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It’s now expected for makeup legend Pat McGrath to drop unexpected makeup kits and formulas every few months. The last one, Dark Star 006, was an otherworldly shimmering smoky eye kit. Her latest drop, however, is decidedly more down-to-earth, and I’d argue her most wearable to date.
Called Lust: MatteTrance, the collection features nine true matte bullet lipsticks inspired by McGrath’s favorite colors that she’s mixed over the years for runways and editorials. They’re named after her “muses,” like Omi for Naomi Campbell, and moments in her career, like a nude called “1995” because she felt like it looked like a color that was popular that year.
McGrath first gave us matte lipsticks in the Lust 004 kit she introduced last August, but those formulas were understandably overshadowed by all the glitter she provided for you to press over it. These matte formulas and colors have been years in the making. The formula is a true matte but doesn’t feel like “concrete,” McGrath said at a press event, surely a reference to the matte liquid lipstick formulas popularized by Kylie Jenner’s lip kits.
And while her past lipsticks have been presented in plastic cases (these are temporary collections, after all), she put these bullets into gold and black metal cases that have a nice heft to them, and feature a pair of lips prominently on the outside of the case. McGrath had to work closely with packaging engineers to place the bullet into these cases specially so that when you turn the lipstick up, the lips face out so that everyone can see it when you’re proudly applying your lipstick in public.
The nine colors will be sold in three different trios for $95, individually for $38, and as a full “everything” kit for $275. McGrath chose to package them in threes so that you can mix like shades. As usual, the packs are loaded with sequins. The Skin Show set features neutrals (Omi, 1995, Flesh 3); the Colour Blitz set features brights (Elson, Obsessed!, Full Panic); and the Vicious Venoms set features darks (McMenamy, Deep Void, Antidote).
The lipsticks go on sale on patmcgrath.com on July 13th, with a national release on sephora.com and in the usual seven Sephora stores on July 28th. As usual, this release is limited-edition. These are sure to sell out quickly.
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