Pat McGrath

“My earliest memory was watching my mother do her makeup. She was obsessed with beauty and collected makeup and experimented with it. I think it's a lot of young men and women's experiences, growing up: watching the ritual of what their mothers would do.”

“When you put on foundation with a brush, it's a heavy finish - but if you use a brush and then blend, it looks more like a moisturizer and much prettier. Then add concealer - applied with a fine brush - to the problem areas afterward.”

“At the end of summer, I go on a detox because I know I need a clear mind for Fashion Week. You need a lot of energy, and the ability to focus, in preparation for this craziness. I go to the gym, too, just to make sure I have the endurance to keep up with everything.”

“I knew I wasn't going to make money in the beginning, so I found another way to support myself - I was a receptionist. It's quite smart to work that way. Otherwise, you get vicious and desperate, and no one wants to work with you. Build your career slowly; then people start to trust you and pay you well.”

“Whether it be a bolder lip, a dewier cheek, a more lush lash, or an exceptionally extravagant eye, no time is better than the present for unleashing your cosmetic creativity.”

“I think you always want things to get better, and that's been my view ever since I've been in this industry. So it's great to see there's more diversity, but it could always get better.”

“I'm such a product junkie - I love trying new products and new shades. For me, it's really exciting to see what new and wonderful products come onto the market.”

“What I love most about makeup is that you can't get attached to one thing, one idea, or one approach - and once you've achieved perfection, you have to wipe it all off and start over the next day.”

“For blue eyes, use warm browns, peaches, and yellows to compliment the eyes. Brown and hazel eyes sparkle in blue and purple shades, which flatters the orange undertone of brown eyes. Green eyes stand out in burgundy and plum shades like CoverGirl Queen Collection Vivid Impact Eyeliner in Cabernet.”

“Every single member of my Artistry and Pat McGrath Labs Brand Teams - making this dream a reality would not be possible without them.”

“I wear very natural makeup, but it's made up out of five foundations to make that perfect skin, and my lipstick might be three different lipsticks mixed together, so it's a kind of obsession in a different way.”

“I think with beauty there is so much to be done. A pill that will give you everlasting youth. To choose the exact age you want to stay at from a hundred pill bottles? That would be fun.”

“My team can be as big as 50 during the busiest days of Fashion Week. I can travel with up to 75 bags of products and materials. And between shows, I personally travel on motorbike to speed through traffic and get to the next venue.”

“I don't go to the spa or get my hair done enough. I don't go to the gym enough. But I do take five, six weeks' vacation; the industry does.”

“I'm the ultimate beauty junkie - that inspiration, obsession, and addiction is one of the main reasons I founded Pat McGrath Labs in 2015. So, when fellow beauty junkies spot me, there's nothing I enjoy more than discovering what they're addicted to. It's so inspiring!”

“When I'm home in New York, I wake up early so I can check e-mails and call my London agent, and start my day with a cup of Ristretto cofee from my Nespresso machine.”

“It would be great if perfect skin required less work. That would be the best ever.”

“Apply the lipstick first and then the gloss in the middle of the lips to add a touch of light.”

“My intention when I created Labs was that the people that used our products would be empowered to explore a fearless, daring attitude towards makeup - that's why we always write 'Use Without Caution' on everything we make.”

“My mother was my first and most important influence. When I was a little girl, she would take me shopping for pigments that flattered dark skin tones, mixing and playing until she'd created her ideal shade.”