Is Taylor Swift’s Go-To Red Lip Really Smudge-Proof? A TikToker Put It To The Test

Taylor Swift has been delivering with her iconic, red, smudge-free lip throughout the Eras Tour. Even performing over a three-hour-long show, her lipstick never seems to smudge. When Taylor jets off to see Travis Kelce play a game and kisses him on the field, her makeup never transfers and looks on-point the entire time. So fans have been wondering, what lipstick is this perfect, and where can they get it? 

Some rumors have been circulating that the Pat Magrath LiquiLUST: Legendary Wear Lipstick in the shade Elson 4 is Taylor’s go-to choice for the Eras Tour. The real test of the lipstick is whether it’s kissing-proof, though. On Jan. 29, TikTok user @evawmalloy blessed us by doing a smudge test for the Elson 4 lipstick and even gave viewers a makeup tip to ensure the product never leaves the lips. 

First, Eva applies the lipstick using a compact mirror. The lipstick is strong — you wouldn’t want to color outside the lines with this one. Eva then lets the lipstick dry for several minutes, getting dressed in between filming. 

The truth is revealed when Eva does a transfer test of the lipstick onto a tissue. At first, you can see a faint outline of red, meaning the lipstick either hasn’t dried all the way or simply isn’t kiss-proof. Eva doesn’t let us down though — she speculates that Swift probably does the powder trick to keep her lipstick completely smudge-free, especially when she’s going to kiss someone. 

Taking a large powder brush, Eva dabs her lips to set the lipstick in. Voilà! When she does the transfer test again, the tissue is completely clean. Though the powder definitely sealed in the lipstick, Eva doesn’t believe it’s needed if you let the product fully dry.  “Even if you don’t put a powder on top if I had let this sit longer, I don’t think it would have transferred,” she said.

Although Taylor has a reputation for keeping her makeup a secret, fans no longer have to live with smudged lipstick when recreating her most iconic look. 

In Oct. 2022, Pat Magrath announced on Instagram that Swift was wearing Elson 4 in the “Bejeweled” music video.

At the time of the Midnights album release, Pat Magrath also introduced “Taylor-Made” kits, which featured the makeup you need to recreate her most recent looks. The lip kit and shade Elson 4 quickly sold out on the Pat Magrath website and it looks like Elson 4 is still just as popular today. The “Taylor-Made” Lip Duos Kit is available for $68. While the star of the kit is Elson 2 rather than Elson 4, the Lip Duos Kit claims to give you Taylor Swift’s “on-set lip duo” and that it’s “everything you need for resplendent red lips.”  

Seems like the search is over, but if you want the real thing, you might find Elson 4 stocked in your nearest Sephora — but act fast because this product sells out quickly. Although Elson 4 is often elusive, there are other pretty shades of Legendary Wear, like Divine Rose and Pink Desire. The takeaway is that Pat Magrath is definitely the brand to stick with if you’re dying to recreate Taylor’s iconic red lip. 

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