Grab these Taylor Swift-approved red lipsticks before she visits Southeast Asia next year

With international pop sensation Taylor Swift heading to Singapore as the Southeast Asia stop of her wildly-successful Eras Tour next March, what better way to prepare for the event than by finding the perfect Taylor-approved red lipstick?

In this post, we’ll explore the various red lipsticks she has worn over the years and the perfect dupes to achieve that red lip, classic, thing that all Swifties like.

Taylor’s red lip: A brief history

We’ve always associated the pop star with her red lip, but when did it all start?

Believe it or not, it wasn’t until March 2009, three years into her career, that the country-turned-pop singer embraced the lip shade that would continue to be associated with her for over a decade.

At that time, Taylor had just released her successful album, “Fearless,” and was featured on the cover of Allure magazine. Gucci Westman, her makeup artist for the shoot and the founder of the clean beauty brand Westman Atelier, played a significant role in introducing her to the world of the red lip.

Having worked with Taylor multiple times, Westman fondly recalls being the one to suggest the red lip for the Allure shoot.

Despite initial reservations from Taylor’s management, who claimed that “Taylor doesn’t do red,” Westman stood firm, stating that Taylor should give it a try. The makeup artist aimed to give Taylor an updated Vargas-girl look with striking lips and flawless skin.

Taylor fell in love with the red lipstick so much that Westman gifted her a tube to take home. This became her look for her first-ever headlining tour, The Fearless Tour, and marked the beginning of a recognisable look that has since become a defining element throughout Taylor Swift’s illustrious career.

Since then, the 11-time Grammy and 40-time American Music Awards winner has referenced her signature pout multiple times throughout her discography, cementing her position as Hollywood’s queen of the red lip.

You may recognise lyrics from instant pop hits like Wildest Dreams and Blank Space, such as “Red lips and rosy cheeks,” and “Cherry lips, crystal skies.”

5 lipsticks to get Taylor Swift’s red lip look

While the singer has remained fairly tight-lipped on the exact red lipstick she prefers currently, we’ve looked into a few of her older interviews and images to uncover some of the ones that have contributed to her iconic looks.

NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dragon Girl

In preparation for the 2014 Met Gala, Taylor took to Instagram to share a picture of her and model Karlie Kloss getting their glam on. Eagle-eyed fans spotted the bold red lip the singer was holding, which was Nars’ Dragon Girl, a matte lip product that has an application of a lipstick but the convenience of an artist’s pencil.

NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil retails for RM175.50 and is available at Lazada. 

Covergirl Exhibitionist Lipstick in Hot

Back during Taylor’s days as a CoverGirl, she cited a particular drugstore find from the American cosmetics brand as one of her beloved red lipsticks. One of her go-to choices was Covergirl Lip Perfection Lipstick in Hot, a cherry-red shade subtly blue-based, which beautifully complemented skin with pink undertones. Taylor often paired this lipstick with her signature makeup technique, the flicked black liner.

In a 2012 interview with Redbook, she shared her application method, stating, “I swipe on my lipstick, place a tissue between my lips, and blot. Then, if I really need the colour to last, I hold the tissue against my mouth and brush translucent powder over it, which sets it.”

While the line featuring the original shade has since been discontinued, Covergirl has fortunately provided a replacement for the exact shade in their Exhibitionist Lipstick collection.

MAC Retro Matte Lipstick in Ruby Woo

For the Anti-Hero singer, MAC’s lipstick in Ruby Woo is a must-have. She told People back in 2015 that she “recently discovered Ruby Woo by MAC, which I think everyone knows is a staple. I was the last person to discover it.”

The classic cherry-red shade, Ruby Woo, has also been worn by other celebrities like Rihanna, Angelina Jolie, Rita Ora, and Janet Jackson.

MAC Retro Matte Lipstick in Ruby Woo retails for RM95 and is available at Sephora.my.

Chanel Rouge Allure Luminous Intense Lip Color in Pirate

This cool-toned dark red lipstick from Chanel is a favourite among makeup artists. It’s also the one Taylor Swift pulled off when she posed for the cover of the November 2013 InStyle issue.

Chanel Rouge Allure Luminous Intense Lip Color in Pirate retails for RM170 and is available at Chanel.

Pat McGrath Taylor-Made Lip Kit

What better way to get Taylor’s iconic red lip than one inspired by the singer herself? Pat McGrath’s “Taylor-Made” Lip Kit is a collaboration between the renowned makeup artist and the pop star that was created during their work together on Taylor’s stunning Bejeweled music video.

The standout feature of the “Taylor-Made” Lip Kit is Pat McGrath’s LiquiLUST Legendary Wear Matte Lipstick in Elson 4. This lipstick boasts a matte finish designed to remain intact without smudging. As the lip kit is currently sold out at the time of writing, read on to see its near-exact dupe.