ICYMI, the Mother of Makeup Just Launched a Jewelry Line—Every Piece Is Cooler Than the Last
"The Mother of Makeup" is more than just a moniker for the legendary Pat McGrath. It represents her 25-year tenure carving a path for makeup artists to experiment and perfect their craft. But her influence doesn't end with the beauty industry. It's uniquely tethered to our second favorite F word: fashion. Not only is McGrath responsible for some of the most iconic runway makeup looks (we're looking at you, Valentino spring 2020), but she's the creative director of cosmetics for Louis Vuitton and several other brands. Not to mention, her highly coveted Pat McGrath Labs products are likely in your beauty routines, makeup hauls, and Instagram tutorials.
The long list of McGrath's accolades is growing, with another successful Paris Fashion Week under her belt. And if you thought McGrath couldn't get any more impressive, think again. Today, Pandora x Pat McGrath officially launched in celebration of fearless self-expression, transformation, and color. Yes, we agree—one of the most prolific runway makeup artists joining forces with the world's largest jewelry brand just makes sense.
When you merge Pandora's stellar craftsmanship with McGrath's innovative use of color, you get a collection that honors jewelry as more than a mere accessory. This collection is a form of self-expression that marries beauty and jewelry through a vivid palette of 17 charms and rings. "To me, makeup and jewelry have always been the same art," McGrath says. And to no one's surprise, the beauty motifs are strong here. The charms include McGrath's signature glossy lips, Pandora's iconic shimmering hearts, mantra medallions, and so much more. (The Tube of Beauty Drip Earring has my name written all over it.) If this collection is not an ode to McGrath's bold, colorful makeup looks, we're not sure what is.
These pieces take fall layering to new heights, reminding us layering doesn't stop with our clothing. We're layering our accessories, starting with these necklaces, which are designed to be stacked. The image above features beloved model and TV personality Olandria Carthen, who stars in the campaign, effortlessly giving us a master class in jewelry stacking. McGrath and Carthen met nearly a year ago, sparking online requests from fans for a collaboration. "To be able to be here alongside Mother Pat with this amazing Pandora collaboration has been a dream of mine, so I'm just so excited, and I love her to death," Carthen tells us. We can confidently predict that fans will be overjoyed by this full-circle moment.
Above, Carthen dons charms with vibrant, eye-catching hues that twinkle in the light. According to Pandora Creative Directors Francesco Terzo and Alessandro Filippo Ficarelli, "This collection is the result of two creative voices coming together around one powerful idea: color as a force for transformation." Fiery reds, pops of purple, and glittering golds are just some of the shades juxtaposed with Pandora's signature 14-karat gold pieces. You can see them gracefully dangling from chains, hoop earrings, and bracelets.
McGrath's approach to jewelry mirrors her approach to makeup. "All beauty rules are worth breaking, but that's my name. My name is Pat McGrath, and we are about breaking rules. I think you should break rules all the time. There's always a surprise," she told us at the Pandora x Pat McGrath pop-up in NYC's Herald Square. And this collection is full of surprises. "I adorn the body with color, light, crystal, glitter, and pure pigment. Jewelry is that same instinct made eternal," McGrath says. The accompanying campaign, starring Ava Shipp, Chiharu Okunugi, Ali Dansky, and Alton Mason, spotlights McGrath's iconic jewel-toned hues. It takes a village to capture the magic. The campaign was photographed by Solve Sundsbo and styled by Emma Wyman, with videography by Willy Busfield, hairstyling by Ryan Mitchell, and makeup by McGrath herself. "With Pandora, the two arts I have always loved became a single language,” she says, and thankfully, we're now fluent in it.
Shop the Pandora x Pat McGrath Collection
