What Is Taylor Swift's Signature Red Lip? An Investigation

We went deep.

Throughout Taylor Swift's nearly 20-year career, she's leaned on red lipstick as her staple beauty look. Whether she's performing for her millions of fans on tour or supporting boyfriend Travis Kelce at a Kansas City Chiefs game, the singer keeps her pout bold and red. It all started back in 2009 when Swift posed for the March 2009 Allure cover. Makeup artist Gucci Westman gave Swift her first-ever red lip, and the rest is history.

The Origin of Taylor Swift's Famous Red Lip

"She’d never worn a red lip,” Westman told Elle Australia in late 2023. “When the red lip happened, I had to get permission by her mum [Andrea Swift].” She revealed that Swift's management told her, "Taylor doesn’t do red, [and] I said, ‘Well, Taylor needs to try red.'”

Westman doesn't recall the exact red lip she used for the cover shoot, but she recommends mixing the shades Brick and Tomato from the Lip Suede: Les Rouges palette from her eponymous makeup line.

Why Taylor Swift Wears Red Lipstick

Since this fateful day, Swift has kept up her red lip. It "really helps you show emotion," Swift shared with E! News in 2010. According to Leatrice Eiseman, executive director at the Pantone Color Institute, red also has that inescapable allure. “Red is mother nature’s signal color — think of hummingbirds and their attraction to red,” Eiseman previously told InStyle. “It is a dynamic color that is impossible to ignore.”

Taylor Swift's Favorite Red Lipstick Products

In the years since the debut of her red lip, Swift has continued to switch it up with different red lipsticks. In 2015, the singer revealed to People that she used the iconic MAC lipstick Ruby Woo. She's also reported to have worn the NARS Matte Lip Pencil in Dragon Girl.

In 2022, the makeup mother herself, Pat McGrath, revealed the exact products she used from her eponymous (and legendary) makeup line to doll Swift up for the Bejeweled music video. "'Taylor is the most divine collaborator and a superb director. She is meticulous, thorough, and detailed. My goal was to use make-up to communicate Taylor’s unique vision," McGrath told Elle UK. "We took her signature lip to the next level by using LiquiLUST: Legendary Wear Matte Lipstick ELSON 4 and then created what I call a “contour-Ombré” lip with three different shades of my PermaGel Ultra Glide Lip Pencils in Deep Dive and Blood Lust and Deep Void."

Taylor Swift's Favorite Shade of Red

Out of all of the reds she's worn, they all have one major thing in common. "Her shade is usually consistent with a true red," says makeup artist Neil Scibelli. "It’s not too orange, and it’s not too brick - it’s right in the middle as a true red." Keeping the look consistent in this way has allowed it to become such a signature look. "It has been a consistent feature that she has leaned into for most of her career," adds Scibelli.

Whether Swift is performing long shows, going out to dinner with friends, or kissing Kelce on the field, the lipstick does. not. budge. So it's clear that she reaches for reds with long-lasting staying power for a clean look. It's always "a demi-matte or creamy, velvety formula," says Scibelli. "Something that isn’t too matte and drying yet isn’t overly glossy." Because of this, it's crucial to have a smooth canvas prior to application.  “I love to exfoliate my lips prior to applying any lip to remove dry skin,” Mariela Bagnato, professional makeup artist and founder of MBeauty, previously told InStyle.

To land a red look that's identical to Swifts, go for a neutral red. For a more Swift-adjacent look, find that bold, long-lasting red in a shade that really suits your skin tone and undertones. "Everyone can find their red," says Scibelli. "If you’re not a true red, you may be a pink-red or an orangey red. But I think there’s a way to wear a statement red for everyone."

And no matter what red lip you choose, embrace your inner pop star and rock it with confidence.

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Read the original article on InStyle.