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

[danielledanielle]

PAT McGRATH LABS Lip Sculpt + Shade Lipstick and Lip Liner Contour Duo 

[SportyGirly125]

My local Sephora carried Pat McGrath and yesterday I said bye to the gondola as we are no longer carrying the brand anymore. 

[greeneyedgirl107]

@SportyGirly125 thanks for posting!

[WinglessOne]

@SportyGirly125  🙁 I wondered how much longer Sephora would carry this brand. I haven’t been to any of my local Sephoras in what feels like months, but now I might need to make a special trip to see if they’ve lost their Pat McGrath sections.

[danielledanielle]

Spoiler

Luxury colour brand Pat McGrath Labs has secured a US$30 million ($42.5 million) lifeline as it progresses through Chapter 11 restructuring in the United States, signalling a stabilisation phase rather than a market exit.

The financing, approved by a US bankruptcy court, is led by investment firm GDA Luma and includes US$10 million in debtor-in-possession funding, alongside a further commitment of at least US$20 million in post-emergence working capital. Upon completion of the restructuring, GDA Luma will assume a controlling equity stake. Founder Dame Pat McGrath will remain a significant shareholder and continue as Chief Creative Officer, maintaining creative oversight.

For Australian retailers, the development is materially important but not operationally disruptive. Pat McGrath Labs continues to trade locally through Sephora Australia, with no public indication of changes to ANZ distribution agreements.

The move reflects a broader recalibration occurring across the prestige beauty sector, where high-growth indie brands are shifting from rapid expansion models to capital-disciplined structures. The fresh funding is expected to support balance sheet repair, operational efficiency and renewed product innovation in 2026, alongside strengthened retail partnerships globally.

From Retail beauty 

[WinglessOne]

@danielledanielle  I was 80% optimistic about this development until I heard the investment firm’s name; then my optimism dropped to 60%. GDA Luma and GDA PMG Funding are two parts of the same group. The latter is the investor who put Pat’s brand up for auction to recover their losses. Now that GDA Luma will have majority stake instead of Pat, I worry they’ll go the liquidation auction route again at the first sign of trouble—and Pat won’t be able to stop them.

I sincerely hope that’s just my anxiety disorder talking and things turn out well for Pat and the brand. I mean, on a positive note, Pat is staying on as CCO with “significant shareholder” status. If this lets her focus on driving product creativity and GDA Luma doesn’t get in her way (insist the products be more mainstream/“safe” to appeal to the broadest customer base to make the most money), then it could all work out. Well, unless she falls into another pink palette rut.

Ameerah Muhammad has a good YouTube video about this. I watched it after reading about the GDA Luma deal and apparently I’m not the only cautiously optimistic person. Then I saw her other two videos about Pat McGrath Labs, which are also good watches for anyone who’s curious.

[danielledanielle]

@WinglessOne , I think the new turn of phrase (well new to me) is "private equity ruins everything" so I think I'm joining you in that 60%.  I did see a video come up when I went to fix my spoiler, so I'm wondering if that is one and the same.  I'll go give it a watch.

[greeneyedgirl107]

@danielledanielle thanks for posting and cross-posting!

[danielledanielle]

@greeneyedgirl107 , NP, the spoiler tag went poof 💨, but I've reposted if you wanted to read it

[greeneyedgirl107]

@danielledanielle thanks!

[haleyvvvv]

PMG brand files for Ch 11 bankruptcy. I like the nuance of this article for what this might mean for the brand and consumers.

[Mochapj]

Just an FYI for Pat McGrath fans... the brand is being put up for sale:

[TraceyEB]

Deeply discounted PMG items at Macy's. $10 matte lipsticks, blush, and bronzer. A commentator under this post on IG noted that Sunlit Seduction was $35 at ipsy.

[danielledanielle]

Oooh, thanks @TraceyEB Rakuten is also giving 10% cash back today (11/15)

[KNC24]

These are also refillable. The purple is just gorgeous to me  

 

[WinglessOne]

@KNC24  The purple quad grabs my attention too, along with the blue and khaki quads. I also saw a lipstick preview and I’m glad there’s a purple shade. 💜 Do you plan to buy anything from this collection? 

Overall, I expected high prices—I mean, this is Louis Vuitton—but the quad pricing still surprised me. The lipstick pricing, not so much. From today’s Fashionista article (LOUIS VUITTON AND PAT MCGRATH SHARE FIRST LOOK AT NEW 'LA BEAUTE' MAKEUP LINE) :

“The debut collection features 55 shades of richly pigmented lipsticks comprising two distinct finishes: a creamy satin and a velvety matte. There are also sheer, hydrating lip balms enriched with shea butter and hyaluronic acid, coming in 10 shades. Both lip products will be priced at $160, or $69 for refills. Rounding out the lineup are eight eye-shadow palettes, each composed of four shades, set to retail for $250, or $92 for refills. Every product is encased in minimalist packaging featuring Louis Vuitton's signature monogram.”

Here’s what the lipstick refill’s base looks like:

Screenshot of image in Fashionista article showing a lipstick refill.
To me, it doesn’t look like the refill will work without a case. 😒 I was hoping to get just a satin refill for science, but I won’t pay an extra $91 for that experiment. (Last year I bought a Dior Rouge Premier lipstick refill for $65 and it works without the $530 case, thank goodness.) Plus, all the lipsticks and balms are fragranced. 😒😒

The quads, though… would I buy just a refill? Seems quite overpriced, though I’ve paid $80+ for Guerlain and Tom Ford quads. Those were full package quads though, not refill-only. (Eh, they weren’t refillable at all.) And of course an LV quad refill will work just fine without a pricey case. But also, a quad refill is just $36 cheaper than a 10-pan Mothership, so… nah, I’ll just wait to see swatches and comparisons to some of Pat’s own quads. Two of the LV quads look very familiar. 😅

[ChristalM]

@WinglessOne  Sadly I can report they do not work without the case. I purchased a lipstick and a refill.

[itsfi]

@ChristalM, congrats on getting them. Which shades did you pick up?

[ChristalM]

@itsfi Thanks 🙂 I got satin in 402 - Very V and Matte in 508 - Futurism

[itsfi]

Ooouh, the Very V shade looks stunning, @ChristalM! 😍