Best Pat McGrath Eyeshadow Palettes of All Time (Well, So Far)
Best of Pat McGrath
Eyeshadow Palettes
Pat McGrath Eyeshadow Palettes are an indulgence, no doubt about that, and so picking the right palette to purchase can require some deliberation! Below, you’ll find a list with every eyeshadow palette the brand has released ranked from best to worst (well, “worst” since none of them have been flops thus far).
To date, the brand has launched eight full-sized Mothership (10-pan) palettes that retail for a wallet-numbing $125 along with several, smaller MTHRSHP (six-pan) palettes that retail for $55. The brand has also launched eyeshadow quads, though a lot of the smaller-format palettes have been limited edition.
My personal favorite is Decadence, which the brand finally confirmed is permanent!
Pat McGrath Decadence Mothership Eyeshadow Palette ($125.00 for 0.70 oz.) is a new, limited edition palette for spring that features 10...
Pat McGrath Decadence Mothership Eyeshadow Palette ($125.00 for 0.70 oz.) is a new, limited edition palette for spring that features 10...
Pat McGrath Subversive Eye Ecstasy Mini Eyeshadow Palette ($28.00 for 0.18 oz.) is a rich, more jewel-toned combination of shades. Two of the shades (Crimson...
Pat McGrath Subversive Eye Ecstasy Mini Eyeshadow Palette ($28.00 for 0.18 oz.) is a rich, more jewel-toned combination of shades. Two of the shades (Crimson...
Pat McGrath Subliminal Platinum Bronze MTHRSHP Eyeshadow Palette ($55.00 for 0.42 oz.) includes five shimmery shades and one matte in a smoky,...
Pat McGrath Subliminal Platinum Bronze MTHRSHP Eyeshadow Palette ($55.00 for 0.42 oz.) includes five shimmery shades and one matte in a smoky,...
Pat McGrath Subversive Metalmorphosis MTHRSHP Eyeshadow Palette ($55.00 for 0.42 oz.) is a new, limited edition six-pan palette that includes four new...
Pat McGrath Subversive Metalmorphosis MTHRSHP Eyeshadow Palette ($55.00 for 0.42 oz.) is a new, limited edition six-pan palette that includes four new...
Pat McGrath Golden Opulence MTHRSHP Eyeshadow Palette ($65.00 for 0.42 oz.) is a new, limited edition palette that launches on January 2nd on the...
Pat McGrath Golden Opulence MTHRSHP Eyeshadow Palette ($65.00 for 0.42 oz.) is a new, limited edition palette that launches on January 2nd on the...
Pat McGrath Galactic Gold MTHRSHP Eyeshadow Palette ($65.00 for 0.42 oz.) is a new, ultra limited edition palette that features six eyeshadows (three...
Pat McGrath Galactic Gold MTHRSHP Eyeshadow Palette ($65.00 for 0.42 oz.) is a new, ultra limited edition palette that features six eyeshadows (three...
Pat McGrath Bronze Seduction Mothership Eyeshadow Palette ($125.00 for 0.47 oz.) is a new, permanent palette that contains an assortment of...
Pat McGrath Bronze Seduction Mothership Eyeshadow Palette ($125.00 for 0.47 oz.) is a new, permanent palette that contains an assortment of...
Pat McGrath Divine Rose II Mothership Eyeshadow Palette ($125.00 for 0.47 oz.) is a new, 10-pan palette that features eight shimmery shades and two...
Pat McGrath Divine Rose II Mothership Eyeshadow Palette ($125.00 for 0.47 oz.) is a new, 10-pan palette that features eight shimmery shades and two...
Pat McGrath Bronze Ambition MTHRSHP Eyeshadow Palette ($55.00 for 0.42 oz.) is a new, limited edition selection of warm-toned neutrals with mostly...
Pat McGrath Bronze Ambition MTHRSHP Eyeshadow Palette ($55.00 for 0.42 oz.) is a new, limited edition selection of warm-toned neutrals with mostly...
Pat McGrath Sublime Bronze Temptation MTHRSHP Eyeshadow Palette ($55.00 for 0.42 oz.) is a new, limited edition six-pan palette that features a mix of...
Pat McGrath Sublime Bronze Temptation MTHRSHP Eyeshadow Palette ($55.00 for 0.42 oz.) is a new, limited edition six-pan palette that features a mix of...
Pat McGrath Dark Galaxy MTHRSHP Eyeshadow Palette ($65.00 for 0.42 oz.) is a new, limited edition palette that has come and gone, and based on what...
Pat McGrath Dark Galaxy MTHRSHP Eyeshadow Palette ($65.00 for 0.42 oz.) is a new, limited edition palette that has come and gone, and based on what...
Pat McGrath Sublime Eye Ecstasy Mini Eyeshadow Palette ($28.00 for 0.18 oz.) is a new, five-pan eyeshadow palette with four metallic shades and one...
Pat McGrath Sublime Eye Ecstasy Mini Eyeshadow Palette ($28.00 for 0.18 oz.) is a new, five-pan eyeshadow palette with four metallic shades and one...
Pat McGrath Iconic Illumination Blitz Astral Eyeshadow Quad ($65.00 for 0.2 oz.) is a new, limited edition foursome that features four warmer-toned...
Pat McGrath Iconic Illumination Blitz Astral Eyeshadow Quad ($65.00 for 0.2 oz.) is a new, limited edition foursome that features four warmer-toned...
Pat McGrath Ritualistic Rose Blitz Astral Eyeshadow Quad ($65.00 for 0.2 oz.) is a new, limited edition palette that features four shimmering shades:...
Pat McGrath Ritualistic Rose Blitz Astral Eyeshadow Quad ($65.00 for 0.2 oz.) is a new, limited edition palette that features four shimmering shades:...
Pat McGrath Divine Rose Mothership Palette ($125.00 for 0.47 oz.) is a new, surprise release from the brand that debuted exclusively on Selfridges'...
Pat McGrath Divine Rose Mothership Palette ($125.00 for 0.47 oz.) is a new, surprise release from the brand that debuted exclusively on Selfridges'...
Pat McGrath Subliminal Dark Star MTHRSHP Eyeshadow Palette ($55.00 for 0.42 oz.) is a new, limited edition set of six shades with two more matte...
Pat McGrath Subliminal Dark Star MTHRSHP Eyeshadow Palette ($55.00 for 0.42 oz.) is a new, limited edition set of six shades with two more matte...
Pat McGrath Eye Ecstasy Eyeshadow & Mascara Kit ($48.00 for 0.41 oz.) is a new, limited edition set of products including a six-pan eyeshadow palette,...
Pat McGrath Eye Ecstasy Eyeshadow & Mascara Kit ($48.00 for 0.41 oz.) is a new, limited edition set of products including a six-pan eyeshadow palette,...
Pat McGrath Nocturnal Nirvana Blitz Astral Eyeshadow Quad ($65.00 for 0.2 oz.) is a new, limited edition foursome that features all shimmer shades in...
Pat McGrath Nocturnal Nirvana Blitz Astral Eyeshadow Quad ($65.00 for 0.2 oz.) is a new, limited edition foursome that features all shimmer shades in...
Pat McGrath Subversive La Vie En Rose MTHRSHP Eyeshadow Palette ($55.00 for 0.42 oz.) is a new, limited edition six-pan palette that features five...
Pat McGrath Subversive La Vie En Rose MTHRSHP Eyeshadow Palette ($55.00 for 0.42 oz.) is a new, limited edition six-pan palette that features five...
Pat McGrath Midnight Sun Mothership Eyeshadow Palette ($125.00 for 0.47 oz.) is new, permanent palette that features 10 shades across a myriad of...
Pat McGrath Midnight Sun Mothership Eyeshadow Palette ($125.00 for 0.47 oz.) is new, permanent palette that features 10 shades across a myriad of...
Pat McGrath Sublime Mothership Eyeshadow Palette ($125.00 for 0.47 oz.) is a new, permanent palette that features 10 eyeshadows in a variety of...
Pat McGrath Sublime Mothership Eyeshadow Palette ($125.00 for 0.47 oz.) is a new, permanent palette that features 10 eyeshadows in a variety of...
Pat McGrath Subversive Mothership Eyeshadow Palette ($125.00 for 0.47 oz.) is a new, permanent palette that features 10 eyeshadows in a variety of...
Pat McGrath Subversive Mothership Eyeshadow Palette ($125.00 for 0.47 oz.) is a new, permanent palette that features 10 eyeshadows in a variety of...
Pat McGrath Subliminal Mothership Eyeshadow Palette ($125.00 for 0.47 oz.) is a new, permanent palette that features 10 eyeshadows in a variety of...
Pat McGrath Subliminal Mothership Eyeshadow Palette ($125.00 for 0.47 oz.) is a new, permanent palette that features 10 eyeshadows in a variety of...
Ooh, if only I would have waited 2 more hours to place my order, Club Kiss would have been included! My impulsivity works to my detriment sometimes…. Because now I am thinking of placing one more, Club Kiss and Metamorphosis MTHRSHP.
Santa is going to bring me one of these, I just can’t decide which one. I have my fingers crossed for a Black Friday deal on her website. Did she have something for Black Friday last year?
This is all that they did last year –
11/27 – 40% off Metalmorphosis 005 kit, 12 hours only, starting 12PM EST
Christine, the 3 6-pan palettes released this spring are permanent and the 3 released last month are limited edition, right? Also, do you know whether or not the new Blitz lipsticks are permanent? I’m just at Insider level at Sephora so my plan is to limit my purchases to seasonal PMG things at Sephora during Insider promotion and to hold on the permanent things until her site has a sitewide 20% off sale or when I’m back on VIB level for a 20% off promo at Sephora. Even with 15% off her things, my wallet can’t justify the purchase of 4 eye palettes and 15 lipsticks. Once I know what things are seasonal, then I won’t feel bad about purchasing just the holiday eye palettes with the blue and the green shades this time around. My FOMO issues will be more manageable with limiting my lipstick selection to 2 out of 5 shades versus 2 out of 15.
Hi Rebecca,
Technically, all of the six-pan palettes are limited edition. The original six are still be produced but they are not technically part of core. The BlitzTrance lipsticks are permanent per my contact at PMG. Two of the BlitzTrance shades (Electra and Blitz Gold) are exclusive to PMG.
Why buy 4 palettes? What is driving that need/want to have 4?
Thanks for the info, Christine!
The 10-pan palettes are nice but I’ve come to the realization that I just get confused and overwhelmed when I have to decide from more than 6 eye shadow colors at a time. I really like the 6-pan palettes for that reason. I got the Rose palette on her site (which I really love) during her 20% off sale last summer but I’m sorry I didn’t get the other 2 spring palettes as I realized I really like them too. Each of these has at least 2 or 3 unique shades hence the desire for 4 of these palettes.
Technically, I have no “need” for any of this but I’ve fallen in love with her collection ever since I saw it and bought a few things myself that I adore :). On top of the eyeshadow, her lipsticks and liners are some of the best I’ve encountered and I have others from Charlotte Tilbury, Tom Ford, Dior, Kevyn Aucoin, etc …
I’ve been going back and forth with myself over what I plan to get later this month during Sephora Insider promo that’s within my budget. Yesterday that was the 6-pan holiday eye palettes with the blue and the green shades, 2 of her lip liners, and 2 of the shimmer lipsticks. Now that you’ve confirmed all the 6-pans are technically limited edition and the shimmer lipsticks are permanent, I’ll be rethinking what I’ll be getting … again 🙂
I own all of Pat McGraft’s eye shadow palettes and love them so much! They never let me down so happy to have this collection!!
Subliminal Platinum Bronze is my favourite. But they are all good.
Thank you for this overview Christine because there have been quite a few releases over the past year or so and I find the names to be a bit confusing as they all sound very similar. They are expensive palettes, and as you have said, it’s important to get the one you would get the most use out of right.
I normally will supplement most of my PML palettes with another one of her palettes or Viseart palette, but I finally used the Subliminal by itself last week and I realized that a complete look can be made with it. I just had to get out of my comfort zone a little by using shimmers/satins in the crease. I also had to remind myself that shadows can be mixed together to make another color, so I didn’t have to reach for a mid-toned brown. So at first glance you might not think you can make a complete look with some of her palettes, you actually can.
I’m very interested in seeing what Subliminal and Subliminal Dark Star or Subliminal Platinum Bronze & Subliminal Dark Star can do together. I’m sure a stunning look can be made.
I really hate that I cannot complete my collection with the newest Subversion entry, but with two repeat shades, it wouldn’t make any sense. Even though Metallurgy & Smoked Amethyst really call to me. I will have to make due with dupes.
I definitely think you can create looks with just the palettes as well! 🙂
Not even surprised by this! Kind of hard to find fault with her formula, so far. I only have five of these but I am truly amazed by them. My only criticism is the price point and sometimes shade selection, otherwise, these are golden.
Agreed. Although, I love her golds, I think she could take a step back from always including them in her palettes.
I want to pick up more of her palettes. Do you know when her 20% off sale is this year?
Sorry, I don’t have any information about upcoming sales!
I somehow let myself buy all three of the new palettes in last week’s rouge sale but I’m going to take Metalmorphosis back. Smoked Amethyst was actually the only color I liked. I was pretty surprised because initially that was the only one I intended to purchase. The colors seemed too brassy or something on me. I didn’t think I’d like Dark Star and I actually think it might be my favorite but I’ve been wearing Corruption from the Sublime Bronze Temptation with the either or both of the two mattes pretty much every single day this week. I’m extremely tempted to pick up Subversive during this week’s sale. Even though it doesn’t get the best ratings, those pops of cooler colors really speak to me.
I think the thing to keep in mind with my reviews is that it’s about setting expectations over everything else – certain cons about a product may be soft or inconsequential depending on your own needs, how you apply, etc. that it’s good to know but not a deal-breaker!
Very good advice! Thank you!
I received my very first Pat McGrath eyeshadow palette today in the mail – Subliminal Platinum Bronze. Now I need to learn how to put together a look with it.
Christine, you’ve put together a great compilation of her shadows, I think others who are taking the plunge (like me!) will find the list really helpful.
I’m tempted by Subliminal Dark Star…
I hope you get a chance to wear Subliminal Platinum Bronze soon!
Hi Christine, I just love this review so much. Earlier this week I bought the Decadence palette on eBay outright for $195 on the strength of your recommendations (I got on the PMG train this summer and it was sold out by then). I also bought the Opulence set with all 9 lippies and the Blitztrance set (minus the 8th shade not available yet), reviews unseen. I just love her other palettes so much and so blown away by her MatteTrances. Her shadows last me through long days AND 60-75minute hot yoga classes where I sweat like a pig (Metalmorphosis). It’s no joke. Her shadows and lipsticks are so bomb. I love that you lined up all the palette reviews here and have to agree with your analysis. Mothership I is at the bottom but it’s still a very solid palette.
I had to make a choice between collecting ND vs PMG. Some of the ND shades totally blow me away – her duochromes are out of this world. The color stories are gorgeous. However, the palette performance is inconsistent and if you love brushes and don’t like to use your fingers on your own lids, they are at times.. high maintenance?? So I bought a few single shadows at her flagship (which happens to be 2 blocks from where I live) and decided to invest in PMG. I also got a bunch of Sonia G brushes from Beautylish this week and am off to the races. I decided that this is an investment that will pay off in the long run in time savings and pure enjoyment. Putting on makeup is my favorite hour of the day and is my meditation. It’s definitely an addiction but not a terrible one, as far as addictions go. I suppose you could say PMG brings me closer to God ?
Anyway, thank you for posting this and I love the concept of reviewing and comparing all of a brand’s specific product line on one page. This was truly an homage to this brand’s solid vision and art and I just can’t wait to see what she comes up with next. Surely, foundations and other face products and more palette surprises.
Thank you also for all your consistent hard work in getting the reviews out quickly – they are always timely and it’s the one newsletter I read religiously every day. You guys are doing an amazing job!
Ouch! $195! It’s a great palette – wish she’d bring it back for sure!
I agree that PMG’s formulation has been consistent across her palettes whereas ND has had her formula change over time (in terms of actual ingredients!), so it’s harder to know from one palette to the next what you’re getting, and I think how ND changed her shimmers from her debut to now… I can see why some people are no longer enamored. (To me, it’s more how some people prefer the firmness of MAC eyeshadows over the softness of ABH eyeshadows… neither is better/worse so much as a preference.)
How are you liking the BlitzTrance lipsticks?
Hey Christine, I probably overshot it with getting all the Blitz. Some of them are terrific but there are colors that don’t really fit my complexion, like the orchid. Otherwise, it’s a terrific formula. I’ve layered it over the Matte lippies and it looks terrific.
But I still prefer her MatteTrances – they are bomb. One application over liner (either PMG or Charlotte Tilbury) can last me 8 hours and one lasted through a 1hr hot yoga class where we sweat like pigs. It’s no joke. The pigment is out of this world. But my presence might be a function of my perception that mattes stay on reliably longer than glitter/shimmer/satin formulas.
I’ll see how Blitz performs at yoga this week and report back 😉
I LOVE that you did a ND palette review – it’s the 11th hour of the Rouge sale and I’m debating getting the new (2018) sunset or the gold palette. I have gold dupes just in my PMG collection alone and the blues in Decadence probably outshine the ND blues. But Sunset is so alluring and your bump in the rating makes me want to get it. Then again, I was a huge fan of her buttery shimmer formula so… meh. I’ll probably pass and wait for PMG to release more dupes for those palettes but better performing. Those 28-pans were such a mixed bag, maybe I have PTSD when it comes to ND shadows!
I’m insanely impressed by bronze seduction palette. Thought it would be too warm, but it does not pull heavy yellow/orange. Blending is positively dreamy. It would also be my top pick.
I did just give in and get PMG’s highlighter trio, but I think I’ll successfully resist the (admittedly impressive) eyeshadow palettes.
PMG eyeshadows receive so much praise, but I haven’t found one that really speaks to me. Subliminal Mothership comes closest, but it’s not worth $125 to me, especially with a less than “A” rating.
For $125, you have to love it! So it’s better not to buy until you do.
I’m still mad at myself a little that I didn’t just get Decadence when it was out. I still think about those blues in there. Sigh.
I have the Bronze Seduction and all 6 of the 6 pan palettes and I love every single one of them and every shadow in them. I do prefer the 6 pan palettes over the larger ones though. I bought the large Sublime palette but I really didn’t like it very much so I returned it without any hesitation.. Something about it just didn’t work for me.
Now Bronze Seduction-pure perfection. You would have to pry it from my cold, dead hands. It’s everything I ever wanted in a palette. It is literally my *perfect* palette.
I can’t wait to see if she comes out with another limited edition spring palette like Decadence.
Why is it the one I want is the lowest rated, boo hoo!