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Pat McGrath Made Eye Shadow Exciting Again

With her latest makeup drop — three vibrant eye-shadow palettes — Pat McGrath invites you to add a little drama to your eyes, darling. Welcome to Mothership. It’s what the mother of all makeup artists is calling the eye-shadow addition to her new permanent makeup collection. Unlike Pat McGrath Labs’ flash collections of yore, Mothership is here to stay.

Pat McGrath Labs Mothership I: Subliminal.

Each of the three Mothership palettes holds ten pots of pigment. Mothership II: Sublime carries a coterie of earthy colors with an edge. “Xtreme Black,” which also appears in the two other palettes, and “Dark,” a rusty red, are the sole matte shades. “Copper Toned,” “Rose Dusk,” “Iconic,” a medium brown, and “Skinshow Glow,” which is a Champagne-like hue, are mildly shimmery. The rest are wonderfully iridescent. This includes a gorgeous emerald shade, which, when applied with a wet brush, drips in shine.

Mothership’s versatility is its calling card. The colors are less like eye shadows and more like rich pigments: dense in color, velvet in texture when dry, and creamy, like melted metal, when mixed with a tiny bit of wetness. The shades are buildable in their dry state, but only require a single swipe when applied wet.

Pat McGrath Mothership III: Subversive.

Mothership III: Subversive is a party palette, with its twinkly purples and golds, while Mothership I: Subliminal takes cues from both Subversive and Sublime. Its browns are muted yet not boring, and you must try “Blitz Blue,” which is as glossy and theatrical as a sapphire stone.

Pat McGrath Mothership III: Sublime

All three palettes are available on Pat McGrath’s site today for $125 each, and will launch on sephora.com October 6. Sequins not included.

How to Buy Pat McGrath’s New Celestial Eye-Shadow Palettes