Paris: the fashion capital of the world. The “City of Light” – where fashion muses are found on every corner. The city where inspiration takes hold of the most imaginative minds, transferring ideas onto the canvas of cloth. While any day in Paris can be considered incomparable, couture week reaches another extraordinary level. It is then that brilliance seeps out of the city's every crack, and fashion is taken to the next step.

Maison Margeila’s spring haute couture show has only supported this notion. At the show, Pat McGrath debuted a makeup look that left everyone in awe, with models walking down the runway with lustrous faces reminiscent of porcelain dolls. Their faces were painted with bold, bright colors, illuminated with the glass effect that seemed to reflect all around them.

The fashion world was left in a frenzy after the show, wondering how exactly McGrath created this ethereal glass look. She let the mystery simmer for a while, only revealing products for skin prep, foundation, blush, etc. But as the internet lay in wait for the final product – the key to the whole look. Fans of the look, from makeup artists to influencers to just regular people, took it upon themselves to find out what the secret product was that gave the models the doll-like skin. Initially, evidence hinted towards Kryolan Professional Make-Up’s Liquid Glass, a product that is usually used in special-effects makeup. However, makeup artist Erin Parsons had a different suspect. In conjunction with behind-the-scenes footage from the show, an inside source led Parsons to form her own hypothesis: That the secret to McGrath’s glass-like look was a custom mix with a water-based formula and a Listerine-like color. After much research, she posted her findings on TikTok, identifying the suspect as the Freeman Cucumber Peel-Off Mask. Parson proved her findings by watering down the mask and airbrushing it onto her face, making sure to apply multiple layers to achieve the porcelain mask After Parson’s speculations, McGrath finally came out to address the rumors surrounding the look. On TikTok live, she divulged her secrets, revealing that the glass-like skin look was the result of a combination of four peel-off masks. The products that McGrath and her team used for this brilliant concoction were Freeman’s Cucumber Peel-Off Gel Face Mask, Proot Calendula Peel-Off Mask, Que Bella Pineapple Peel-Off Mask, and Daggett & Ramsdell Australian Tea Tree Oil & Vitamin E Peel Off Facial Mask. Additionally, Mcgrath mixed these products with the Skill Illustrator Clear Gloss and distilled water. For the luminous, porcelain finish, McGrath expressed they had to airbrush eight layers of the mixture and dry each layer with a blow dryer. Each layer that was added, made the face even more vibrant than before. The whole process took about two hours to paint on the model’s faces, but was well worth it granted the attention attracted

Couture collections epitomize artistry, showmanship, and visionary storytelling. The fantastical creations gracing the runway inspire the defining looks of the season, serving as a wellspring of creativity. Makeup artists breathe life into the concepts and details of these looks that we take inspiration from. Pat McGrath has proved herself to be a revolutionary in the fashion world. After three long years of crafting the perfect, awe-inspiring glass makeup look, McGrath paved the way for innovation in the makeup industry and inspired many to experiment with their makeup.

Written by Isana Mehta, Photography: Carolina Flores, Social Media: Divya Nair, Styling: Cindy Chen & Acelyn Hudson

The Glass Revolution