Shoppers say it “stays on for hours.”
I’m going to steer clear of having an opinion on Taylor Swift’s music—good or bad, I have seen the way the internet masses converge and wreak havoc. However, I will comment on her red lipstick—she has an enviable wardrobe of true reds that are suspiciously un-smudgeable. You can chock up the credit to two entities; a very hard-working glam team and smart, long-lasting formulas. The latter is the imitable part, and though many brands and shades have been credited in her nearly 20-year career, the one I consider to be at the forefront is from Pat McGrath Labs.
In the interest of accuracy, the exact Pat McGrath formula and shade Taylor Swift has worn is the LiquiLust Legendary Wear Matte Lipstick in Elson 4, per the makeup artist. The bad news? That exact shade is incredibly out of stock on every corner of the internet—trust me, I spent a good half hour looking. The good news? There’s an alternative: Pat McGrath’s MatteTrance Lipstick in Elson is the same shade in a different formula (as confirmed by the brand to InStyle), and it’s in stock.
Buy on Nordstrom $39
Like the liquid version, the MatteTrance Lipstick in Elson has been out of stock every time I’ve looked for it in the last few months. A few days ago, however, I noticed that it had been very quietly restocked at Nordstrom, meaning that now is your very rare chance to shop the Taylor Swift-worn shade.
You know the type of matte lipstick that looks like white-out when it dries? Yeah, this is not it; MatteTrance is a subtle, chic, and grown-up take on the formula. It’s matte compared to a true satin or gloss, but not so much that it looks unnatural or has a drying effect.
One Ulta shopper said MatteTrance “stayed on for hours” while they were at work without “settling into lip lines, getting gummy, or bleeding.” Another person commented that they were “impressed” after wearing this PML lipstick for seven straight hours without touch-ups. “One application lasted through lunch, dinner, iced coffee, and water,” they wrote.
Head to Nordstrom to shop the Taylor Swift-worn Elson shade of Pat McGrath Labs’ MatteTrance Lipstick. I’m surprised it’s in stock—although I’m betting that won’t be the case for long.