Pat McGrath Labs
Pat McGrath Labs is a prestige color cosmetics and skincare brand founded in 2015 by makeup artist Dame Pat McGrath, selling premium pigmented makeup through DTC e-commerce and Sephora globally. Now controlled by GDA Luma following a 2026 Chapter 11 restructuring.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Pat McGrath Labs does
Pat McGrath Labs is a prestige color cosmetics and skincare brand founded in 2015 by globally celebrated makeup artist Dame Pat McGrath. The company sells a comprehensive portfolio spanning face (foundation, concealer, primer, setting spray, powder), cheek (blush, bronzer, highlighter), eyes (the signature Mothership eyeshadow palettes, quads, liners, mascara), lips (MatteTrance lipstick, gloss, liner, pencil), and a growing skincare line anchored by Divine Skin: Rose 001. Products are positioned at premium price points ranging from $22 for lip balm to $128 for limited-edition Mothership palettes, and the brand is built on proprietary high-pigment formulations including the iconic Gold 001 pigment, MatteTrance matte lipstick, and the Skin Fetish blurring technology platform.
The company operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce business through patmcgrath.com with worldwide shipping to more than 10 countries, supplemented by retail distribution through Sephora globally. Historically, products have also appeared at off-price retailers, an indicator of channel breadth but also brand-positioning risk. The customer base is primarily prestige beauty consumers and professional makeup artists seeking high-pigment, longwear formulations, with notable cultural demand spikes tied to celebrity moments such as Taylor Swift wearing the LiquiLust lipstick during her Eras Tour.
Following a peak valuation exceeding $1 billion after a 2018 $60M Eurazeo Brands investment, the company experienced a significant revenue contraction to approximately $50M by 2024, defaulted on bridge loans, and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January 2026. It emerged from restructuring in April 2026 with approximately $65M in financing from distressed-for-control specialist GDA Luma Capital Management, which now holds a 65% controlling equity stake. Founder Dame Pat McGrath transitioned from CEO to Chief Creative Officer while retaining a minority stake, and Paladin Management Group served as Chief Restructuring Officer. The Louis Vuitton creative directorship role assumed by the founder in 2024 represents both a prestige halo and an attention-dilution risk for the namesake brand.
Pat McGrath Labs firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Pat McGrath Labs
- Legal name
- Pat McGrath Labs
- Website
- https://www.patmcgrath.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Pat McGrath Labs is a prestige color cosmetics and skincare brand founded in 2015 by makeup artist Dame Pat McGrath, selling premium pigmented makeup through DTC e-commerce and Sephora globally. Now controlled by GDA Luma following a 2026 Chapter 11 restructuring.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Pat McGrath Labs industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Luxury Color Cosmetics
- NAICS
- Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Retailers (456120)
- SIC
- Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Lip Makeup (Lipstick, Lip Gloss, Lip Liner, Lip Stain, Lip Balm-Tint) (CRABACAC)
Keywords
Where Pat McGrath Labs is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Pat McGrath Labs business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Cosmetics Product Sales: Pat McGrath Labs generates revenue primarily through direct sales of its luxury color cosmetics products including lipsticks, eyeshadows, foundations, highlighters, blushes, skincare, and limited edition collections. Products are sold at premium price points ranging from $22 to $128 for individual items.
- E-commerce Direct Sales: The company operates a DTC e-commerce platform (patmcgrath.com) with global shipping capabilities, generating revenue through direct online transactions with consumers worldwide.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Luxury Prestige Pricing - Individual Products |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Pat McGrath Labs product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Pat McGrath Labs is a luxury prestige beauty brand that designs, develops, and sells high-performance color cosmetics and skincare products under its eponymous namesake. Its product portfolio spans foundations, concealers, primers, setting sprays, blushes, bronzers, highlighters, eyeshadow palettes, eyeliners, mascaras, lipsticks, lip glosses, lip liners, and a dedicated skincare line (Divine Skin Rose 001). The brand sells through its own e-commerce site (patmcgrath.com) and through prestige retailers including Sephora, with products priced at premium tiers (from $22 lip balms to $128 limited-edition Mothership palettes).
Product overview
Pat McGrath Labs is a prestige beauty brand offering a comprehensive portfolio of high-performance makeup and skincare products. The product line is organized into several core categories: Face (foundation, concealer, primer, powder, setting spray, brushes), Cheek (blush, bronzer, highlighter), Eyes (signature Mothership palettes, quads, eye shadow, eyeliner, mascara), Lips (matte lipstick, lip gloss, lip liners, lip pencils, lip kits), and Skincare (Divine Skin Rose 001 line). Key collections include the Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Blurring Collection for face perfecting, the Gilded Nirvana Collection for eye looks, and Legendary longwear lip products. The brand also offers a SHADEFINDER tool for shade matching and Virtual Try On functionality for online shopping.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Foundation
Quantifiable outcome
- Products such as the LiquiLust lipstick generated millions of dollars in social media buzz value when Taylor Swift was spotted wearing them during her Eras Tour
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Pat McGrath Labs
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Pat McGrath Labs technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Pat McGrath Labs partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Paladin Management GroupcorePaladin Management Group served as the Chief Restructuring Officer during the Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, overseeing the operational restructuring and helping navigate the company through its financial reorganization.
- Louis VuittoncoreFounder Pat McGrath serves as Creative Director of Cosmetics for Louis Vuitton, a role she took on in 2024. This strategic partnership has included collaborative collections such as the La Beauté Louis Vuitton Collection 2025, creating brand visibility and cross-promotional opportunities while maintaining her namesake brand.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Pat McGrath Labs competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Charlotte Tilbury Beauty: Founded by celebrity makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury in 2013, Charlotte Tilbury is the most direct peer — founder-led prestige color cosmetics brand with global DTC, Sephora distribution, premium price points, and an iconic Pillow Talk franchise. Publicly acknowledged as a model for the founder-artist beauty category.
- Fenty Beauty: Fenty Beauty, launched by Rihanna in 2017, is a closely comparable prestige color cosmetics brand competing for the same luxury consumer at Sephora with inclusive shade ranges, viral product launches, and a founder-driven cultural identity.
- Rare Beauty: Rare Beauty, founded by Selena Gomez in 2020, is a founder-led prestige beauty brand with strong DTC, Sephora distribution, and a viral social-media-driven growth model that mirrors Pat McGrath's celebrity-driven cultural relevance strategy.
- Huda Beauty: Huda Beauty, founded by Huda Kattan, is a founder-led prestige color cosmetics brand known for high-pigment eyeshadow palettes, lip products, and a global social-media-driven marketing approach closely analogous to Pat McGrath's playbook.
- NARS Cosmetics: NARS is a prestige color cosmetics brand with strong Sephora distribution, iconic lip and complexion products, and an editorial/artistic heritage directly comparable to Pat McGrath's fashion-and-editorial DNA.
- Anastasia Beverly Hills: ABH is a founder-led prestige color cosmetics brand specializing in high-pigment brow, eye, and lip products with viral palette drops — directly comparable to Pat McGrath's Mothership and MatteTrance franchise approach.
- Glossier: Glossier is a digitally native prestige beauty brand with strong DTC, cult-product franchises, and a brand-led growth model. Less color-cosmetics-heavy but directly comparable as a founder-led prestige beauty consumer brand.
Emerging players
- Kosas Cosmetics: Kosas is an emerging prestige clean-beauty color cosmetics brand with Sephora distribution and DTC. Smaller scale than Pat McGrath but overlaps on the prestige, formulation-forward consumer and similar Sephora-shelf positioning.
Broad incumbents
- MAC Cosmetics: MAC, owned by Estée Lauder, is the broad incumbent in professional/prestige color cosmetics. Competes with Pat McGrath across lip, eye, and face categories and shares the professional-makeup-artist heritage, but at significantly larger scale and broader price points.
- Too Faced Cosmetics: Too Faced, owned by Estée Lauder, is a broad-incumbent prestige color cosmetics brand with playful packaging, high-pigment eye palettes, and Sephora distribution. Comparable in product category but significantly broader in portfolio and price range than Pat McGrath.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Pat McGrath Labs social profiles
Digital presencePat McGrath Labs financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Pat McGrath Labs leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Pat McGrath Labs funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Pat McGrath Labs M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Pat McGrath Labs
What does Pat McGrath Labs do?
Pat McGrath Labs is a luxury prestige beauty brand that designs, develops, and sells high-performance color cosmetics and skincare products under its eponymous namesake. Its product portfolio spans foundations, concealers, primers, setting sprays, blushes, bronzers, highlighters, eyeshadow palettes, eyeliners, mascaras, lipsticks, lip glosses, lip liners, and a dedicated skincare line (Divine Skin Rose 001). The brand sells through its own e-commerce site (patmcgrath.com) and through prestige retailers including Sephora, with products priced at premium tiers (from $22 lip balms to $128 limited-edition Mothership palettes).
Is Pat McGrath Labs a public or private company?
Pat McGrath Labs is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Pat McGrath Labs founded?
Pat McGrath Labs was founded in 2015. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Pat McGrath Labs based?
Pat McGrath Labs is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Pat McGrath Labs make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Cosmetics Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are E-commerce Direct Sales.
Who are Pat McGrath Labs's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Charlotte Tilbury Beauty, Fenty Beauty, Rare Beauty, Huda Beauty, NARS Cosmetics, Anastasia Beverly Hills and Glossier. Kosas Cosmetics is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are MAC Cosmetics and Too Faced Cosmetics.
Does Pat McGrath Labs have an API?
No public API is recorded for Pat McGrath Labs.
What industry is Pat McGrath Labs in?
Pat McGrath Labs's product category is Luxury Color Cosmetics. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRABACAC, Lip Makeup (Lipstick, Lip Gloss, Lip Liner, Lip Stain, Lip Balm-Tint). Its NAICS code is 456120 and its SIC code is 2844.