Celebrity makeup artist says Taylor Swift’s mother didn’t want singer to wear red lipstick
The celebrity makeup artist behind Taylor Swift’s now-iconic red lipstick, Gucci Westman, has shared how the singer’s mother Andrea initially felt about the colour.
Westman, 52, spoke candidly about her career in Hollywood during Tuesday’s episode of Today with Hoda and Jenna. She reflected on doing Swift’s makeup for the cover of Allure in 2009, which was when the Grammy-Award winner first posed in her now-signature red lipstick.
The makeup artist pointed out that when she first wanted to put red lipstick on Swift more than 15 years ago, the Fearless singer’s mother was a bit hesitant about it.
“So I remember I really wanted to do a red lip on her because I hadn’t seen her in a red lip before. And her mom, if I’m allowed to say this, was like: ‘Well Taylor doesn’t wear red,’” Westman recalled. “And I was like: ‘Oh please, can I try?’”
Jenna Bush Hager then acknowledged how, after the Allure cover, red lipstick became a big part ofSwift’s signature look. “And the rest is history!” the TV host added.
Westman agreed and responded: “Look at her now! That was her first red.”
This isn’t the first time that the designer has opened up about working with Andrea and Taylor Swift. During an interview with Elle Australia in October 2023, she first confessed that she had to get Andrea’s approval before putting red lipstick on the “Love Story” singer.
“She’d never worn a red lip,” she explained. “When the red lip happened, I had to get permission by her mum.”
Westman once again recalled that Swift’s management had told her that “Taylor doesn’t do red,” but that the makeup artist had responded: “Well, Taylor needs to try red.”
In November 2021, Westman took to Instagram to share a snap of the 2009 Allure cover, and revealed that Swift took home the lipstick that she was wearing that day.
“Taylor’s first ‘red,’” she wrote in the caption. “From our 2009 @allure cover shoot, which was her first time wearing red lipstick. This look was inspired by Vargas girls & I sent Taylor home with her own tube afterwards. So many other fun moments followed.”
Over the years, Swift has expressed how much she loves wearing red lipstick. During an interview with People in 2014, she noted that while she’d experiment with differnt looks, her red lipstick is one of the things that continues to to fit her best.
“I’ll go through different phases with makeup and always try new things,” she told the publication at the time, as reported by Huffington Post. “Except I never really get too far from red lipstick, do I? I guess I just think my face looks worse without it. That’s pretty much the only rationale behind it.”
Swifties have also fawned over the singer’s signature red lipstick, which noticeably remained intact when she kissed her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, on the football field after the Kansas City Chiefs won the AFC Championship game in January.
While it’s unclear if she uses the exact same lipstick shade every time she leaves the house, makeup artist Pat McGrath previously revealed that Swift’s go-to shade is the Legendary Wear Lipstick in Elson 4 from Pat McGrath Labs, which costs $34. However, the exact shade Elson 4 is nearly impossible to find online as it is often sold out.
