FOUNDER, PAT MCGRATH LABS
WHEN MAKEUP ARTIST PAT MCGRATH launched her eponymous beauty line in 2015, she included “Labs” in the name for a reason. McGrath, the first to elevate runway makeup to a realm of artistic fantasy on its own (feathers as eyelashes for Valentino, lacquered masks for Alexander McQueen, 30,000 Swarovski crystals covering rapper Doja Cat for Schiaparelli), is an alchemist at her core. She had spent decades inventing formulas to achieve products that made her job easier. And with Pat McGrath Labs, she found a way to bring her innovations to the everyday user.
McGrath pioneered beauty's direct-toconsumer model, launching her first product, Gold 001, a luxe gold pigment, on her social media channels in 2015, a month before Kylie Jenner debuted her lip kits. McGrath mastered the art of the drop, creating hype for limited-run products that would sell out in minutes. Her move to establish a collection in 2017 led to private equity firm Eurazeo Brands investing $60 million a year later, bringing Pat McGrath Labs’ valuation to $1 billion at the time and spurring a trend of celebrity makeup
