After a four-year hiatus, Victoria’s Secret’s famed fashion show is back — but reimagined in a cool new way. To celebrate the latest iteration of the event—a feature length film (Called ‘The Tour ’23’ and streaming on Prime Video on Sept. 26) — the brand threw a massive, star-studded bash on September 6 just hours before the official start of New York Fashion Week.
Angel wings were abound — but that wasn’t the only thing that caught our attention. The makeup, modeled by Naomi Campbell, Emily Ratajkowski, Taylor Hill and more was casually cool, modern and yet iconic. And of course, it was the concept of beauty guru Pat McGrath.
“This major moment and experience with Victoria’s Secret [was] an ultimate pleasure,” McGrath told PEOPLE exclusively after a whirlwind evening.
The legendary makeup artist, who has worked with the brands several times in the past and says it’s always an “angelic” experience, explains of her inspiration, “The makeup is a celebration and evolution of legendary beauty. We fused ultimate red carpet glamour with timeless runway looks. We wanted to push the boundaries of modern innovation with a transformative edge.”
McGrath interprets today’s Victoria’s Secret Angel as someone who “embodies confidence, magnetism, and divine femininity. She is angelic in her own right, empowered and radiant.”
To enhance that inner radiance, McGrath created the “ultimate glow”with a few of her core products from her brand Pat McGrath Labs, including the Divine Skin: Rose 001TM The Essence, Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Foundation — and in true McGrath fashion — something that “is #ComingSoon!” she teased.
From this foundation, McGrath and her team crafted two main looks: “Angelic Allure” and “Crimson Noir.”
“Both looks are adaptable to each model’s unique beauty, with the common threads being skin that’s radiant and luminous and variations of sultry eyes,” McGrath says.
For the “Angelic Allure” look, McGrath says that her “The Mothership XI: Sunlit Seduction palette “was indispensable for achieving that refined, sultry smoky eye with layers of shimmer and metallics.”
“Pairing that with PermaGel Ultra Glide Eye Pencil in either BLK Coffee or Xtreme Black allowed for that smudged, irresistible eye definition.”
In the case of “Crimson Noir,” McGrath shares that the “MatteTrance Lipsticks in Elson, Forbidden Love, and McMenamy “were the key players. They transformed the lips into a deep, mesmerizing black cherry shade.”
In both looks there was a symbolic reference to Victoria’s Secret’s iconic soft pink shade.
“For this particular show we decided to embrace a broader palette, [but] the Divine Blush: Legendary Glow Colour Balm in Divine Rose subtly nods to that iconic VS pink, creating a harmonious link to the brand’s heritage while pushing the boundaries of modern beauty,” McGrath says.
In “Angelic Allure” the creamy stick “brought that pinch of ethereal perfection to the cheeks,” while in “Crimson Noir,” it “provided that glowing, glazed finish to the cheeks, ensuring that the skin looked as radiant as ever,” McGrath says.
For the event itself, McGrath personally worked with her chosen sister and “forever #McGrathMuse” Naomi Campbell, as well as Taylor Hill, and more models.
“Working with Naomi is always such much joy, it is like a family reunion,” McGrath shared. On her, they used Divine Skin: Rose 001TM The Essence for prep, MatteTranceTM in Omi for her lips, and a couple of Divine Blush: Legendary Glow Colour Balms for that radiant flush on her cheeks.”
Says McGrath of the end result, “I was absolutely thrilled to work with so many iconic angels [and] it’s also exciting to meet and collaborate with the new baby angels making their runway debut!”
“The best part was the collaborative spirit, blending classic elements of beauty with today’s modern approach to create something truly extraordinary.”