It’s really not a surprise that we at twindly became very, very intrigued when Sephora.de started stocking various Pat McGrath mini sets this winter. (And finally broke down and splurged.) Of course, there had to be a Pat McGrath lipstick review as well.
Start googling ‘Pat McGrath lipstick’ and it seems that everyone who’s someone in the beauty business (and everybody else) will tell you it’s the best thing since sliced bread. Even the BEST matte lipstick IN THE WORLD. (Both Jeffree Star’s and Nikkie Tutorial’s videos are titled thusly.) But is it?!
Pat McGrath lipstick review
We don’t really have to say something about Pat McGrath anymore, do we (if you need a primer on the world’s most-famous makeup artist and entrepreneur, look here and here)?! Let it suffice to say that in 2017, after selling lip and face kits she first came out with a line of traditional lipsticks: the MatteTrance Lipsticks which are divided into three lines.
Skin Show has nudes, Colour Blitz has brights and Vicious Venoms consists of dark shades. A lot of shades draw inspiration from supermodels McGrath has worked with/created lip colors for (see OMI – Naomi Campbell’s shade, or Elson, named for Karen Elson).
Pat McGrath lipstick availability
Meanwhile, you can also buy mini sets that consist of three shades for a more palatable 25$/32€ instead of one full-size that’ll set you back $38. One mini consists of 1.2g of product (while, for example, a MAC mini lipstick contains 1.8g). A full-size MatteTrance, FYI, is 4g.
Description
A revolutionary lipstick so luxurious and richly pigmented, it drenches lips in a lightweight veil of opaque colour while delivering a mesmerizingly modern matte finish. Sensually creamy and brilliant in texture, (…).
Innovative formulation combines a strong matte finish with highly saturated pigmentation.
Formulated with optical diffusers that blur the appearance of imperfections.
An advanced formulation of spherical particles ensures a creamy, soft texture for the smoothest film of colour.
(via Pat McGrath.com)
Lipstick packaging
Nearly all Pat McGrath products come in a plastic pouch filled with plastic sequins. They are projecting a ‘luxe’ feeling, but in fact, totally inappropriate, having nothing to add – except for the amount of waste I’ve to deal with.
The lipstick packaging itself is super cute: a black shiny bullet with a pair of small gold lips added on the lower part of the lipstick. It’s also very different from everything on the market today.
Swatches
Pat McGrath Labs in Obsessed is described as a ‘Bright Orange Red’. Hourglass I Desire is a bit brighter (and has a lighter, more satin-like formula), while MAC Barbecue (LE) is more red and more muted.
Pat McGrath Labs Full Panic is a Bright Fuschia and so opaque that MAC’s All Fired Up seems sheer-ish in the arm swatch (possibly because of MAC’s Retro Matte formula). On the lips, it’s really similar and I have to say I like MAC’s All Fired Up formula better than Full Panic.
Pat McGrath Elson is maybe the most famous shade in the line-up, a clear blue red. MAC’s Ruby Woo seems more matte, and a smidge darker on the tube. On the swatch picture, it looks similar, but actually, on the lips and in person, Elson looks more like a true red, less blue and a bit warmer than Ruby Woo. It is the only one that’s different enough compared to the other lipstick I own.
Consistency and Wear
How comfortable a matte formula depends a lot on your own levels of comfort and the dryness of your lips in general. For me, MatteTrance is not the most comfortable matte ever (this award goes to Fenty Beauty’s Mattemoiselle formula in my book), but it’s not as drying as some: long story short: yes, this is indeed a bit drying, but then, it’s matte.
It’s also super pigmented, and that brings with it some pros and some cons. It’s incredibly opaque at first swipe. But: the super high amount of pigment in the formula makes it difficult to apply. It doesn’t really glide on the lips easily. And then, you’ve to be incredibly careful when applying: every mistake, even if you just slightly draw over your lipline, or draw a shape you don’t want, will be visible at once.
High maintenance lipsticks
The MatteTrance lipsticks definitely aren’t lipsticks that you can quickly throw on or easily reapply. It takes time to carefully apply them, and I guess for the best result, you need a brush and a lipliner. Pat McGrath is supposed to be a big believer in applying it with your fingertips:
“When you apply with the fingers, it serves the natural contours of your lip. You can even push slightly over the lip and make it bigger, but naturally. (…) adding that the fingers are necessary to avoid the overly lined, dead-looking yet inflated Instagram lip.”
(From The Cut)
I can’t help all but wonder why all the looks on her IG look lined and definitely not like applied with fingertips.
We’ve discussed before that Pat McGrath products seem more suited to an editorial look pursued by a professional makeup artist, and in my opinion, the MatteTrance lipsticks are a point in favor of that theory. There are easier lipsticks to use.
Please note that this post is not sponsored in any way. We buy products ourselves, with our own money, and don’t accept exchanging goods or money for reviews. We are completely independent, and our reviews reflect that.
1 Comment