I tried Taylor Swift’s favorite ‘kiss-proof’ red lipstick, and here’s my honest review

Whether she’s belting out her greatest hits onstage or out on the town with boyfriend Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift’s rarely spotted without her signature scarlet lipstick.

And thanks to her red-hot romance with the Kansas City Chiefs tight end, fans have become more curious about the pop superstar’s shade of choice than ever before; after all, it somehow stayed perfectly in place as Swift planted kisses on Kelce after his team’s big Super Bowl win.

While Swift’s glam squad is famously tight-lipped (pun intended) about her makeup must-haves, the 14-time Grammy winner’s name-checked a number of her preferred formulas over the years, from MAC Ruby Woo ($23) to Nars Dragon Girl ($30) — but lately, she’s been all about the crimson shades from Pat McGrath Labs.

It’s no surprise that Swift would gravitate toward McGrath’s particular brand of makeup magic; the British icon, like the pop star, has earned spots on the Time 100 Most Influential People list in the past, and Vogue’s called her “the most influential makeup artist in the world.”

McGrath’s also been creating dreamy runway beauty looks for houses like Dior, Alexander McQueen, and Valentino for decades, not to mention helping develop makeup for brands like CoverGirl, Max Factor, Dolce & Gabbana, and Gucci before launching her namesake cosmetics company in 2015. Performers like the pop phenom surely appreciate the intense pigmentation and long-lasting nature of McGrath’s products — as do makeup mavens of all kinds, who’ve left over 500 five-star reviews for her MatteTrance Lipstick on Sephora.

“Pat McGrath lipsticks do no wrong,” one fan of the formula raved, adding, “Her quality is second to none.”

“Gorgeous application stays put and goes on looking exactly as advertised!” another wrote, while a third gushed, “This lipstick is so pigmented and the color is just dense on the lips. Really gorgeous.”As Page Six’s resident Swiftie who also happens to share the superstar’s red lip obsession, I couldn’t wait to give her favorite shade a go. While McGrath swears by applying lipstick using your finger instead of straight from the tube, I preferred the precision of the latter, making use of the tip of the bullet to get the edges just right.

I was immediately impressed by the product’s color payoff; a single swipe delivered the full, perfectly opaque coverage I look for in a lipstick, and the true red hue is guaranteed to look gorgeous on a wide variety of complexions. Also, a fun fact: Blue-based red lipsticks like Elson make your teeth look whiter!

Where this formula really sings for me, however, is the feel: surprisingly creamy and comfortable for a matte. I’ve tried pretty much all of Swift’s other favorite red lipsticks — including the similarly blue-based (and beloved) MAC Ruby Woo ($23), which I recently wore for my TS-themed birthday party. While beautiful, however, Ruby Woo can be a bit drying; I typically need to prep my pout with a balm beforehand.

Nars Dragon Girl ($30), meanwhile, is a gorgeous shade — so much so that I wore it on my wedding day — but it requires regular sharpening, and the product has an unfortunate habit of sliding out of the pencil itself.McGrath’s offering, on the other hand, requires no upkeep, goes on silky smooth, and truly feels like you’ve got nothing on your lips. That’s only a detriment if you happen to absentmindedly rub your mouth during the day — it will smear, and you may wind up looking like Lady Gaga on her “Applause” album cover.

This brings me back to the question on every Swiftie’s mind: How does she make her red lip kiss-proof? Applied solo, MatteTrance in Elson packs incredible staying power, but it’s not immune to smudges and leaving marks on drinking glasses, as I discovered during my testing.

However! Swift did share a pro tip with Allure in 2011 for turning lipstick “into a stain that lasts much longer,” saying: “There are tricks I’ve learned from makeup artists on shoots. They put on the red lipstick, then blot it with a tissue, then they put powder over the tissue and sort of press it onto your lips.”

I decided to try the trick myself, blotting and powdering my pout before planting a kiss on (1) the back of my hand and (2) my husband, who was happy to volunteer his services for the sake of journalism. Swift’s hack helped my lipstick pass both tests with flying colors — and practically zero color transfer.