THE PAT McGRATH THREAD

[veronika23]

~ Updated Sept 26th 2019 ~

Since the brand is coming to Sephora. I thought I'd start a thread just for the brand for news and info. 

Brand page: https://www.sephora.com/pat-mcgrath-labs

NEW PRODUCTS

Blitz Astral Quad Eyeshadow Palette

https://www.sephora.com/ca/en/product/blitz-astral-quad-P451138

Obsessive Opulence: MatteTrance Lipstick

https://www.sephora.com/ca/en/product/obsessive-opulence-mattetrance-lipstick-P451132

Mothership VI Eyeshadow Palette - Midnight Sun

https://www.sephora.com/ca/en/product/mothership-vi-eyeshadow-palette-midnight-sun-P449790

Eye Ecstasy: Eye Shadow Palette Mini

https://www.sephora.com/ca/en/product/eye-ecstasy-eye-shadow-palette-P448447

Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Foundation

https://www.sephora.com/ca/en/product/skin-fetish-sublime-perfection-foundation-P447519

Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Primer

https://www.sephora.com/ca/en/product/skin-fetish-sublime-perfecting-primer-P447764

Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Setting Powder

https://www.sephora.com/ca/en/product/skin-fetish-sublime-setting-powder-P447770

Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Foundation Brush

https://www.sephora.com/ca/en/product/skin-fetish-sublime-perfection-foundation-brush-P448622

Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Powder Brush

https://www.sephora.com/ca/en/product/skin-fetish-sublime-perfection-powder-brush-P448623

Mothership VI Eyeshadow Palette - Midnight Sun

Spoiler

[AznAngelLiz]

@Ispend2much6 I got the offer too but kinda sucky that it came right after the 25/30% off ended. Guess that's why they sent it today. LOL. I've gotten almost everything I need from PMG for now. Gonna hold off and see what kind of Black Friday deals there are. 

Are you getting anything? 

[Ispend2much6]

@AznAngelLiz  I was soo excited too, until I realized the same thing.  I'm so susceptible to "special offers." lol

I really want those two new $39 dollar palettes, but they aren't on Sephora (yet) nor are they included in the offer we received.

I'm like you; maybe a mascara from PM, but that's it other than the palettes.

What's your sale list look like? Mine keeps changing...

[Titian06]

@Ispend2much6 - Another way to tell that it may not be a virus or illegit is to look for the padlock at the left-hand side of the URL line and/or for an "s" at the end of "http" ("https").  The other thing you can do if you're still not sure is to copy and paste the link into your web browser rather than clicking it in the e-mail, which could activate a virus or the like.

[Ispend2much6]

@Titian06  Thank you for your help!  I went to Pat's site directly, and the code worked, but this is the link:

Spoiler

http://trk.bc.patmcgrath.com/ss/c/JgTP4r5fC3Vp1Yrr3ONBLRcgT8KzEusP6S0ybiasRcKS8ca5N9CxmzyCtGovbv-59a...

I followed it after copying it and pasting it onto my url; it took me to the new products page, so that's kind of weird.

[Titian06]

@Ispend2much6 - The "tkr.bc" is from a program that will replace requests to third-party trackers and suspicious/malicious urls. It will replace it with the fake "trk:" request, which does nothing. The request to the tracker will fail ("Prevent[ed] from connecting to the Internet"). But, you will be able to see what requests were stopped.  You can then copy and paste into the url.  The program is flagging it as a possible virus, etc.  So if you see the "tkr," stop and think before you click.

[Ispend2much6]

@Titian06  I can't thank you enough for taking the time to help me!  I think I will contact PM and see what they have to say.

[aviscardi]

anyone know if the holiday blush nude peach 2 is releasing at sephora? I emailed PMG and got a very vague response lol. otherwise il just be on the lookout for a sale to purchase it

[SportyGirly125]

@aviscardi Some of their releases are a PMG exclusive.

[makeitup305]

@hersheykisseslv @WinglessOne Reviews are starting to come out on the Mega palette and I'm feeling underwhelmed. It just looks kind of flat? I think there's only 2 of the more sparkly metallics which is kind of disappointing (for my taste). The 5-pan palettes are now up on her site. Make note that they're about the same size as the shades from the quads last year (<0.03 oz). 

[hersheykisseslv]

@makeitup305 I saw some the “reviews” of the palette. I think that most of the people who picked it up either complained that they couldn’t see how to make looks from it (always such a weird comment since the palette may not be for those consumers) or didn’t like that their were no special shadows (I’m not sure why people assume that those will be in every palette when the only ones to consistently have them are the Motherships). I haven’t heard anyone say that the palette didn’t perform well. I think the palette is nice and I may pick it up on a sale, since I try to avoid buying makeup full price. I also think think that because the mattes are so bold it was probably intentional not to have bold shimmers. The 5 pans seem to fill some of the gap, all though the color stories seem a little basic. 

I also don’t understand how other brands get away with throwing together a slightly different version of the same color stories and PM is always getting such negative feedback especially this time with doing something different. I also noticed the matte to shimmer ratio was updated in this palette so it looks like the brand took feedback not only in the color story.

[WinglessOne]

@hersheykisseslv  One reason PMG gets negative feedback on repeat color stories: some folks (myself included) expect more from Pat than we do from most other brands, because Pat McGrath is famous for her editorial makeup looks. Urban Decay, for instance, can release a thousand more neutral/beige Naked palettes (and they probably will 🤣) and I wouldn't care because I don't expect much else from UD—not since that brand lost its edge sometime in the 2000s. (I'm also not a fan of UD's eyeshadow formulas, but that's another topic.) I worry that Pat's brand is also losing its edge, and I'm not alone there. 

Eh, UD's not a fair comparison in terms of shadow quality... let's use Natasha Denona as another example. She's surprised me with some of her palette color stories. Her latest palette doesn't speak to me because I've seen it from her before. But while PMG's been stuck in pinks and roses, ND's released things like Circo Loco, Pastel, and Triochrome. I'm not even a fan of Triochrome (too many pastel mattes for me), but I appreciate the color story's uniqueness among ND's palette roster. 

I haven't heard negative feedback on this Mega palette yet but, to be fair, I haven't read/watched any detailed reviews either. I like the palette, and I assume some other folks would agree with me that this is closer to what we expect Pat to release. I just don't need to buy it because I think I can dupe it. I said the same thing about a couple of ND palettes I passed up. 🤷‍♀️ But I'm glad Pat's finally giving folks several colorful mattes in one palette and not relying so much on pinks this time. 

[hersheykisseslv]

@WinglessOne While I agree that she does do editorial looks, Pat and her team have shown how to achieve those looks with every palette she releases. I think the products she releases match her aesthetic of the brand even though it's not what people are asking for. I wonder how well the last Mothership sold and how this mega palette will sell. Despite many people saying that it's the same old palette (her releases), people are still buying them. I hope her team is looking at feedback not only from sales. 

[WinglessOne]

@hersheykisseslv  True, you can get an editorial look from any Mothership. Heck, I could create an editorial look using any of Natasha Denona's more sedate (to me) palettes, like Glam or Biba. I guess my point was that some of us expect a makeup artist known for editorial looks—especially an artist who's not afraid of bold color—to release a better variety of color stories than Pat has for the last 4 Motherships. I usually say "if ANYone can get away with releasing an 'unconventional' or 'less safe' palette, it's Pat McGrath." Based on those last Motherships, it feels like the PMG's either afraid to leave the safety of pink/rose* or changing the overall feel and expectations of the brand, if that makes sense. 

Kinda like Lady Gaga's brand. When Haus Labs first launched, it had a very different feel that was closer to folks' expectations. The rebrand feels... off. There could be very good reasons for the rebrand: maybe the previous look/feel didn't speak to enough customers; or, perhaps it's a simple case of changing the brand image to something that attracts the most customers to make the most money. I'm not a fan of her music, so I'm not one of the folks who'll buy from her brand just for the sake of her involvement. But from what I've read and heard from various reviewers and customers, the Haus Labs rebrand feels like a big disconnect. 

Pat McGrath's brand isn't at that stage. But all the consecutive pink/rose palettes, along with the "safe" color range of her latest lipstick line (maybe she wants to see how that line sells before committing to widen the range, I dunno), kinda feels like a disconnect to some of us. At one point, I wondered if Pat had sold the brand and a new parent company was shifting the brand's direction. I know Pat personally loves rose, but good grief. Natasha Denona and Danessa Myricks have been filling the void I've felt from PMG. That's why I'm so glad to see this year's Mega palette in all its colorful glory, even if I'm not buying it for myself. 

*I still wonder if Midnight Sun (one of my favorite palettes) scared the brand away from releasing interesting non-pink-themed Motherships. I'd love to know how that palette sold compared to others. I'd blame Bronze Seduction too if so many people didn't call it their favorite Mothership; that one must've sold very well. 

[makeitup305]

@hersheykisseslv I’ve seen about four or five reviews/ first impressions. No one said they were bad, on the contrary. I think most people that I watched said that the shimmers and mattes applied very smoothly. I don’t think anyone was expecting Blitz shades. The most common critique that I saw was that the shimmers weren’t special in the sense that they were not very unique or have that interesting twist that PMG is usually known for. They don’t have shifts, there aren’t any duochromes, no extra sparkly shades, etc. I think the quality looks great, and I love that she included more mattes, I just think it’s missing something, at least for me. 

[hersheykisseslv]

@makeitup305  I feel like there were not many duochromes in Celestial Odyssey either. Celestial Divinity, of course, was really MTHRSHP Dark Galaxy and Galactic Gold repackaged which is why it had them. I actually do like the approach of this palette. 

[makeitup305]

@hersheykisseslv I hope you love it when you get to pick it up. I’ve been holding out until the November sale for Midnight seduction so maybe I’ll change my mind by then.

[WinglessOne]

Thanks for the heads-up, @makeitup305 ! Yeah, I've decided to pass on the Mega palette: I think I can dupe all those shades via my current collection, especially with Natasha Denona shades. But I do appreciate that this palette contains colorful mattes; that's kinda unusual for a PMG palette. In fact, much of the color story almost reminds me of ND Circo Loco, with some neutral browns, champagnes, and golds thrown in. Circo Loco is one of my favorite palettes, so it's neat to see a PMG version that costs less than that palette (and any Mothership). It'd be fun for folks to play with, especially anyone new to PMG or people who don't like the astral and blitz formulas. I also like that it's got plenty of metallics, though they're not near-blitz style metallics, at least not that I can tell in people's swatches so far. 

I haven't read/watched any reviews yet, but I'll keep an eye out. 

[makeitup305]

@WinglessOne you prompted me to try and dupe it with ND collection. I did ok, considering I only used my full size palettes, but Circo Loco would’ve come in handy! I don’t have a pink matte and enough light shimmer shades, and the bronze and copper were hard to match but I did my best lol

[WinglessOne]

@makeitup305  You did a good job! I might actually try this myself later today, once I take a better look at different people's swatches. (Note to self!) 

[makeitup305]

@WinglessOne I ended up duping the new Bobbi Brown Jadestone and coming close to duping the ND My Dream, as well. I was up so late just covered in sparkle. I definitely want Circo Loco now just so I can add it to my “singles” collection. I want to it to go 50% off, though haha

[makeitup305]

@WinglessOne I don't Circo Loco but I can see the similarities. I do like that PMG did a more colorful palette this time (and reduced the number of pinks and golds even by just a little) but I can't say I'm not a little disappointed with the finishes. I agree with you- this will be awesome for someone who prefers a smooth metallic over a more glittery or foiled finish. Did you end up picking the Danessa Myricks Beauty Lightwork Vol. IV: Transcendence Palette - Illuminating Eye &amp; Face Pigments ? It sold out before I could grab it with a discount today.

P.S. I think PMG is coming out with liquid shadows. I searched "eye" and this showed up a the bottom of the page.