On Pat McGrath’s makeup line, the launch in London, a lot of eye shadow swatches, and the best (read: cheapest) way to order her products.

What’s a beauty junkie to do when her long-planned London trip coincides with an iconic launch?! She has to stand in front of a window, of course, and watch Pat McGrath at Selfridges, London, what else?!

Who? What? Where?

Pat McGrath Labs London
Here we are!

With great fanfare it was announced that iconic makeup-artist and entrepreneur Pat McGrath, whose company is estimated at $1 billion, just to give you a perspective, was coming back to the Motherland. I won’t tell you a lot about Pat’s makeup line (Britta did that in her excellent post about the Platinum Bronze Palette) and her impact on the makeup world.

I’ll just mention that she not only leads a beauty company and works as a makeup-artist, but also developed Armani’s makeup line, worked for Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana’s beauty lines, and is CoverGirl’s artistic director … Pat, do you ever sleep?!

A Technicolour Odyssey at Selfridges, London

  • Pat McGrath experience
    Window impressions
  • Pat McGrath availability

In conclusion, Northampton-born Pat’s brand release called ‘A Technicolour Odyssey’ at Selfridges in London was huge. (Something to do with the Brits’ need for a British success story at the same time the Brexit tanked again and again?!)

Pat McGrath products worth it
The woman herself in action.

Pat was the artistic lead for the window decorations (which is huge for a department store such as Selfridges – ALL their windows are only Pat McGrath right now, and given that this is their space to advertise ALL the goods they carry, they definitely committed!), and they’ve created a rather large space on the ground floor where a Pat McGrath counter now resides. Officially, the space is there for three months, but I’ve heard a lot of rumours that it’s there to stay (for example at The Cut).

The counter at Selfridges

Pat McGrath Selfridges
Well, there isn’t a conveyor belt at the counter.

I found it rather inconvenient that they did a few promo things right at the counter (that’s when I saw Pat coincidentally), because of course, then it’s closed for the people without tickets (in this instance, me). Generally, as incensed as I was at that instance, I found their ability to keep the counter stocked admirable. (I was fully prepared for a clusterfuck-like experience of the MAC releases of old.)

A permanent counter?

Pat MCGrath Palettes worth it
Swatch time, part I: Far left and left – Mthrshp Sublime Bronze Ambition, right and far right – Subliminal Platinum Bronze Ambition Palette.

All in all, browsing is a lot of fun, and swatching and playing around with products is rather encouraged by testers, tissues, mirrors etc. The sales assistants working the space are a diverse crowd (appreciated), but I found them rather unhelpful. Some didn’t know the products as it happened to me when I enquired about a particular palette, and actual advice and consultation was hard to come by. Pat has embellished the space with an ‘edit’ of favourite products, so you can add some handbags or cookies to your purchase, on top of some Pat McGrath merch.

The best way to order Pat McGrath Labs products

Buying Pat McGrath online
Looking at the window displays…

I was, of course, super stoked to have the ability to swatch some of the fabled products. But even if you aren’t in London, the Selfridges online store is a great way to buy Pat McGrath’s products if you’re in Europe. Especially since Sephora US has decided not to deliver to Europe anymore! (I personally haven’t tested this, so my advice is rather theoretical – but sound, I hope!)

Ordering online

Pat McGrath eyeshadow palettes
Quick and dirty Subliminal Mothership Palette swatches (the OG!).

You can, from Europe, order Pat’s products from her own site (in the US), Net-a-Porter or Selfridges. Take the £115 Subliminal Mothership Palette I bought there (gulp – making it single-handedly the most expensive makeup item I ever bought) would be 118,29€ at Net-A-Porter (add their 7,95€ shipping fee to that). At Pat’s own site, it would be 115€ without taxes (final price incl. taxes and shipping would be 147,56€).

… from Selfridges

Calculated in Euros, Selfridges easily takes the crown for the highest price of the Subliminal palette (135€), BUT with one advantage: Selfridges offer a one-year-flatrate shipping for 10€. MIND BLOWN. If you’re a regular overseas shopper, this could possibly come in handy in a number of ways. (If you’re betting on the Pound tanking because of the Brexit, it could become even more of a bargain.)