Pat McGrath: Being A Black Woman ‘Undoubtedly Influences Everything I Create’

Source: Richard Burbridge / Kelly Marshall

Like other Black women, I was first introduced to Pat McGrath through her makeup. Her luscious lipsticks to be exact. As a red-lip junkie, I could nearly taste the creaminess of her Mattetrance formula through her opulent visuals. And when I finally painted my lips with a coat of it, it confirmed what I suspected, it was the most perfect red lip I had ever tried — rich, pigmented, long-lasting and luxurious. I hadn’t even scratched the surface of Pat’s brilliance.

Pat covers Allure Magazine’s February issue, and the author does a noble job speaking to Pat’s genius while offering a glimpse of the billion dollar beauty icon whose makeup has influenced fashion behind the scenes, on runways and in everyday life for everyday women.

In 2014, Pat was awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth. And most recently, she was bestowed the honor of Damehood becoming the first MUA to receive such honor.

“I am an entrepreneur, but I am a Black woman first and that undoubtedly influences everything I create. I know what it is not to see yourself represented and not to have a seat at the table,” said Pat. It’s rare the Dame ever talks about race, which is probably because her achievements transcend race. As noted by WashingtonPost senior critic-at-large, Robert Givahn, “she is the standard.”

Pat recently announced her friend and partner Naomi Campbell as the face of Pat McGrath Labs. Naomi opened up about working with Pat, saying “She’s got a big personality. It’s just joy working with her.”

Maybe because sky is the limit for Pat and she doesn’t believe in creative limitations. “I think in my career I have chosen to embrace freedom over fear. I have felt free to make the creative decisions I wanted to make, to take risks.”

Read the full interview, here.

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