I tried official 'Bridgerton' makeup, and it's not the diamond beauty launch of the year

Publish date: 2024-07-14
2022-04-14T18:50:49Z

Daphne Bridgerton was the crown jewel of "Bridgerton" season one, and Edwina Sharma stole the show during season two.

Of course, the beauty industry doesn't name a "diamond" of the season each year, but there are always fan-favorite products — from beloved concealers to popular lipsticks. So as a beauty reporter and fan of the Netflix series, I had high hopes for Pat McGrath Labs' second "Bridgerton" makeup collaboration.

The line includes lipstick, eye shadow, blush, and more, with individual products ranging in price between $28 and $65. The collection is being sold at Sephora and on the brand's website, where I bought the $28 SatinAllure lipstick in the shade Négligée and the $65 Blushing Delights palette.

While there were some aspects of the makeup I liked, there were just as many that disappointed me. 

A post shared by Pat McGrath (@patmcgrathreal)

I'm a big fan of the lipstick and would purchase it in more shades

I've tried a few Pat McGrath Labs lipsticks in the past and have always enjoyed them. This "Bridgerton"-inspired one was no different.

Each "Bridgerton"-inspired lipstick retails for $28. Amanda Krause/Insider

In my experience, it applied smoothly with an opaque, satin finish, and held up pretty well throughout the day. The specific color I chose also reminded me of ones I've seen characters including Daphne and Eloise Bridgerton wear.

The lipstick did start to fade after eating and talking, but even then, the leftover color looked pretty and was fine to wear without touching up.

The product felt soft, looked nice, and held up throughout the day. Amanda Krause/Insider

The blush palette, however, left me feeling duped

When I opened my package from Pat McGrath Labs, I was pretty surprised by how small the palette was. It's packaged in a flimsy cardboard box, and the thin lining inside — which looks like a pillow but is actually paper — didn't line up with the blushes.

Typically, I wouldn't be too upset about simple packaging. But because this line is expensive, meant to be collectible, and designed to look luxurious, I expected more from my $65 purchase.

This blush palette costs $65. Amanda Krause/Insider

That said, the makeup itself is high quality.

Each blush is smooth, pigmented, and reminiscent of the shades you see Queen Charlotte and Kate Sharma wear in the show. I also appreciated that the included gold highlighter is buildable so that you can either get a light sparkle or a megawatt glow. 

The three blush shades, however, don't look drastically different from each other on the face, so I'd still probably prefer to buy one of the brand's standard $38 blush options.

Though the blushes appear different, they look similar on the face. Amanda Krause/Insider

If you're a major "Bridgerton" fan, I can see why this line might be appealing. The makeup itself works just fine, and the collection will likely become a collector's item.

That said, I find Pat McGrath's existing makeup to be worth the splurge more than either item I tried from this line.  The blush shades didn't stand out to me, and the "Bridgerton"-inspired packaging leaves something to be desired.

So at the end of the day, I can't really justify spending $65 on blush packaged in cardboard, or $28 on a lipstick that's just like others the brand sells. After all, watching "Bridgerton" via a rising Netflix subscription is expensive enough.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7o8HSoqWeq6Oeu7S1w56pZ5ufonyjvsidnp6qpKS7brXNrKeiqpWZeq6typ6sqWWimsOqsdZmp6GnpKTAbn6Pa2lmbA%3D%3D