Pat McGrath Labs LuxeTrance Lipstick Beautiful Creature Review

Hey Gorgeous,

Super excited about my review today because, it looks like I am introducing a brand on IMBB today! And, that rarely happens! Because, most of the brands from across the globe are already on IMBB. So, when something new is shared, it adds to the thrill. Today’s review is on a lipstick from Pat McGrath Labs. Before we get into the review itself, I would like to briefly introduce the brand to you, especially for readers who are new to it.

Pat McGrath Labs is the brain-child of Pat McGrath. She is a British Make Up Artist who has been at the fore-front of the Beauty and Fashion for more than 2 decades. Her work includes conceptualizing, launching and developing luxury cosmetic brands, countless runway shows, advertising campaigns and editorial spreads. Her work has been acclaimed for being innovative and edgy and quite like her own makeup line. She has worked on a plethora of leading global publications and numerous brand campaigns. She has conceptualized and created beauty looks for just about every prestigious couture brand from Prada to Bottega Veneta; from Louis Vuitton to Versace; from Gucci to Givenchy!

She helped Giorgio Armani design his cosmetics line in 1999. In 2004, she was engaged as the Creative Design Director for Procter & Gamble and oversees the brand CoverGirl and MaxFactor, and created Dolce & Gabbana: The Makeup. She also designed and launched Gucci’s debut cosmetic collection.

She loves working with her fingers instead of brushes, even for lips, which is generally frowned upon in the professional makeup industry. However, in her case, she does create magic with her fingers.

She self-funded her business for nearly a year, until deciding to include outside investors. The colours in her range are more suitable for photography work, such as runway fashion, rather than department store consumption. McGrath told New York Magazine: “I felt uncomfortable doing something that everyone’s already done, you don’t want to be boring”. McGrath’s makeup line seeks to bring back artistic makeup to a broader audience who aim to invent and perform their appearance, promoting individuality. McGrath says herself, “I want to change how people think about makeup, and disrupt the status quo”. (taken from official website)

Product Description:
What it is:
A luxury cream formulation that laminates lips in a second skin of sensuously saturated colour while offering rich hydration and protection from free radicals.

What it does:
This deluxe formulation glides on and hugs every curve, embracing lips in a silky smooth veil of alluring color while imparting an irresistible satiny sheen. Water Lily extract offers hydrating and protecting properties, while patent-pending biomimetric pigment coatings shield lips against harmful agents, ensuring comfort and intense color payoff. The Formula is designed for lasting wear with excellent adherence and zero bleeding. Submit to your carnal desires and seduce with LuxeTrance™ Lipstick—couture color confidence in a single swipe.

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
Parabens

Suggested Usage:
Start by smoothing lips with an exfoliant, then neutralize lip color with a touch of concealer.
Choose a coordinating PermaGel Ultra Lip Pencil (sold separately) to further define and enhance the lipstick’s staying power.
Build opacity in layers, using a finger to press and roll color onto the lip.
Start in the middle of the bottom lip and transfer color onto the lips with the index finger, working outwards to either edge.
Repeat the process on the top lip.
To apply from the bullet start at the center of the upper lip and move outward toward the corner.
Bring the lipstick back to the center and run it outward toward the other corner.
Press lips together and repeat the same for the lower lip.
Apply using a lip brush for extra precision to accentuate and exaggerate.
Mix multiple shades to create your own custom color.
For longer-lasting wear, after applying lipstick, gently pull a tissue apart so you end up with two thin sheets.
Press one of the sheets against the lips and lightly dust with translucent setting powder.

Price:
US $38 for 4gm
Her products are sold pretty much exclusively on her own website and on Sephora, with very few remnants being available to a certain part of the globe through Netaporter.

My Experience with Pat McGrath Labs Luxe Trance Lipstick Beautiful Creature:

Packaging: Ok, this may take a while. Her lipsticks come packaged in a patterned cardboard outer box with each lipstick shade having a different coloured/patterened box. The box itself is distinctly different form anything else in the market. It is tied together with a chord like an ancient scroll.

Once you open the box, the lipstick is revealed in all its glory. It is stunning to look at and distinctly different from what else is available in the beauty sphere. It is a traditional twist-up bullet in a kind of lacquered case, not unlike that of Rouge d’Armani. The case has a gold detailing and a set of luscious lips on the side.

You really can’t miss this one in a crowd. Quite opulent and let’s face it – loud! The lipstick itself has slightly rounded/lifted lip which initially made it slightly difficult for me to get evenly across the lip lines. But, I guess it sorted itself after a couple of uses.

Shade: “Beautiful Creature” described by the Brand as a “Deep Rose”. Beautiful Creature is a medium to deep, rosy-plum shade with warm undertones. I find it very difficult to explain such shades because, they are a mix of colours and can vary in how they appear based on the lighting, and not just the skin tone. But, I do love such shades. To me, this is an easy to wear shade that can work on a variety of skin tones. I find such rosy shades flattering on my light to medium skin tone.

Pigmentation: The shade is super pigmented. You get the exact colour of the bullet on your lips. You do not need to build it up and one swipe is enough for both lips. I’m not kidding. Building it up is a waste of time and product. It gives full 100% pigment in one single swipe. I apply it on my upper lip and can just purse my lips together. The lipstick transfers to the lower lip in all its full glory. Even with that, there is full pigment on both the lips. That’s how the pigmentation is insane on this lipstick.

If you want a lighter coverage, you can gently dab it onto your lips. It will still cover all natural discoloration of the lip and look like a lip stain. However, the colour would still be clearly visible.

The arm swatch shared in the pictures is one single swipe of the product. And, I didn’t even need to apply pressure while swatching it.

Texture: The texture is actually amazing. It’s creamy but not slippery and yet has a smooth glide. It seems a tad bit dense, but it does not feel heavy on the lips. And, with the kind of pigmentation and texture, what comes as an absolute surprise is the fact that it is hydrating! While testing it, I once applied it in the morning. My lips were quite dry and flaky; thanks to the winter weather. I wanted to use a lip balm or exfoliate before applying this, but thought of testing how this works on really dry lips. I fully expected the lipstick to catch on the dry patches and flake off over time. Instead, the lipstick actually stayed put, the dry patches did not seem visible (it did not plump the lips like the Houglass Lip Stylos, but did not accentuate the dry patches either), my lips felt hydrated and the lipstick felt totally confortable. This was definitely surprising for me. Also, it does not bleed or feather or smudge outside the lip lines.

Lasting Power: Here is a winner!! The shade gives me about 8.5-9 hours of wear time. It just stays put whether you have a full application or have lightly dabbed it onto our lips, it doesn’t move. If applied from the bullet, there is a normal amount of transfer during the course of wear. However, if you dab it with finger tips, the transference is greatly reduced. It wears off quite evenly and does leave a stain.

Fragrance: I put my nose to it, but there was no discernible smell/fragrance.

To sum this up for you:

Pros of Pat McGrath Labs Luxe Trance Lipstick Beautiful Creature:

• Stunning Shades.
• Will work on a variety of skin tones.
• Lightweight texture.
• Excellent pigmentation.
• Very comfortable to wear with no feeling of dryness or clinginess.
• Hydrating formula.
• Easy to apply.
• It applies smoothly and evenly with no tug or pull.
• Does not flake or bleed.
• Luxurious iconic packaging.
• Excellent wear time for around 8.5-9 hours.
• Gives a lustrous polished appealing look to the lips.

Cons of Pat McGrath Labs Luxe Trance Lipstick Beautiful Creature:

• Availability. *crying now*

IMBB Rating: 5/5 (Is it possible to rate it higher than 5??)
Final Verdict: The product is phenomenal, both in colour and quality. While colour may be a personal preference, the quality is indisputable. When I apply it, the smooth finish and even pigmentation it provides is unparalleled. While testing the product, I kept thinking to myself, of all the luxury lipsticks that I have tried, what is the formula closest too? And, the one name which popped in my brain was Giorgio Armani’s Rouge d’Armani. I reviewed Rouge d’Armani #402 ages ago. I would say that the formula of Beautiful Creature is even better than what I remember the Armani one to be (I haven’t used it for a while). When I read that Pat McGrath conceptualized and created the Armani beauty line, I was not surprised. It’s almost like things fell in place in my mind.

It is so fantastic to see that the product does live up to the hype. Not just that, today we are living in the world of brand names, collaborations and just names being lent out left, right and centre in a bid to encash on the popularity of a personality, with little to no regard to the quality of product being dished out to the consumer! *Cough* Kylie Cosmetics *Cough*; *Cough* KKW Cosmetics *Cough*; *Cough* Nikkie & Too Faced Collab *Cough* You get the gist…. And in this world, we have someone putting up a brand, that too self-funded (to begin with) with phenomenal focus on both product and packaging. This happens only when a person has built their name over years and decades, with sheer hard work and not basis 15-seconds-of-fame (thanks to a leaked video). Such people would not let their name go down the drain with something substandard. Huge regard for the Lady in question!

Do I Recommend Pat McGrath Labs Luxe Trance Lipstick Beautiful Creature?
Yes, absolutely.

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