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Taylor Swift and I have a few things in common. We’re both blonde, we both like Tim McGraw and we both love red lipstick. I purchased my first tube of red lipstick from the Clinique counter at the tender age of 13 and it’s been my signature shade ever since, much like Ms. Swift herself.
Swift is pretty much always wearing a red lip, and red lipstick is so important to her that it frequently pops up in her songwriting; red lips are mentioned in “Blank Space,” “Style,” “Wildest Dreams,” “End Game” and more. Over the years, Swift has shouted out a handful of lipsticks as her faves, including NARS’s beloved Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dragon Girl, a bright cherry that has since been reformulated as Powermatte High-Intensity Long-Lasting Lip Pencil, and Covergirl’s Exhibitionist Lipstick in Hot, a dramatic crimson with a hint of orange. It’s become a core part of her signature look and her identity as a pop superstar.
Lately, however, Swift has been devoted to a different shade of red. Instead of a bright, poppy orange-red or cherry hue, she’s been seen in a deep, luxurious blue red that is almost certainly Pat McGrath Labs’ LiquiLust Legendary Wear Matte Lipstick in Elson 4. Swift has reportedly worn the shade throughout theEras tour—even in the pouring rain—and to cheer on her rumored boyfriend, NFL superstar Travis Kelce, from his family VIP box on countless Sundays.
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The Formula
LiquiLust Legendary Wear Matte Lipstick is a liquid formula with a non-drying, lightweight, velvet feel; unlike liquid lipsticks of the past, LiquiLust claims not to zap every droplet of moisture from your skin. It’s smudge-proof and transfer-proof with up to 12 hours of vibrant, vivid color and wear, so it’s a genius choice for a three-hour show like the Eras tour.
The lipstick comes in both matte and shimmering metallic formulations. Elson 4 is a luscious blue-based red with a matte finish and looks strikingly similar to the deep red shade Swift has been wearing as of late.
We know that Swift is a noted fan of the brand and its founder, iconic makeup artist Pat McGrath; McGrath even appears in the “Bejeweled” music video. McGrath also did the makeup for the video, using Elson 4 for Swift's red lip—the brand even released a sold-out 'Taylor-Made' lip set featuring the shade. Thus, it makes sense that her red lipstick du jour comes from the brand, despite the fact that we’ve never gotten official concrete confirmation from Swift or her makeup artist. Elson 4 has been sold out for a few weeks, likely because of Swift’s impact, but I managed to get my red lipstick-obsessed hands on a tube to see if the rumors are true. Is Elson 4 responsible for that “red lip, classic thing” that Travis Kelce—and the rest of the world—likes? After wearing the color, I’m voting yes.
My Review
It’s been a while since I wore a liquid lipstick; now that I don’t go to an office, I rarely wear lipstick during the day, and if I do it’s typically a matte bullet formula or a creamy tint. Thus, my perception of a liquid lipstick is firmly stuck in 2019. Luckily for me (and Swift), technology has changed quite a bit in the impending years, and Elson 4 does indeed go on feeling like velvet. The formula is extremely pigmented, which can be a little intimidating given the intense color, but it’s deceptively easy to paint on thanks to a pointed brush applicator specifically designed for stress-free application. (I put it on in a moving car and it was fine, so there’s your evidence.)
The color is truly stunning; red lipsticks are a dime a dozen at this point, but finding a truly great rich, true blue red can feel like a noble quest. Elson 4 is the absolute definition of a delicious blue red shade and after a few wears I can see why Swift is so obsessed. It really does feel great on your lips, even after several hours, and it fades uniformly with no patchiness or flaking. Of course, this is Pat McGrath Labs we’re talking about, so it’s safe to assume that LiquiLust Legendary Wear Matte Lipstick definitely fills a blank space in my makeup bag… and Taylor’s too. (Sorry.)
