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Pat McGrath has finally revealed her own bespoke glass skin face mask formula to recreate the porcelain doll makeup look she created for Maison Margiela’s Couture Spring 2024 runway show.
About a year ago, the internet went into a frenzy after the Maison Margiela Couture Spring 2024 runway show, where designer John Galliano sent models down a Paris runway with makeup looks that created the effect of dolls come to life.
Shortly after the Paris Couture Week show, beauty fanatics and experts quickly began to dissect McGrath’s brilliant makeup artistry, earning high praise from notable lookers-on. Bobbi Brown commented “Omg. You are the greatest living makeup artist of all time.” Katy Perry added, “My fav ever. Iconic. I’ve only ever used that word like twice. I think the first time was Beyoncé.”
The glassy makeup effect that McGrath created for the runway involved layers of masks, hair dryers, and air brush machines (more on that below). But the iconic makeup artist has been busy creating a one-step, DIY-friendly option in the months since her talked-about show. The result: Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish: Glass 001 Artistry Mask.
The peel-off mask is surprisingly easy to use: Simply brush it onto bare skin or over makeup in thin layers, allowing it to fully dry between coats. Apply it all over for a Margiela-inspired, fully-lacquered makeup look, or spotlight your cheek bones for something more subtle. (Note that the mask will lift where there’s movement, so if you’re going full porcelain doll, you’ll need to avoid facial movement.) McGrath’s new mask, surprisingly, offers skin care benefits, too. The formula includes rosewater and glycerin to soothe and hydrate skin, leaving your complexion supple once you — satisfyingly — peel it off.
While Maison Margiela’s couture collection was heralded as one for the history books by critics, the response to McGrath’s porcelain doll makeup has equally turned into an unforgettable viral sensation, reminding us of the awe-inspiring creativity that comes from McGrath and John Galliano’s long-time runway show collaboration.
Below, set your reminder to shop the product when it launches on Jan. 30, then continue shopping more Pat McGrath Labs makeup essentials you’ll need to recreate the look.
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Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish: Glass 001 Artistry Mask
Price upon publish date of this article: $38
More Pat McGrath Labs Skin Care & Makeup Products to Shop
Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Foundation
Price upon publish date of this article: $69
Pat McGrath Labs Divine Skin: Rose 001 Essence
Price upon publish date of this article: $86
Pat McGrath Labs MatteTrance Lipstick
Price upon publish date of this article: $39
More About Pat McGrath’s Maison Margiela Porcelain Doll Makeup Look
Redditors were quick to investigate potential products McGrath used to create the iconic Maison Margiela porcelain doll makeup look. Hours after the show, the crowd-sourced verdict was that McGrath used Kryolan Liquid Glass, a vinyl polymer that forms a clear, reflective film on the skin. The product fully sold out on Kryolan’s website shortly thereafter.
On Feb. 2, 2024 McGrath went live on Instagram to break down the concoction of face masks she used for the glass skin look: Freeman’s Renewing Cucumber Peel-Off Gel Facial Mask, Que Bella’s Hydrating Pineapple Peel-Off Face Mask, Daggett and Ramsdell’s Peel-Off Facial Mask, and Proot’s Calendula Peel-Off Mask.
During her Instagram Live tutorial, McGrath walked 17,000 viewers — including notable names like Jimmy Paul, Katie Jane Hughes, and Ariel Tejada — through the inspiration behind her porcelain doll look. “In my first briefing with John [Galliano], he took me on a journey in Paris by the Seine in the moonlight and painted a picture of these dolls coming to life with this glass skin,” McGrath explained during the live stream. “The challenge that John gave us was almost no-makeup makeup look that’s ethereal and otherworldly,” she added. “It took all of us to another planet.”
McGrath explained that she prepped the Margiela models’ skin with Pat McGrath Labs’ Divine Skin: Rose 001 Essence (“a spa treatment for the skin,” per McGrath), before using her Sublime Perfection Foundation. For the eyes, she applied a combination of shades from the Mothership I Subliminal Eyeshadow Palette. Models wore Divine Blush: Legendary Glow Colour Balm in a circular placement on the apples of the cheeks for a doll-like look. As for the lips, McGrath smudged the PermaGel UltraGlide Eye Pencil in Blitz Brown in the center of the lips to depth, then dabbed on the MatteTrance Lipstick in Guinevere, a moody crimson shade. McGrath also revealed her golden rule for flawless lips: “Always take your fingers around the edges of your lips and blur.”
To prep the skin for the concoction that turns skin into glass, McGrath skipped setting powder on the majority of the complexion, instead just dusting on a light layer of her Sublime Perfection Under Eye Blurring Powder. She then used a cotton swab to pat glue near the mouth, nose, and the inner eyes — an essential step that prevents the peel-off mask mixture from lifting.
McGrath reveals the face mask mixture she used to create the glass skin look for Maison Margiela’s Couture spring 2024 runway show.
Next up, pure alchemy. McGrath used a plastic spoon to whisk the four peel-off face masks with distilled water, thinning it out enough to feed it into an airbrush machine. Then, she misted the mixture onto the model’s face, using plastic spoons to cover the eyes while applying the mixture in a thin, even coat. She used a hair dryer to set the mixture, then repeated this process eight times to create the mask-like porcelain shine. To finish off the eyes with a glossy lid, McGrath used her Lust Lip Gloss in shades Peach Perversion and Flesh Astral for shine that doesn’t lift or crease.
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Meet the Author
Claire Sullivan is the Senior Beauty and Lifestyle Commerce Editor for Footwear News and WWD, where she writes and edits beauty, fashion and lifestyle stories. She has over six years of experience as a writer and editor for national media outlets including Martha Stewart Living, Martha Stewart Weddings, InStyle, and Byrdie. She keeps her finger on the pulse of all things related to beauty and wellness, as well as the latest shopping trends and clothing brands. Sullivan originally reported on the Maison Margiela makeup look in January 2024 and updated the article in January 2025 with more information on McGrath’s new glass skin mask.
