Fantasy and War Paint

Each season the makeup artist Pat McGrath creates the faces for about 22 of the most important shows in New York, Milan, and Paris. (At an average of 35 models per show, that means she puts eyeliner on more than 1,400 eyelids in five weeks. One of her most important tools is the Pampers baby wipes she uses to keep her hands clean backstage). Hyperbole follows McGrath, but justifiably; she’s famous because she’s able to translate a few scraps of information, some words, a handful of fabric samples, and one or two meetings with the designer—that’s what passes for a brief in fashion—into makeup that augments the clothes as much as any pair of shoes or handbag but lasts just a few hours. Here, five of her spring creations.

Fantasy and War Paint