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Travis Kelce may be her new rumored BF, but fans know that Taylor Swift’s most compatible companion has always been her red lipstick. Throughout almost every era, she’s been sporting that “red lip classic” thing that Swifties like, but it was really around the OG 1989 release that the “Style” singer claimed “cherry lips” as her beauty essential. Now that 1989 (Taylor’s Version)is finally here, I and other Swifties are shopping the best red lipsticks to cop Taylor’s makeup look.
Ahead of my favorite album’s re-release on Oct. 27, I’ve been on the hunt for the best (and most Swift-worthy) red lipstick to wear. The perfect shade should be bold, while also having the staying power to last the entire Eras Tour set list. Basically, a longwear shade should “let you (be) bejeweled” and not smudge when you “kiss in cars and downtown bars.”
While Swift has kept her current 2023 go-to lipstick locked away like her vault songs, she previously mentioned in 2014 that she’s a fan of NARS’ Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in the shade Dragon Girl ($27). Another pick for Swift during the 2015 1989 era was MAC’s Ruby Woo Retro Matte Lipstick ($23), which she said was a “staple.” Luckily, those two shades are still around, but it seems Swift has moved on to other options recently.
After working with Pat McGrath on the “Bejeweled” music video in 2022, one of Swift’s red lipstick choices was the LiquiLUST: Legendary Wear Matte Lipstick in Elson 4. Pat McGrath Labs even had a now sold-out “Taylor-Made” Lip Kit for Swifties to recreate the look with the lipstick and PermaGel Ultra Lip Pencil in Deep Dive. The actual lipstick is still available at Sephora, though, but I had to investigate whether it’s really the best red lipstick for the 1989 (Taylor’s Version) era.
I tested it out and rated it against seven other popular red lipstick products to find the absolute best shade to wear while dancing to “Shake It Off (Taylor’s Version)” with your besties.