There are a few things you rarely see Taylor Swift without: her cats, her #squad, and a red lip.
While the pop star’s clothing choices and hairstyle have evolved quite a bit in recent years, she’s remained faithful to her go-to makeup look — even immortalising it in the lyrics to her song Style (“I got that red-lipped, classic thing that you like”).
Just like any red lipstick fiend, Swift quickly learned it’s hard to go back once you start wearing it. “I never really get too far from red lipstick, do I? I guess I just think my face looks worse without it,” she told People magazine in 2014.
The 26-year-old has also admitted she plans her outfits on any given day around her red lipstick, such is her commitment to the stuff.
Watch: The retro lip colours that have stood the test of time. (Post continues after video.)
If you want to inject your makeup collection with a bit of Swift style, here are the lipsticks she swears by. And they won’t all annihilate your savings.
Budget-friendly
Once upon a time, Swift was the face of CoverGirl — and it seems she took advantage of having endless access to red lipstick.
According to a 2012 interview with Redbook magazine, the Blank Space singer was particularly fond of the CoverGirl Lip Perfection lipstick in Hot. And, as one of the Blank Space singer’s makeup artists Lorrie Turk told InStyle, one of her red carpet red lip looks at the time was created using Lip Perfection in Flame over the brand’s Lip Perfection Liner in Passion.
Here’s the bad news: both of those Lip Perfection product lines have since been discontinued. However, you can buy CoverGirl’s ColourLicious Lipstick in the Swift-approved Hot shade ($16.95 from Target) as an alternative.
ColourLicious lipstick in Hot (left), and Swift in her days as a CG ambassador. (Images: CoverGirl/Youtube)
Slightly more luxe
By anyone's standards Swift is a bit of a trend-setter, but there's one bandwagon she was seriously late to jump aboard.
Last year, she told People her new favourite red lipstick was MAC's Ruby Woo ($36) — a creamy red with a blue undertone and a huge cult following.
“It’s a staple. I was the last person to discover it,” she admitted.
If it makes you feel any better, Swifty, I only "discovered" concealer about a year ago. (Post continues after gallery.)
Taylor Swift in red lipstick.
Prior to this, Swift was a card-carrying NARS devotee. She once told MTV you "can't go wrong" with the brand's Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dragon Girl ($41 from Mecca).
This is the very shade she wore to the 2014 Met Gala, and it even made a cameo in the photo she posted to Instagram while she was preparing for the event with model Karlie Kloss.
Although Swift undoubtedly inspires many of her fans to try her favourite red lipsticks, it seems she's equally susceptible to celebrity influence.
"I heard on the radio that Hilary Duff wore Luxembourg by NARS, and so I bought Luxembourg by NARS," she told MTV in an obvious (and v. amusing) nod to Mean Girls.
"It's really good, too."
NARS' Luxembourg Satin Lip Pencil, described as a "vivid watermelon" shade, is also $41 from Mecca.
L-R: Dragon Girl by NARS, Ruby Woo by MAC, Luxembourg by NARS
A Swift tip
For extra Taylor Swift copycat points, you can also embrace her trick for making red lipstick go the distance.
"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 the colour," Swift explained to Redbook.
No risk of shaking it off then, I guess...
What's your favourite red lipstick?