditation on the ritual of dressing as a "composition of self."

To help narrate his vision, he enlisted the help of legendary makeup artist Pat McGrath.

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McGrath, whose collaborative relationship with Galliano dates back to his days at Dior, turned models into porcelain dolls, painting their eyes and lips in washes of pastel color. Bringing the look to the next level was glassy, hyperreal skin that gleamed as if it had been buffed and polished.

In the wake of the show, netizens have flooded social media with speculation on how McGrath may have achieved the surreal effect. Theories range from Kryolan's Glass Skin, a liquid glaze that dries to a reflective finish, and Freeman's Renewing Cucumber Peel-Off Gel Facial Mask, a $4 drugstore find.

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The buzz has not escaped McGrath's watchful eye. On Thursday, she announced that she would reveal all during an Instagram live airing the next day at 3 p.m. ET.

So, what's the secret behind models' shiny, other-worldly skin?

It's a technique that took McGrath and her team three years — yes, three years — to perfect. First, she prepped models' faces using two products from her eponymous makeup brand, Pat McGrath Labs: Divine Skin Rose 001 The Essence, a moisturizing toner, and Sublime Perfection Primer.

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Next came Sublime Perfection Foundation, topped with a touch of white Kryolan face paint to achieve a dramatic, ghostly effect.

After applying blush and lip color, McGrath and her team dabbed water-based glue on key areas of the face: the chin, corners of the mouth and nose, the sides of the nose (nearly at the corners of the eyes), and right under the nostrils.

The purpose? To lend longevity to McGrath's porcelain skin finish, coming up ahead.

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Now, the moment you've been waiting for: McGrath loaded airbrushes with a mix of "so many" masks — including Que Bella's Hydrating Pineapple Peel Off Mask, Proot's Calendula Peel Off Face Mask, and Freeman's aforementioned Renewing Cucumber Peel-Off Gel Facial Mask — mixed with distilled water and a hint of Skin Illustrator Clear Gloss.

McGrath applied eight layers of the mixture, setting each coat with a hairdryer.

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If you're not keen on concocting McGrath's goopy skin finish at home, fear not: On Instagram Live, she revealed that she's developing a one-stop product to achieve the look.

So there you have it: The secret to a runway makeup moment that will go down in history. Thank you, Professor Pat!

Ahead, a full list of Pat McGrath Labs products used in the making of Margiela Couture 2024.

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