Pat McGrath – the makeup artist who inspires me
I can still remember the moment when I first came across Pat McGrath's work in NYC in 2004. The feeling can be described as LOVE at first sight.
McGrath was raised in Northampton, England by her mother Jean McGrath, a Jamaican immigrant. The amazing thing is that she has no formal training in fashion or make-up, having completed only an art foundation course at a Northampton college.
About her career, she has said, "I really love being a makeup artist. It never gets mundane or predictable and every shoot and show is different." - the same feeling I have had throughout these 10 years working as a makeup artist.
She is also known for her inventive use of materials: her most creative makeup is handmade, and she works mainly with her fingers instead of with brushes.
This quality is something very unique and rare to find in a makeup artist.
She cuts out plastic into different geometric shapes and uses different feathers to handmade those dramatic lashes.
Her work is very expressive, colourful and creative. I especially love all the face designs she created for Dior & Galliano fashion shows. The models are all transformed to another era which doesn't exist in this real world. I love the dreamy and surreal looks she creates for our fashion world. One day we will all wear makeup like this on a daily basis!
Above, McGrath has helped to create Galliano?s ?frozen Ukrainian brides". In order to create a geisha look, she applied a concentrated color in the centre of the lips. There are many things going on on the face, such as the hidden eye brow, straight drawn eye brow, colourful eyes, dramatic lashes, rosy pink cheeks, bold lips with the tint in the centre of lips. All these combine into very beautiful and coherent looks/images which I adore so much.
Below is more of Pat McGrath's work which inspires me. I hope I can have more opportunities to do such creative and crazy makeup.
It's time for test shoots! Any wardrobe stylist, hair stylist, model and photographer who wants to create these crazy yet beautiful images with me, do let me know!