Key Takeaways:
Pat McGrath, the legendary makeup artist, founder of Pat McGrath Labs, and Dame to the British Empire, is once again opening the doors to beauty’s most coveted inner circle. This week, McGrath announced an open casting call across Instagram and TikTok to discover the next makeup artists to join Team Pat McGrath, offering a creative, rare opportunity to work alongside one of the most influential figures in modern beauty.
The move echoes a pivotal moment in McGrath’s career history. In 2014, she famously used Instagram to scout emerging talent, identifying artists who would go on to work backstage at the world’s most prestigious fashion shows and become a part of a creative legacy that helped redefine runway and editorial makeup.
Now, a decade later, McGrath is revisiting the social-first casting model that proved transformational for individual artists and the industry at large.
The new call is open to a wide spectrum of creatives, from seasoned backstage professionals to self-taught artists and social media creators. The casting underscores McGrath’s long-standing belief in democratizing access to opportunity through digital platforms, while reinforcing the growing role of social media as a legitimate pipeline for creative talent. For aspiring makeup artists, the call is a gateway to the highest chambers of fashion and beauty and a chance to contribute to the legacy that shapes the industry's visual language.
McGrath has mentored a new generation of creatives she discovered via Instagram, including makeup artists Jessica Ferrelli and Nika Kislyak. After discovering Kislyak on Instagram, she and her team flew the Russian makeup artist to New York Fashion Week to work backstage, offering rare access to the industry’s highest level. Her projects spotlight creatives across disciplines, such as illustrator Maria Veronica and photographer Desiree Mattson.
Widely regarded as the most influential makeup artist of her generation, McGrath conceptualizes and creates beauty looks for over 60 ready-to-wear and couture shows across Paris, Milan, London, and New York. McGrath collaborates with the world’s most prestigious fashion houses each season, including Prada, Dior, Valentino, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Maison Margiela. Her impact extends globally, including 20 years on the cover of Italian Vogue, and she has served as Beauty Editor-at-Large at British Vogue since 2017.
Pat McGrath’s creative vision launched in 2015 with Pat McGrath Labs with Gold 001, which sold out within minutes, crashing McGrath’s website. The company has consistently broken sales records, including becoming the biggest-selling beauty brand in Selfridges’ history at launch. The brand has forged a path at the intersection of luxury, commerce, and high-performance formulations with brands and institutions such as Prada, Valentino, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
How to Enter
Entrants can either reinterpret an iconic Pat McGrath look—from runway, editorial, or red carpet within a transformation video—reimagining the look to be a display of the artist's own style and talent, or applicants can submit their original work that best represents their artistic vision.
Submissions must be shared on Instagram and/or TikTok using the hashtag #JoinTeamPatMcGrath, tagging @PatMcGrathReal, and accompanied by a completed entry form detailing the artist’s story. Use of Pat McGrath products is encouraged but not required.
