I Tried The 'Kiss-Proof' Red Lipstick Taylor Swift Uses—And It’s Worth The $34 Price Tag

As a fan of pop music and a beauty writer, I share a common affinity with Taylor Swift for introspective ballads and a timeless matte red lip.

Millions of viewers tuned in to the highly anticipated Super Bowl LVIII to witness the crowning of the National Football League champions this week, but some of us were more interested in catching a glimpse of pop sensation Swift and her boyfriend Travis Kelce.

Swift’s fiery red lipstick, a signature look of hers, remained unimpaired even after passionately kissing Kelce on the field, causing a stir on the internet where many claimed it was ‘kiss-proof.’ The coveted, blue-toned lipstick, likely the $34 Pat McGrath Labs LiquiLUST™: Legendary Wear Lipstick in Elson 4, was used on Swift for her 2022 “Bejeweled” music video.

Inspired by her unwavering lip color, I procured the same lipstick and lip liner by Pat McGrath that Swift reportedly swears by and wore it for twelve hours.

While not entirely transfer-proof, it held up well through eating and drinking, providing hours of durable color without needing to be reapplied. I’ll break down my findings below.

Is The Pat McGrath Lipstick & Lip Liner Duo Taylor Swift Uses Worth The Hype?

Since her Speak Now era days in the late 2010s, Swift has continually sported a red lip to complete her makeup looks, whether it be accompanied by a full face or soft glam elements. As Swifties know, the Grammy winner, 34, opts for bright, blue-toned reds.

Over the years, she has told several publications that some of her favorite lipsticks include the MAC Cosmetics Retro Matte Lipstick in Ruby Woo and the Nars Dragon Girl Powermatte Lipstick.

More recently, fans have gained further insight into her potential new favorite lipstick thanks to makeup artist Pat McGrath’s disclosure of the products she used for the singer’s 2022 “Bejeweled” music video.

McGrath noted that she used the LiquiLUST™: Legendary Wear Lipstick in the shade Elson 4 (now sold out, unfortunately) and the $29 PermaGel Ultra Lip Pencil in two different shades for the video — Deep Dive and Structure.

Intrigued, I obtained the same lipstick and McGrath’s recommended lip liner from my local Sephora. While the exact shades that Swift uses were sold-out, I did see a comment from McGrath herself on Instagram that suggested the deep bronzed rose hue, Flesh 3, as a suitable alternative.

As someone who often prefers vampy, deep red lips as opposed to lighter ones, I was more than excited to try this color out (and still be one step closer to testing Swift’s go-to lip look). I also picked up the PermaGel Ultra Lip Pencil in the somewhat brighter Living Legend shade to emulate Swift’s classic red.

12 Hours With The Liquid Lipstick & Liner — And What I Liked About Both

With a schedule full of New York Fashion Week happenings and the potential for celebrity sightings, I hoped that my lipstick would remain intact throughout the day, sparing me the need for constant touch-ups. At 8:00 a.m., I applied the lip liner first, tracing the outer edges of my lips and aiming for a sharp and defined cupid's bow, like Swift's.

Upon first use, I was immediately drawn to the lightweight feel of the lip pencil, coupled with its creamy gel formula which effortlessly glided across my lips, leaving no room for skipping or dullness. After letting it settle in and blending it with my finger, I then opened my Legendary Wear Lipstick. 

As I started applying the lipstick (above), I noticed its feather-light texture and the pleasant sensation of its matte finish, without the undesirable effect of dryness or flakiness. I also found that its tapered teardrop applicator could be used for a fuller, defined application as well as a softer gradient look.

To really test out its effectiveness, I went for a bolder, fuller pout (and I also really loved the grungy color and wanted as much of it on my pout as possible). I allowed the product to really dry and settle in for about 15 minutes before kissing the back of my hand to see if it really was indeed transfer-proof as many say.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that my lipstick left a faint mark on my hand that easily came off with makeup remover.

I remembered a trick that Swift once shared several years back, in which she noted that she applied translucent powder across her finished lipstick look to lock it in.

After trying this, I kissed my hand again as well as a napkin, and didn't find any residue this time. (The hack works!)

Throughout the day, after eating and drinking, the color barely faded, and I found that I only wanted to reapply the lipstick and liner (above) around 4 p.m. to enhance my overall makeup look (not because I really needed to, as it was still on and hanging in there).

While this virtually kiss-proof lipstick and blendable liner became instant faves for me, some beloved dupes did come to mind. The Legendary Wear Lipstick's creamy and lightweight consistency reminded me of the $10 NYX Lip Lingerie XXL Matte Liquid Lipstick and the $11 Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick.

Although these drugstore dupes might be a little bit more transfer-proof, I do think the Pat McGrath one was the most comfortable and less dry.

As for my favorite kiss-proof lipstick of all time, I'd go with the $28 Urban Decay Vice Lip Bond Glossy Longwear Liquid Lipstick, just because I prefer a little more shine and glossy look rather than a pure matte. 

Overall, Swift's lip combo and love for Pat McGrath products is very understandable, as the lip liner and lipstick I tried lasted throughout the day, were easy to blend, and can be great for mixing colors or creating an ombré effect.

While you could probably get similar shades and transfer-proof products at the drugstore, I do think this Legendary Wear Lipstick is worth the hype, and the $34 price tag.

After all, the color did indeed last for 12 hours. After using it in the days since my experiment, it also barely left any residue after kissing the back of my hand, a willing Hinge date and plenty of napkins after trying the translucent powder trick. 

With Valentine's Day and Galentine's Day just around the corner, this could help create the perfect date night look! So, it's the best time to rock that red lip, classic thing that you like.