Taylor Swift’s Mother Considered Rejecting Her Iconic Red Lipstick

Written by Kase Wickman

Did you know that Taylor Swift's iconic red lip look was almost never came to being due to objections from her mother? This revelation comes from well-known makeup artist Gucci Westman.

During her visit on Tuesday's Today with Hoda and Jenna, the beautician shared how she gave Swift her familiar lip shade while preparing the then 19-year-old for her April 2009 Allure cover shoot. Interestingly, this vibrant hue, now a part of Swift's signature style, was almost nixed by Andrea Swift, Taylor's mother.

Westman recounted how she keenly wanted to try a red lip on the young singer, something she had never witnessed before. "Her mother expressed concerns by stating that 'Taylor doesn’t wear red.' To which I respectfully requested, 'Please, can I just give it a go?'" Westman relayed to show hosts Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager about that particular shoot. Clearly, Taylor embraced the look as it's her go-to style now.

Having launched her cosmetic brand, Westman Atelier in 2018, Westman is the talent who helped Gwyneth Paltrow get ready and put together her makeup look for her wedding to Brad Falchuk. She also worked with Anne Hathaway for her recent Vanity Fair cover shoot, among other esteemed celebrity and editorial works.

In a live demonstration, she showed how easy applying red lipstick can be, explaining it could be applied directly from the tube, with a brush, or even simply blotted with a finger.

About this particular shade, she stated, "You can make it look effortlessly stylish, it doesn't need to be overly fussy."

Swift's iconic and seemingly everlasting red lipstick has gained notoriety over time, steadfastly remaining since Westman initially introduced it about fifteen years ago. Back in 2014, Swift candidly admitted to People magazine, 'I never really get too far from red lipstick, do I? I guess I just think my face looks worse without it, which pretty much sums up my reasoning.'

Seemingly in this instance, with no disrespect to Andrea, it appears that a mother doesn't always know what’s best for her child.