The Dark Winter Makeup Trends Pat McGrath Is Backing

If there’s one person who can set a trend in motion, it’s legendary celebrity makeup artist Pat McGrath. The founder of her eponymous line, Pat McGrath Labs, she’s the definition of a trendsetter. Remember the glass-skin moment at the Maison Margiela Spring/Summer 2024 runway? Models walked with mirror-like, reflective skin that instantly went viral—courtesy of McGrath and her team. This season, she’s doing it again, leaning into dark, dramatic makeup to close out winter.

At New York Fashion Week, McGrath delivered standout winter beauty moments worth recreating at home. She doubled down on inky eyes and statement lips, balanced with luminous, fresh-looking skin. Though the looks debuted on the runway, they translate seamlessly into real life.

Modern Noir

Moody makeup looks dominated the Khaite Fall/Winter 2026 runway, where wine-stained lips and smoked-out eyes set the tone. “I wanted beauty that felt cinematic and slightly sinister—softly smoked eyes, a strong burgundy outline and lips that read like deep, inky velvet,” says McGrath. “I used MatteTrance Lipstick in Elson ($39) with something new (coming soon!) for that perfectly sculpted, noir mouth and built the gaze with PermaGel Ultra Glide Eye Pencil in Xtreme Black ($29). Everything was about quiet power—painterly, modern and unforgettable.”

While the mystery lip addition remains under wraps, recreating the look is simply a matter of choosing rich, inky shades that lean into the drama. And if you need further convincing, Taylor Swift is known to reach for that same Elson lipstick shade.

Polished With Edge

At Anna Sui’s Fall/Winter 2026 show, McGrath continued the “slightly dangerous” theme, pairing dramatic eyes with luminous, perfected skin.

“I wanted the face to feel like a character—polished, luminous and slightly dangerous,” says McGrath. “Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Foundation ($69) perfected the skin without ever looking heavy, while Mothership II: Sublime ($128) adds that decadent, downtown drama to the eyes. I defined the wings with PermaGel Ultra Glide Eye Pencil ($29) and finished the look with Lip Fetish Balm ($39) and something new (coming soon!) for a soft, lived-in sensuality.”

The runways aren’t the only place this brooding winter beauty is surfacing. If you’ve been anywhere near social media lately, you’ve likely seen the buzz around the new Wuthering Heights adaptation—and plenty of Margot Robbie’s striking press tour looks. The Gothic romance has quickly become a wellspring of beauty (and fashion) inspiration, especially when it comes to makeup and hair, and the mood is clearly extending far beyond the runway.