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Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection System Review

August 14, 2019

The genius that is Pat McGrath launched a new base collection of products called the Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection System. It’s a three step system: primer, perfect and set and I was thrilled to be able to put everything to the test! Products reviewed include:

Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Primer ($60 for 30 ml/1 fl oz, made in Italy)
Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Foundation ($68 for 35 ml/1.18 fl oz, made in Italy)
Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Setting Powder ($55 for 5 g/0.17 oz, made in Italy)
Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Foundation Brush ($55)
Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Powder Brush ($58)

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Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Primer

The Sublime Perfection Primer is a silicone-free primer that has a very light pink tint but blends out to a transparent finish on the skin. It does blur and smooth the skin but it is heavily fragranced and on my skin I could feel it sit on top of my skin. It contains what they call filler powder which did work to fill in fine lines, but in this Florida humidity, especially this time of year, I need products that have a more weightless or fluid feel. It comes in a pump packaging and one pump covers the entire face. I felt like it did work nicely with the foundation, but due to the thick texture and feel, for me unfortunately this was a solid pass. I did not experience any irritation, even with the fragrance, but I think the foundation is good enough on its own.

Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, C13-15 Alkane, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, C12-16 Alcohols, Sodium Polyacrylate, Palmitic Acid, Sodium Potassium Aluminum Silicate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Silica, Disodium Edta, Sodium Hydroxide, Fragrance, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Poloxamer 338, Peg-8, Tocopherol, Cirsium Eriophorum Callus Extract, Mica, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Ascorbic Acid, Citric Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Iron Oxides (Ci 77491).

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Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Foundation

The Sublime Perfection Foundation is an oil-free formula that comes in 36 colors with a range of different undertones (red neutral, peach neutral, yellow, pink, peach, yellow neutral, yellow olive, etc.). Based on the color descriptions online compared to what I swatched I do think the undertones are accurate. I was matched sight unseen to Medium 15 (match to Armani Luminous Silk 7, NARS Barcelona, Fenty 235/240). I am very tan right now and since my skin lightens and tans very easily depending on the sun I went to my local Sephora to check out the other shades. I bought Light Medium 14 which I think will be my normal non-tan shade (match to Armani Luminous Silk 6.5, NARS Vanuatu, Laura Mercier Buff). These days I find I often have to mix colors anyways so I felt it was worth buying one shade lighter.

I got a couple mini samples in store as well, shades swatched include (press sample colors have a * next to them):

Light Medium 12 Light Medium w/ red undertones
Light Medium 13 Light Medium w/ yellow undertones
Light Medium 14 Light Medium w/ neutral/olive undertones
Medium 15 Medium w/ yellow undertones*
Medium 16 Medium w/ red undertones*
Medium 17 Medium w/ neutral yellow undertones*
Medium 18 Medium w/ neutral/olive undertones*
Medium 19 Medium w/ peach undertones*
Medium 20 Medium w/ red undertones*

Coverage is natural looking with a semi-satin finish. On my skin I found it to be medium to fuller coverage but it is easy to blend/sheer out. I can cover my entire face with 2-3 pumps and application was best for me with fingers or a beautyblender. I did like the brush for buffing into the skin, but I still prefer fingers or a sponge. I did not feel the need to add concealer under eyes or around the nose with this foundation. I do have a few blemishes which I still needed to spot conceal for full coverage, but overall it is fairly opaque. I tested this with the primer and without the primer and liked it best with just a serum or moisturizer (loved it with the Volition Strawberry-C Serum, Glow Recipe Watermelon Juice or Chanel Hydra Beauty Camellia Water Cream).

Lasting power is very good but I still need mid-day touch up in the T-zone. I won’t dock points for that though because in July the humidity here is unreal so practically everything needs a touch up. Some product transfer will occur if you touch your face in the middle of the day but it’s on the slight side. Overall it held up remarkably well. I didn’t find it oxidized once it dried down. There is some warming up as it sets, but the color does not change significantly. If you find there is a lot of oxidation on this one it’s most likely you swatched a color too dark for your skin tone!

A few swatch comparisons:

This one is fragrance free! Ingredients: Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Isododecane, Alcohol, Glycerin, Phenyl Trimethicone, Ipdi/Di-C12-13 Alkyl Tartrate/Bis-Hydroxyethoxypropyl Dimethicone Copolymer, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Cetyl Peg/Ppg-10/1 Dimethicone, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Sodium Chloride, Aluminum Hydroxide, Benzimidazole Diamond Amidoethyl Urea Carbamoyl Propyl Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Di-C12-13 Alkyl Tartrate, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Hexyl Laurate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Rubus Idaeus Leaf Cell Culture, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Dehydroacetate. May Contain / Peut Contenir / +/- : Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Iron Oxides (Ci 77492, Ci 77491, Ci 77499).

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Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Setting Powder

There are five shades of Sublime Perfection Setting Powder and for me the best match is Light Medium 2. Medium 3 pulls dark on my skin and darkens my foundation color. It comes with a mesh top which pulls powder upwards when you press/tap a brush into it. I found this to be a good solid setting powder to smooth and set the foundation. It’s finely milled and does a good job at setting with some blurring to the foundation. To me this has a similar texture to the Fenty Beauty Setting Powder, but not as drying/chalky looking. I do prefer the feel of the Hourglass and Laura Mercier powders because they’re more lightweight in texture.

Swatches of Light Medium 2 and Medium 3

Ingredients: Talc, Mica, Ethylene/Methacrylate Copolymer, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Nylon-12, Silica, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Pei-10, Lauroyl Lysine,Carmine (Ci 75470), Ultramarines (Ci 77007), Iron Oxides (Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499), Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891).

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Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Foundation Brush and Powder Brush

There are two new brushes that are part of her system. The Foundation Brush is smaller and dense for full coverage and buffing. It performed well for me, but I’ve always been more of a sponge person when it comes to foundation as I get better control and better smoothing with a sponge. The Powder Brush is one I really like – it has the perfect amount of fluff and the size is perfect for me. It’s perfectly tapered and it held up well to a couple washes already. I do think these are on the spendy side. While I think they are good tools I would personally save up for more of her lipsticks or eyeshadow palettes instead.

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Bare Skin vs Foundation / Powder vs Full Look

Top left: bare skin
Top right: with foundation
Bottom left: adding setting powder
Bottom right: full makeup, touching up with more powder

Makeup Look Wearing:

Pat McGrath Labs Sublime Perfection Foundation in Medium 15
Pat McGrath Labs Sublime Perfection Setting Powder in Light Medium 2
Pat McGrath Labs MTHRSHP Sublime Bronze Ambition Eyeshadow Palette (review swatches here)
Anastasia Brow Wiz in Medium Brown
Charlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic Blush in First Love
Pat McGrath LuxeTrance Lipstick in Realness (swatches here)
Pat McGrath LUST Gloss in Earth Angel (review here)
Nail Polish is Essie Come Out to Clay

Overall I’m impressed with the foundation and am thrilled I have a color match that is olive/golden enough when I’m tan and when I’m not tan. I was concerned as it lists alcohol in the ingredients which can sometimes irritate my skin. It did not feel drying or irritating or tight on my face so I’m not sure if it’s a different kind of alcohol or if the concentration is super low. I think of all the products in her Skin Fetish system the foundation is the most impressive for me. I don’t think I’d call the other products must-haves although I’m really liking the Powder Brush and the Setting Powder has been performing well for me.

I do have a soft spot for her lipsticks and eyeshadows and by comparison I think those are absolutely worth the splurge 100% while the foundation might not be everyone’s cup of tea. Bottom line I’ve been loving her foundation and will most likely repurchase once it’s used up.

You can find the Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish products out now. Available at Pat McGrath Labs and Sephora.

Press samples include the Pat McGrath Labs Primer, Foundation, Powder, Brushes, Earth Angel and Bronze Ambition Palette.

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Lips Pat McGrath Labs

Pat McGrath Labs BlitzTrance Lipstick New Shades for Summer

June 10, 2019

This summer Pat McGrath Labs brings us nine new shades of BlitzTrance Lipstick ($38 each for 3.9 g/0.13 oz, made in USA). These new summer colors have a different finish and formula compared to her original holiday BlitzTrance Lipsticks last year. The original ones had an intense sparkle finish with bold colors. This month’s release has the same name “BlitzTrance” but the finish is more of a smooth refined satiny shimmer creme. These new summer BlitzTrance colors are everyday kinds of colors and every single one is phenomenal. You can find them now at PatMcGrath.com.

The summer BlitzTrance has medium to full coverage. They have a soft creme feel and the shimmer has an almost velvety dry down look to them. There’s a shimmer and sheen to them but they’re not really glossy in finish like I expected. They adhere well to the lips, there’s no detectable scent, application is smooth without any tugging. With a few of the shades I could feel a tiny bit of texture from the shimmer applying to the lips, but once on the lips they feel 100% smooth. Lasting power is excellent – there is no sliding around and I did not need a lip liner to help the color stay in place.

There are nine colors in this launch. The range has 5 very similar neutral nude-pinks, 1 nineties brown-rose, 1 plum, 1 red and 1 coral rose. At first glance the neutrals look remarkably similar. Even on the arm they look close. After lip-swatching them though I can see the differences are in undertone which I can really appreciate because finding the perfect neutral nude pink can vary so much depending on skin and lip tone. For example a few of my red hair friends look amazing in MAC Twig and Spirit lipsticks. Both look like great neutrals on my hand but on my complexion make me look like I’m 100% dead. Charlotte Tilbury’s Pillow Talk is one of my favorite neutral rose lipsticks but a number of you find it too cool/dusty looking on your lips and complexion. Finding a perfect “neutral” truly depends on so many things!

Close ups, descriptions and swatches:

Skin Flixx, Naked Kiss, Lady Stardust
Skinsane, Full Fantasy, Love Train
Flesh3, Blood Rush and Emmanuelle

Descriptions as I see them, quick note that the shimmer is more visible in the lip swatches:

Skin Flixx is a neutral warm rose pink neutral with a satiny shimmer
Naked Kiss is the lightest one but not pale, this is a light peach pink with gold pearl
Lady Stardust is a medium neutral-cool rose pink nude pearl, pulls more blue toned compared to the others
Skinsane is a neutral medium pink-beige with a slight hint of pink (looks almost identical to Naked Kiss on me, Skinsane is just a little deeper)
Full Fantasy is a warmer neutral nude peach pink shimmer
Love Train is a perfect plum shimmer
Flesh3 is a brown rose shimmer, almost like a brick shimmer
Blood Rush is a bold classic red with shimmer
Emmanuelle is a pretty coral rose with a metallic sheen

All swatched on bare lips, for skin tone reference I’m wearing Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Foundation in Buff (equivalent of Tom Ford Soleil Glow Natural and MAC Studio Fix in NC35):

Details shots below, starting with Skin Flixx:

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Naked Kiss

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Lady Stardust

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Skinsane

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Full Fantasy

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Love Train

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Flesh 3

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Blood Rush

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Emmanuelle

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We are in the midst of packing for another move so I only pulled a couple to compare. Overall the BlitzTrance neutrals run lighter and almost brighter compared to her LuxeTrance and MatteTrance neutrals. I have one in LuxeTrance Realness swatched below. I also have Tom Ford Lip Color in Autoerotique and Spanish Pink side by side. I included both of the neutral-ish ones from the original BlitzTrance launch as well:

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Two full-face looks with Emmanuelle (left) and Blood Rush (right), also wearing:

Foundation is Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion in Buff
Powder is MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Golden
Brows are Anastasia Brow Wiz in Caramel
Eyeshadow is Chanel Les 4 Ombres in Lueurs Ambrees
Eyeliner is Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof in Brun Agape
Top from Free People
Cheeks/lips:
- Left is Pat McGrath BlitzTrance in Emmanuelle and Charlotte Tilbury Lightgasm Palette
- Right is Pat McGrath BlitzTrance in Blood Rush with CoverFX Monochromatic Blush Duo in Warm Honey

Overall the formula is excellent across the board. Colors wear well and apply perfectly. I can get full coverage with one swipe and even after doing 9 lip swatches in a row my lips have not peeled or dried out. They’re not hydrating but at the same time they don’t dry out my lips which is a huge plus. If there is one thing I think is a little confusing, it’s the name. I think the new summer formula is different enough from the holiday launch to justify a different product name, but BlitzTrance still suits it. The new summer formula is a lot more wearable compared to the holiday colors. Summer ones have a beautiful reflective quality that shines as the light hits your lips from different angles. Even though the neutrals look remarkably close I can appreciate that they launched variations with different undertones to suit different skin and lip colors.

I think they’re all really perfect but my favorites are Skinsane, Love Train and Emmanuelle.

You can find the new Summer BlitzTrance Lipsticks out now online at Pat McGrath Labs. As usual you can shop these in bundles and lip kits on her website which give a nice price break.

Have you tried these yet? Are any on your radar?

BlitzTrance provided courtesy of Pat McGrath Labs for review.

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Eye Makeup Pat McGrath Labs

Pat McGrath Labs EYEdols Eyeshadow Review + Swatches

March 29, 2019

Pat McGrath Labs launched eyeshadow singles called EYEdols Eye Shadow ($25 each for 1.1 g/ 0.04 oz, made in USA). There are 17 shades total, 11 are repromotes from previously launched palettes and 6 are brand new shades. For those who prefer to pick individual colors I think this is the perfect way to try a few before committing to a full size palette. In my experience all of her eyeshadow palettes are among the best out there. I tend to be more conservative with my eyeshadow but since playing with her bold options have found myself experimenting more with different textures and colors, and I love it!

I was lucky to get an early preview of the eye shadows and have been playing with them for days now. In the interest of time I wasn’t able to get any makeup looks photographed for you but can if you’re interested. I swatched all the colors but have only been able to fully test 10 of them on the eyes so far. Everything is excellent in quality, color payoff and pigment. There are varying textures/finishes: mattes, shimmers, sparkles and metallics. Lasting power is really good, there were only some fall out issues with a couple of the sparkles (application-wise) which I’ll note below.

The EYEdols come in a clear plastic case and the pans are not removable. Size-wise they look to be the same in circumference as the palettes but they have less product than the MTHRSHP Palettes which have 12 g/ 0.42 oz for 6 shades which breaks down to 2 g / 0.07 oz each. The 6-pan palettes run at $55 each which make for a better buy. But sometimes it’s nice to just pick the colors you want individually.

First a look at all the colors and as many swatches as I could fit on one arm, then a closer look at all the colors plus descriptions and thoughts.

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Up first are the neutral shades, for reference I’ve linked the previous palette reviews:

Celestial (from MTHRSHP Sublime Bronze Temptation) is a shimmering champagne
Telepathic Taupe (from MTHRSHP Platinum Bronze) is a medium shimmering neutral taupe
Statuesque (new) is a matte soft brown
Sextrovert (from MTHRSHP Platinum Bronze) is a shimmering warm brown

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Next are the warm golden colors:

Gold Standard (from MTHRSHP Subversive Metalmorphosis) is a bright yellow sparkle gold, this had some fall out with the chunky sparkles with application, once applied and on the skin fallout is minimal
Enraptured (from MTHRSHP Subliminal Dark Star) is a more neutral brassy gold shimmer
Corrupt Copper (new) is a warm metallic copper orange gold

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Next are the rosy warm tones:

Rose Venus (new) is one of the prettiest sparking rose pink shimmers with a metallic sheen
Pale Fire (from MTHRSHP La Vie En Rose) is a satiny shimmering soft baby warm pink
Burnished Honey (new)
Crimson Fire (new) is a shimmering warm red
Deep Velvet (from MTHRSHP Platinum Bronze) is a deep cool matte brown

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Last are the set of bolds and deep colors:

Synthetica (new) is a sparkling bright purple violet with chunky sparkles
Purple Reign (from MTHRSHP La Vie En Rose) is a satiny deep bright bold purple
Dark Matter (from MTHRSHP Subliminal Dark Star) is a black satin
Divine Mink (from Mothership IV Decadence) is a metallic silvery greyed brown
Lapis Luxury (from Mothership IV Decadence) is a metallic teal sparkle

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My favorites are actually the ones that are already in the previously launched palettes which include: Telepathic Taupe, Sextrovert, Deep Velvet, Dark Matter and Divine Mink. I also did really like the matte neutral in Statuesque for a soft brown crease color. Rose Venus which is new is also a really stunning warm pink color.

Overall excellent quality and color payoff. I like that the packaging is simple and no-fuss. The fact that it comes in a clear case makes it easy to see the color inside. For me I still prefer her palettes but singles are a nice way to try one or a few shades you really want rather than having to purchase colors you may never (or rarely use). Price-wise I do think these are on spendy but they seem to be similar to what other luxury beauty eyeshadows other singles are priced at. I feel like palettes are always going to be priced better for price per oz versus individual shades.

You can find the Pat McGrath Labs EYEdols on her website PatMcGrath.com. She also has a few kit bundle options that come with a price break.

Have you checked these out yet? Or any of her palettes? What did you think?

Pat McGrath EYEdols provided courtesy of the Pat McGrath Labs team for review.

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Lips Pat McGrath Labs

Pat McGrath LUST Gloss New Shades Spring 2019

January 18, 2019

Pat McGrath Labs is making all my lip gloss dreams come true with 18 new shades of LUST Gloss for spring 2019. They retail for $28 each and come in three different finishes she calls High Shine, Shimmer and Glitter. I reviewed some shades when they initially launched last May. They’re among my favorite formula because they are smooth, have no scent, aren’t sticky and have a pretty shine to them. I’m thrilled to share swatches of all the new spring colors! As a neutral lip lover I feel like she made so many amazing colors that are wearable alone or mixed with a lipstick/liner. There are a lot of fresh glowing soft shades. Most of these have sheer to medium coverage. There are a couple that have higher medium pigment, but the vast majority of these will have a soft finish.

These come with a beveled sponge tip applicator. They’re easy to apply and glide on the lips nicely. A couple layers will add enough color to cover my lips.

Close ups and descriptions of each color. I tried grouping them by finish, but some of the shine shades seem to have a tiny bit of pearl in them.

Left to right:

Nude Negligee is a sheer cream light beige
Wicked Whisper is a medium nude peach
Prima Donna is a soft glowy pale petal pink
Heavy Petal is a pigmented bold bright warm pink
Flesh6 is a medium warm brown cream

Up next are the shimmers:

Love Potion is a sheer pale pink with a hint of shimmer, alone this settles into lip lines a little
Faux Real is beige nude tan with a pearly finish
Peach Perversion is a pale peach with a pearly glow
Belladonna is a medium warm pink with a sheen
Sunset Rose is a perfect medium neutral rose with soft gold shimmer
Secret Lover is a deeper rose with a hint of warm pearl

Last are the sparkles, all of these are smooth in finish. There’s no gritty feel. Even with the sparkles I cannot feel any texture. I highly recommend referring to the Pat McGrath website for more swatches. Some of the shimmers are hard for me to capture with my flash. All of these are wearable even for conservative makeup wearers.

Future Femme is a pale pastel sparkling pink with silver flecks
Earth Angel is a sparkling clear base loaded with champagne, pink and copper pearl
Bronze Divinity is a smooth shimmery bronze rose nude
Bronze Venus is a sparkling iridescent bronze sparkle
Carnal Desire is a sheer red pink with loads of sparkle
Astral Flash Dance is a sheer violet purple with blue and pink sparkles
Astral Moon Flower is a sheer duochrome blue iridescent sparkle

Side by sides, all of these lip swatches were done on my bare lips. For skintone reference on the face I’m wearing Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Foundation in Buff.

I fit as many swatch comparisons as I could on my arm to the other LUST Glosses I own. I swatched the neutral lighter shades side by side:

Bottom line love! If you like smooth natural medium-sheer color you’ll love these. I just received these in the mail this week so I haven’t had a chance to extensively test all 18 new colors. First impressions on testing a few for extended periods is that they are all just as good as the initial launch. Some have more color payoff than others but in general it’s on the natural side. Even though they are sheer the color shows up well on my bare lips. Lasting power is average for a smooth sheer gloss. They’re not going to be budge proof or transfer proof. You’ll have to reapply but it’s something I really don’t mind.

You can find the Pat McGrath LUST Gloss online at Pat McGrath. There are also some bundles and sets available on her website as well. She’s offering a 10% off new gloss shades through end of the day 1/19 with code SHINE at checkout.

“10% discount on ONLY Lust Gloss new shades. Promo code is SHINE – update, extended through end of Sunday 1/19!”

Have you tried the LUST Gloss formula yet? What did you think? Are any of the new shades on your radar?

Many thanks to the Pat McGrath team for sending the new shades for review.

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Lips Pat McGrath Labs

Pat McGrath BlitzTrance Lipstick Review + Swatches

November 12, 2018

Continuing holiday beauty reviews with a look at the Pat McGrath BlitzTrance Lipsticks ($38 each for 3.9 g/0.13 oz, made in USA). Pat McGrath continues to launch innovative colors and formulas in a way that makes me want to go beyond my usual conservative makeup comfort zone and try new things. These BlitzTrance Lipsticks have intense sparkle and pigment. They’re described as an “iridescent lipstick that releases a full-coverage blast of explosive color with multidimensional, high-shine effects” and I could not describe it better. They’re opaque, ultra-reflective, explosive in color pigment and luminous.

These lipsticks are very sparkly but the sparkle and glitter varies per shade. I’ll describe them in more detail next to each shade description. There is a little bit of texture from the sparkle with a couple of these but it’s not a harsh texture and once on the lips I barely notice it. Lasting power is really good – the color base is emollient and has a hydrating feel so it helps the glitter adhere and it doesn’t migrate. Only Pat McGrath can make me want to wear sparkle this intense. I was prepared to tell you that they are way too sparkly and intense for me based on the online swatches I saw, but some of the colors are really wearable and I think the bolds are going to be particularly beautiful for holiday parties or dinners.

There are currently 7 shades available. I received 6 of these as press samples and then picked up the 7th color from my local Sephora. There is another 8th shade listed online as “coming soon.”

Nude Romantique is a refined peachy pink shimmer, it has lots of sparkle but this is one of the more subtle sparkles
Flesh Fatale is a medium bronze nude shimmer, also has softer shimmer
Fuchsia Perfect is an intense cool-toned bright blue based pink sparkle
Cyber Orchid is a bright cool-toned purple pink sparkle (it’s similar to Fuchsia Perfect, Cyber Orchid just has more blue tones)
Rebel Red is the most stunning metallic red I’ve ever seen, sparkle is chunkier in this one with a noticeable texture
Club Kiss is an intense plum-red shimmer, sparkle is also very metallic and bold
Blitz Gold is a yellow 24K gold metallic, it’s smoother in shimmer, but very foiled
Electra is listed as “coming soon”

I’d recommend looking at the @patmcgrathreal Instagram page for live swatch videos to get a better sense of the sparkle. The ones I have don’t capture the sparkle quality quite as intense as I see in real life. Although I do think the studio lights used on social emphasize the sparkle and glitz a little more intensely than they actually appear.

Close ups of each color below, Nude Romantique:

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Flesh Fatale:

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Fuchsia Perfect:

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Cyber Orchid:

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Rebel Red:

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Club Kiss:

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Blitz Gold:

For me the only two colors I did not like are Cyber Orchid (it’s really blue on me) and also Blitz Gold (I just don’t like really yellow golds) – but this is just a matter of color preference. If you don’t like sparkle or glitter in your lip color I think it’s going to be a safe pass for you. If you like bold colors and don’t mind some shimmer and glitz I think they’re really worth checking out. Out of all the shades Nude Romantique and Flesh Fatale are the most conservative in color and shimmer.

I think these have the perfect festive holiday feel. For me they’re a little too sparkly for everyday wear but I do think the neutrals Nude Romantique and Flesh Fatale are ones I can wear without feeling too sparkly. Rebel Red and Club Kiss are my favorites out of the entire collection. I always feel like bold reds and plums draw so much attention to my already full lips – but these two are so stunning and festive I think they’re going to be fun for holiday. No detectable scent or taste with these! Lasting power is really nice.

You can find the Pat McGrath Labs BlitzTrance Lipsticks out now online at Pat McGrath. Available at $38 each or in various bundles and sets on her website.

6 shades provided for review. Fuchsia Perfect purchased by me.

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Eye Makeup Lips Pat McGrath Labs

Pat McGrath Labs Opulence Collection Holiday 2018

November 3, 2018

The Pat McGrath Labs Opulence Collection Holiday 2018 is the most glamorous beauty launch I’ve seen all season. Nobody does it quite like Pat McGrath! There are three new limited-edition MTHRSHP Palettes ($55 each for 6 shades for 12 g/0.42 oz, made in USA) along with repromoted MatteTrance Lipsticks ($38 each for 4 g/0.14 oz) in corresponding colored packaging pink sapphire, aquamarine and ruby. I’ve put everything to the test for the past week and the entire collection is solid. As usual she has a number of different sets and bundles available on her website, usually at a price break rather than ordering items individually.

With the lipsticks she has Flesh 3 in each of the packaging colors and then two other repromotes with each corresponding packaging. Colors in the launch include:

Aquamarine packaging:
- MTHRSHP Subliminal Eyeshadow Palette in Dark Star
- MatteTrance Lipsticks in 1995, Flesh 3 and Guinevere
Ruby packaging:
- MTHRSHP Sublime Eyeshadow Palette in Bronze Temptation
- MatteTrance Lipsticks in Omi, Flesh 3 and Elson
Pink Sapphire packaging:
- MTHRSHP Subversive Eyeshadow Palette in Metalmorphosis
- MatteTrance Lipsticks in Christy, Flesh 3 and Forbidden Love

The Pat McGrath Opulence MTHRSHP Palettes are on the bolder side but still very wearable, even for my neutral-loving self. I put each one to the test for separate full days and found they all performed well. Colors have a variety of finishes and textures. Pigment is intense and application is smooth! The shades layer beautifully together. In general I find her 6-pan MTHRSHP Palettes better than her 8-pan palettes for me because they’re easier to use and don’t have the super glitzy glitters that are so popular but challenging for me to wear. Some of you e-mailed me that you were disappointed in her latest Mothership V Bronze Seduction because of the glitter. The sparkle is indeed very intense there. With the MTHRSHP Palettes there aren’t any strong chunky glitter shades, although there are sparkles. The sparkles are more refined.

The MatteTrance Lipsticks are among my favorite lipstick formula, especially for mattes. I’ve had numerous chats with friends about these and they all agree that these lipsticks are THE best for mattes because they’re so opaque, feel light and whipped on the lips, but give full smooth coverage without drying or making your lips look shriveled. I think they’re 100% worth the price – I’ve bought many on my own. No regrets with any of them.

Opulence: The Collection in Aquamarine

I’m splitting the photos and swatches by color grouping. Up first are the items in the turquoise packaging including the MTHRSHP Subliminal Eyeshadow Palette in Dark Star and MatteTrance Lipsticks in 1995, Flesh 3 and Guinevere.

The first palette I tested was the MTHRSHP Subliminal Eyeshadow Palette in Dark Star – I thought this was the most interesting combination for a cool and warm smokey eye. I tend to avoid cooler tones as they often clash with my olive skin but this one was my favorite in the bunch. The mix of gold, grey, plum and violet blue make for such a pretty eye look.

Colors include:

Entice is a sparkling champagne with flashes of pink and opal
Deep Space is a soft matte dove blue grey, it’s matte but the flash added a subtle sheen to the swatch photo
Enraptured is an antique sparkling gold metallic
Dark Matter is a deep satiny black
Metroplis is a shimmering plum
Interstellar is a glistening violet blue iridescent sparkle with tiny flecks of micro glitter

The Opulence Aquamarine Packaging MatteTrance Lipsticks in 1995, Flesh 3 and Guinevere are all repromotes. 1995 is a neutral-cool nude pink with hint of mauve, Flesh 3 is a deep rose brick (on me it pulls reddish) and Guinevere is a matte crimson red. They’re matte but not flat. As usual I take all my photos with a flash because the colors pull better when I use the flash, but it adds a bit of sheen/shine to the finish.

Opulence: The Collection in Ruby

Next are the ruby packaging items MTHRSHP Sublime Eyeshadow Palette in Bronze Temptation and the MatteTrance Lipsticks in Omi, Flesh 3 and Elson.

I would say there’s a two-way tie between the blue and ruby palettes. The MTHRSHP Sublime Eyeshadow Palette in Bronze Temptation is one I did not expect to love because of the red and green shimmers, but this one is simply beautiful! Photos do not do it justice. The colors swatch more complex than what you see in the pan – if you try this one move it around in the light at different angles and you’ll see the red and green shift.

Colors include:

Celestial is a pale cool shimmering beige sparkle (this one is a bit sheer, I had to apply with a very heavy hand)
Burning Desire is a soft matte tan
Supernova is a deep forest green, appears to have micro glitters, but they’re super fine and apply without too much glitz (it’s not chunky)
Dark Paradise is a perfect warm matte brown
Corruption is the perfect duo chrome red and copper shimmer
Provocatrix is a shimmering golden tan that shifts into silver and copper depending on the light

MatteTrance Lipsticks in Omi, Flesh 3 and Elson are also repromotes. Omi is a classic medium rose, Flesh 3 is launched in all three colors of packaging, Elson is a vibrant blue based red matte.

Opulence: The Collection in Pink Sapphire

Last but not least are the pink sapphire packaging products with MTHRSHP Subversive Eyeshadow Palette in Metalmorphosis and MatteTrance Lipsticks in in Christy, Flesh 3 and Forbidden Love.

The MTHRSHP Subversive Eyeshadow Palette in Metalmorphosis is very pigmented. The overall mix of warm and cool balance each other out for a beautiful complex eye. I did not expect to love this because of the sharp sterling and gold shades, but when you mix them with the coppery ones they make for a unique mix. If you feel like you’re more of the creative type this is the palette for you.

Colors in this one overall are the most metallic and include:

Metalurgy is a shimmering light taupe gold
Copper is a reddish shimmer with an intense metallic sheen
Sterling is a metallic pale silver
Smoked Amethyst is a matte deep purple base loaded with flecks of red and plum sparkle
Bronze is a orange metallic shimmer
Gold Standard is an intense 24K gold shimmer

MatteTrance Lipsticks in Christy, Flesh 3 and Forbidden Love are the shades for the pink sapphire packaging. I think the pink is such a princess-like pink. Christy is a pink beige, Forbidden Love is a vibrant red.

In the holiday set I’ve already reviewed all except 2 of the colors but thought it would be helpful for another swatch post. For quick reference, I reswatched all the lipsticks swatched side by side with Flesh 5 and Elson 2 for added comparison.

To me Flesh 5 is less intense than Flesh 3 – I prefer 5. Elson 2 is brighter and more orange than Elson. Based on the swatches below and in real life to me Elson and Forbidden Love both look identical on the hand, arm and lips. Maybe if you have lighter or deeper skin you’ll be able to see more of a difference in undertone – I triple checked to make sure and walked my arm around with both tubes to swatch and re-swatch. If you’ve tried both shades let me know if you see the same thing.

Overall the collection is just knock out gorgeous. To me the Pat McGrath Labs Opulence collection has the biggest wow factor out of all the holiday makeup launches that I’ve seen. Everything from the packaging, presentation and colors are so beautiful. I think the palettes are really unique and different. I think Dark Star and Bronze Temptation are the best ones, but my recommendations would primarily be to pick based on your color preferences. I’ve mentioned numerous times that palettes are tricky if you don’t love all of the shades. Quality-wise everything performs to excellent standards in terms of application, pigment, lasting power, minimal fall out. If you don’t like glitter I’d say that the 6-pan palettes are definitely a lot more wearable than her 8-pans. The colors in The Opulence Holiday collection have some intense sparkle and metallic sheens, but no chunky glitter.

All the MatteTrance lipsticks shades are repromotes. You can shop your stash if you already own a lot of colors although the limited-edition packaging colors are super fun and if you haven’t tried any yet but had some on your wishlist she has amazing bundles on her website. You get a nice price break with her sets! I already owned all except 2 of the holiday shades. I’ve already made a serious dent in 1995 and OMI so I’m really happy to have backups now.

The entire Opulence Collection is available now online at Pat McGrath. MTHRSHP Palettes retail for $55 each and the MatteTrance Lipsticks are priced at $38 each. The MTHRSHP Palettes are also available at Sephora. Everything is limited-edition.

Pat McGrath Opulence Collection provided for review.

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Lips Pat McGrath Labs

Pat McGrath Labs Lip Fetish Sheer Colour Lip Balm

September 29, 2018

Pat McGrath Labs has launched one of the best tinted lip balms I’ve ever tried with her Lip Fetish Sheer Colour Balms ($38 each for 3.5 g/0.12 oz, made in USA). She previously released a clear version (reviewed here which I bought and love) and her sparkly Astrals (I bought the Nude one, but the others looked a bit too sparkly for me). This month she launched 9 new non-shimmers in tinted colors which I think are absolute perfection. I really liked the formula of her clear version even though the price point was pretty high. Having color added feels like I can justify the price point a little more for a lip balm, but seriously ALL her lip products are phenomenal.

There are 9 perfect colors ranging from nude, pink, beige, to bright pink, plum and red. I think the color selection is very good, there’s not a single bad color in the launch. I also really appreciate that she offers sets on her website that give us a price break versus buying individually. You can find the Lip Fetish Sheer Colour Balm Everything Kit for $275 with 9 colors or three variations of Lip Fetish Sheer Colour Balm Trios for $95 each.

For tinted balms my favorites have been the Dior Addict Lip Glows followed by any of the YSL Volupte line (Tint-in-Balms and Volupte Shine Oil in Stick). The Pat McGrath Balms aren’t as soft in density which makes them have a less slippery feel on the lips. As much as I love super emollient balms that have an almost buttery feel, the Florida heat can make those feel like they are sliding off the lips sometimes. The Pat McGrath ones have a balmy feel but without the sliding feeling. You can feel and notice lips are moisturized but it’s not heavy. There’s no detectable scent or taste to me.

Color swatches very sheer on the arms/hands. Once on the lips the color shows up in a sheer to medium coverage. Even with the light ones I see my entire lip covered with pigment. They’re sheer compared to her lipsticks but have enough color that you can see them on your lips. Application is smooth and perfect with every single color. Color descriptions:

521 Blow Up is a warm beige
522 Love Supreme is a cool rose cream
523 Succexy medium coral peach
524 Passion Flower is a light pink peach (turns pink on my lips)
525 Full Fantasy bright pink
526 Wild Cherry is a deep cherry red
527 Dark Devotion is a mulberry wine
528 Ultra Vixen is a deep wine plum
529 Flesh 3 perfect red brown rose

Also shown in direct sunlight below:

Swatches, first straight from the tube:

Swatches applied with a lip brush:

Lip swatches, done on bare lips, for reference my skintone is MAC Studio Fix NC35. Note Passion Flower turns pink on my lips, I triple checked and triple lip-swatched to make sure I didn’t have any remnants on my lips from other colors mixing in. Also quick note, I take my photos with a flash – depending on your screen the lip swatches may look a tiny bit more glossy below. I’d describe these as having a soft sheen finish.

Individual close ups, I’m having a bad skin week so please excuse the patchy skin, I packed on tons of extra powder and foundation to cover up some scars and skin breakage. All lip swatches are taken indoors but with a flash:

Bottom line perfect. EVERY single one is perfect. Lasting power is better than your average balm, it still won’t last as long as her LuxeTrance or MatteTrance lipsticks, but for a balm I get several hours of wear without fading. Formula is hydrating and really does moisturize the lips nicely. I love the natural sheen these have and also the fact that once you apply they don’t feel like they’ll slide off. I still have some more lip product reviews from other brands that I’m working on including some of the new Tom Ford Boys and Girls, Sisley Le Phyto-Rouge and more, but being the gloss girl that I am, I love these balms. They’re easy to wear, effortless, apply flawlessly and the colors are perfect. I think it’s a little odd Passion Flower turns straight pink on my lips when it looks peach in the tube but I love it regardless.

You can find the Pat McGrath Labs Lip Fetish Sheer Colour Balms online at Pat McGrath for $38 each. Also available in her Lip Fetish Sheer Colour Balm Everything Kit for $275 with 9 colors or three variations of Lip Fetish Sheer Colour Balm Trios for $95 each.

Many thanks to the Pat McGrath team for sending these for review.

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