It doesn't matter if Taylor Swift is powering through her three-and-a-half hour Eras Tour setlist or taking in a nail-biter Chiefs game. Wherever she goes, she wears her signature red lipstick and blonde bangs brushed slightly to the side, and they always stay perfectly in place. But for the first Chiefs game of the 2024-2025 season, Swift decided her hotly anticipated return to the bleachers would come with the subtlest switch-up in her game day beauty routine.
Entering Arrowhead Stadium on September 5, Swift first got fans' attention online with her denim-on-denim set (courtesy of a Versace denim corset and shorts) and thigh-high, oxblood boots (via Giuseppe Zanotti). Then came her beauty beat. Her hair, gently curled and side-parted, was consistent with the loose curls she often wears to red carpets and the Chiefs box. Her red lipstick, however, looked more like a matte brick or a faded burgundy than her usual bright shade.
It isn't clear which red lipstick, exactly, Swift decided to wear for an evening cheering on her boyfriend, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Her longtime makeup artist, Lorrie Turk, has been tight-lipped about the singer's game day beauty routine. On looks alone, it seems like Swift partook in a little color-coordination: Her lips perfectly match the shade of her sky-high boots.
While matching with the Chiefs' team jerseys, Swift also appeared to tip her hat to a rising fall color trend in the fashion and beauty worlds. Shades of burgundy and matte red have appeared on runways from Gucci to Khaite—and coating the nails of trend-setters like Zendaya and Kendall Jenner.
Fans know Swift's usual red lipstick comes courtesy of Pat McGrath, who's provided Swift's makeup for several music videos. The "Bejeweled" singer has worn McGrath's Liquilust matte liquid lipstick for every stop on her Eras Tour over the past year and a half, in the cool-toned red shade "Elson." Swift also wore Pat McGrath lipstick to the Super Bowl—and the makeup artist herself joked that the formulas are "kiss-proof" after Swift and Kelce shared some PDA on the field. Alas, Swift's exact shade is sold out, and the brand hasn't shared if and when a restock will arrive in stores.
For now, Taylor Swift's tour hiatus appears to line up with a break from the "red lip, classic thing" she's been singing about for the last decade. Ahead, find options for making a similar lip switch-up in time for Swift's next Chiefs appearance.
