A red velvet-clad room with a sunken couch, wall of gold sequins, shag-bedecked chairs and floating fireplace might seem straight out of a scene from an Austin Powers movie, but it was actually the setting for the decidedly modern launch of Pat McGrath Labs’ latest sure-to-be-a-blockbuster product. The new Lust: Gloss is McGrath’s special spin on gloss, which is rapidly replacing liquid matte as the texture du jour for lips. Featuring 14 shades that range from prismatic pearls to the signature Blood 2, the glosses are pure vinyl in their shine, delivering a syrup-kissed effect with a lip oil feel. “The orally fixating formulation is the ultimate in surreal shine and sublime seduction,” said Pat, in her typical descriptive fashion.
The secret behind that sheen, said the brand, is something they call a Matrix Shine Formula. Described as a balm-meets-gloss hybrid, Lust: Gloss uses an infused-oil system for a slick-not-sticky feel and a “gel matrix formulation for surreal three-dimensional shine.” As demonstrated on the models at the event, that shine should have an extra dimension all its own. The color payoff varies, from sheer glitter and nudes to opaque browns, reds and metallics.
Anyone who knows Pat’s technique knows she prefers her hands to brushes, so in a nod to that predilection, the applicator features a concave center and a tapered end that mimics how a finger would dab on gloss. The patent products round out the mega-star artist’s lip collection, which currently include Lust: MatteTrance, Lust: LuxeTrance and the PermaGel Ultra Lip Pencil. Continuing with her recent trend of beauty benevolence, Lust: Gloss is a permanent edition to the line-up. The company’s transition from limited-edition to permanent products is a masterclass in marketing. By flawlessly executing underground social product drops with restricted quantities, Pat was able to be obsessively meticulous about the quality and messaging, letting the rest of us catch up to her and then clamor for more, more, more.
Lust: Gloss debuted Wednesday on Instagram in a rain of sequins and announcement of the opening of the waiting list for its May 10 launch. The 14 shades will retail individually for $28 and there will also be two kits, Warm and Cool, with four shades each at a $95 price point. And for the true believers, a kit including all 14 shades will cost $325.
Speaking of sequins, the woman social media fans call Mother has made one big change: signature packaging. After a small media backlash arose over the not-so-eco-friendly loose sequin-filled pouches the products come in, McGrath & Co. retooled the pouches, which now have the sequins suspended inside, meaning they are reusable but won’t lose any of that McGrath magic. To paraphrase from the launch event: You’ll never take my sequins, darlings. Don’t worry, Pat no one dare try.
