Pat McGrath Labs Debuted the Buzziest Mascara of 2020—See Our Before-and-Afters

Though we have major love for lots of beauty brands here at Who What Wear, we're especially besotted with anything legendary makeup artist Pat McGrath creates. Ever since its launch, her eponymous makeup brand, Pat McGrath Labs, has gained fast and fervent fandom, and each new launch incites more giddiness and anticipation than the last. According to McGrath, "makeup is a movement," and her gleaming, otherworldly lipsticks, eye shadows and skin-perfecting elixirs almost always live up to their transformative, fetish-inducing claims. 

As recent beauty-world buzz would suggest, Pat McGrath (who is lovingly known as Mother within the industry) has done it again with her latest product launch, Dark Star Mascara (£26)—a sister to the brand's OG FetishEyes Mascara (£26). As touted by a press release from the brand, Dark Star delivers "gravity-defying instant volume," "illicitly luxe length," and "weightless life" with just a single stroke. 

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The Reviews

Courtney Higgs, Associate Beauty Editor

Before: 

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(Image credit: @court_higgs)

Rating: 5/5 stars

Review: "I’m a mascara girl. It’s the one (okay, one of three or four) makeup products I feel truly naked and afraid without. I have pretty long lashes, but I have definitely noticed them losing density ever so slightly as the years go by. That’s life, I guess! When it comes to mascara formulas, I’m really not a stickler about any particular claim. Volumising? Great. Lengthening? Sure, why not? My only deal breaker is clumping. I absolutely can’t stand that and won’t tolerate any mascara that makes my lashes stick together like creepy spider legs. This mascara ticks all my boxes plus a few I didn’t even know mattered to me! Of course, Mother really thought of it all.

"So for starters, I accidentally put it to the test in the most extreme summer circumstance—a day at the beach. I applied the varnish in the passenger seat of a moving vehicle and loved how easy it was to coat each lash without any precise technique—no wand wiggling required. Since I didn’t jump in the ocean, I can’t speak to how this stuff holds up after being submerged underwater, but I did do a fair amount of sweating, and it didn’t budge. I expected at least a little smudging around my lower lash line, but even that didn’t occur. What did occur, however, were fluttery, beautiful-looking lashes reminiscent of the thick, curly fringe from my youth. All this to say I freakin' love this mascara. Next time, I’ll have to take a dip and see how it performs underwater."

After: 

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(Image credit: @court_higgs)

Erin Jahns, Beauty Editor

Before:

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(Image credit: @erin_jahns)

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Review: "I'd argue that mascara is one of the most finicky types of beauty products to review. Not only does everyone have different lashes (from length to density to curl), but also everyone has different lash goals. My ultimate mascara, for instance, gives me lots of volume, lots of curl, lots of length, and lots of definition. Basically, I want practically cartoonish, borderline Disney Princess–level lashes that completely pop out from my face. My lashes are naturally super long, and honestly, I don't mind a little clumping. In fact, it's kind of my signature look. However, I know that kind of drama is some people's worst mascara nightmare. To each their own!

"My long lashes and my eyes are probably my favourite feature, and I love to play them up. Therefore, I pretty much never apply anything short of three coats, and sometimes I'll add even more. I'll mix and match brands and formulas. Essentially, I'm a mad scientist when it comes to mascara. Oh, and I'm also a super-tough critic. Even though I have lots of natural length, my lashes are extremely straight, dark, and dense, so it practically takes witchcraft for a mascara to have enough curl and length power to satisfy me. Truly, there are only about three or four mascaras that have every truly wowed me, and I've remained completely loyal ever since discovering them.

"I have to be honest. I didn't love this mascara. That said, I can recognize it's a truly phenomenal formula, it's just not my personal cup of tea. If you're someone who wants really light, fluttery lift and volume with just one or two quick wiggles through your lashes, you'll love this mascara. But as someone who likes to layer and needs a lot of durable curl, it just didn't quite do it for me and started to make my lashes look a little clumpy and stumpy as I tried to add more coats. Plus, I did feel like my lashes 'fell' as the day went on, so I actually added a top coat of my favourite curling mascara to keep them from getting too droopy. One last note: This brush (and the entire tube in general) is large. So if you struggle to not get mascara all over your lids and eyes while you apply, the larger brush size definitely might exacerbate the problem. It's not the end of the world but worth mentioning all the same. I stand by my 3.5-star rating because, for people who want a light boost of fanned-out volume, this mascara is home run, even if I'm not sure it will be a regular within my rotation." 

After: 

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(Image credit: @erin_jahns)

Sarah Yang, Managing Editor, THE/THIRTY

Before:

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(Image credit: @sarahayang)

Rating: 4/5 stars

Review: "After I stopped taking a medication that made my eyelashes grow like crazy, they've gone back to their short-and-sparse natural state. I've been using lash serums, which have been helping, but now more than ever, I need my mascara products to REALLY work for me. My ideal mascara is one that defines, lengthens, volumises, and lifts––so you know, I'm expecting miracles.

"I was really excited to try this new launch, and I curled my lashes before my application. I loved that my lashes instantly looked darker and fuller. I definitely looked more awake! There also was no clumping or smudging, which was a big plus. And when I looked in the mirror after wearing it for a couple of hours, I was happy to see that my lashes were still lifted. I would definitely add this one to my rotation. I think my favourite part about it was how defined my lashes looked."

After:

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(Image credit: @sarahayang)

Jasmine Fox-Suliaman, Audience Engagement Editor

Before:

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(Image credit: @fashionwithjazz)

Rating: 4/5 stars

Review: "I've admitted it once, and I'll admit it again: I'm not one to have a full makeup regimen. Because I grew up with heavy eczema breakouts around my eyes, I've avoided eye makeup and, by extension, mascara for quite some time. It took me a long time to find a formula that wouldn't irritate my skin (I currently use one from Yves Saint Laurent), but I'm still never overly excited to apply mascara. Despite all of this, when fellow editor Erin reached out to to see if I'd be willing to try out Mother McGrath's newest mascara, I couldn't resist because I will never turn down an opportunity to support the magical being that is Pat McGrath.

"Since I'm not a false-lash-look kind of girl (no judgment if you are), when applying it, I did one layer. Despite it being so minimal, it automatically made my lashes pop and wasn't itchy at all, which I find a lot of mascara to be. The real test, however, was whether or not it would have staying power on a humid day in the city with no air conditioning. It passed! Overall, for a mascara-averse girl, I'm a big fan of this mascara."

After:

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(Image credit: @fashionwithjazz)

8 More Products Our Editors Love From Pat McGrath Labs

Beauty Director

Erin has been writing a mix of beauty and wellness content for Who What Wear for over four years. Prior to that, she spent two and half years writing for Byrdie. She now calls Santa Monica home but grew up in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and studied writing, rhetoric, and communication at University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. She studied abroad in Galway, Ireland, and spent a summer in L.A. interning with the Byrdie and Who What Wear family. After graduating from UW, she spent one year in San Francisco, where she worked as a writer for Pottery Barn Kids and PBteen before moving down to L.A. to begin her career as a beauty editor. She considers her day-to-day beauty aesthetic very low-maintenance and relies on staples like clear brow serum (from Kimiko!), Lawless's Lip Plumping Mask in Cherry Vanilla, and an eyelash curler. For special occasions or days when she's taking more meetings or has an event, she'll wear anything and everything from Charlotte Tilbury (the foundations are game-changing), some shimmer on her lids (Stila and Róen do it best), and a few coats of the best mascara-type product on earth, Surratt's Noir Lash Tint.