The Full Beauty Transformation Of Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift has evolved from a country cutie to a Chiefs Wag and she's embraced multiple eras along the way that have been reflected in her beauty transformation. With so many years working with the best of the best, she's picked up plenty of tips that have helped her grow into the stunning beauty icon selling out stadiums across the globe. "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. Then re-apply. It turns it into a stain that lasts much longer," she told Allure of how she keeps her standout red pout looking its best.

The multiple Grammy winner hasn't been afraid to share insights into how she's created her enviable look either. "A timeless beauty tip that once was given to me, and it's never failed, has been focus on whether you're going to highlight your lips or your eyes. Either a red lip and a simple eye or a smoky eye and sort of a pale lip. But don't try to do both or else you'll look like you're trying to wear too much makeup," she told Glamour. Swift has mainly stuck to that mantra (though she's been through some experimental phases), but she's always had fun expressing herself and she's given us some major beauty inspo along the way — even through the makeup mistakes that happen to the best of us.

When Taylor Swift hit the scene, she didn't have that red lip classic thing that we like. Instead, Swift rocked her naturally curly hair and was all about minimal, sparkly glam. At the 2006 CMT Awards, the 16-year-old kept things age appropriate with glowing foundation, subtle blue shadow, and a frosty, glossy lip. The "Tim McGraw" hitmaker sported a similar look to that year's ACM Awards when she dazzled in sparkly blue eyeshadow and a warmer nude lip with toned down blush. Her eyebrows weren't overly shaped or filled in and she forwent heavy contouring and bronzer to keep her vibe fun and youthful.

Speaking to Teen Vogue the following year though, she admitted she was already over lipgloss because her curls would get stuck on it. "I kind of stopped wearing it. I'm more of a nude lip-liner kind of girl," she explained. The rising star elaborated on how she does her makeup too, sharing she hadn't developed a go-to routine yet. "The makeup that I use is all different, it all depends on what I have with me and how much time I want to spend on it. Usually I don't want to spend that much time on it," she said. "I use black gel liner, it comes in like a container with a brush, it's like foolproof, you can't mess it up, that's why I like it. I like to put like silver, light colors on the inside of my eye and like smoke it out toward the outside of my eye," she added. Swift revealed her favorite product too – Mac Studio Fix Tech Cream-To-Powder Foundation.

By 2009, Taylor Swift's glam had changed dramatically. She'd started wearing more dramatic faux eyelashes, like the spidery strip lashes she wore to a VEVO event paired with icy eyeshadow. But that was far from the only big change. She also regularly started wearing red lipstick and sported a bright shade to that year's MTV VMAs. Also obvious? The defined cat-eye using heavy black liner that would also form part of her go-to aesthetic.

Makeup artist Gucci Westman was the woman behind the "Mine" singer's red lip, as she applied the bold product for Swift's 2009 Allure magazine cover shoot. "She'd never worn a red lip ... I had to get permission by her mom," Westman recalled to Elle Australia. "[Her management said] 'Taylor doesn't do red.' I said, 'Well, Taylor needs to try red.'" To Swift's own admission, it worked so well she rarely deviated from it after. "My favorite looks to try out are the ones I end up sticking with. I love red lips and a cat-eye. That's been my go-to for a few years now," Swift told Refinery29 in 2012. The cat-eye also became such an integral part of her aesthetic, she admitted to using a Sharpie to get the look in an airplane bathroom after leaving her eyeliner at home.

As the Pennsylvania native grew older, she was also learning more about good skincare. "I'll go to the drugstore and just get makeup removal pads, facial scrubs (that I always forget to use). The one thing I do daily is put on night cream every morning before I put on my make up, and at night before I go to bed," she told Allure.

A lot had changed in Taylor Swift's life by 2016, and her beauty evolution reflected that. Long gone were the frosty lip products and subtle shadow of her teenage years. Instead, at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party, her vibe was more sophisticated than we'd seen before. She rocked a classy bob and returned to more subtle makeup, including glowing skin, full but natural-looking faux lashes, and a glossy, nude lip. 

As she got closer to her "Reputation" era, her beauty looks became more experimental. She'd bleached her bob and wore more dramatic makeup to match her moodier, experimental vibe at the Met Gala. She rocked one of her darkest lipstick shades ever and skipped the falsies for a quirkier, less full lash look that was seemingly achieved with a volumizing mascara. It wasn't just her makeup that had evolved though. She also experimented with bolder manicures. She rocked deep maroon lacquer to the Met Gala amid her more gothic-leaning vibe and made a statement with chunky, gold glitter at the 2016 Grammys.

Swift's knowledge of beauty was evolving too. In 2019, she revealed she'd adopted a new skincare mantra after turning 30. "After my teen years and early 20s of sleeping in my makeup ... I felt like I needed to start being nicer to my skin," she told Elle. "I now moisturize my face every night and put on body lotion after I shower."

After testing out darker cosmetics, Taylor Swift made a return to more understated, glowy makeup. At the 2021 Grammys, she let her super healthy-looking skin do the talking with luminous foundation and strategically placed, flattering blush. Her makeup artist added a glittery bronze shade to her lids that complimented her blue eyes. Her signature cat-eye was still present, but in a less obvious way, while she skipped the red lipstick for pink. Coupled with her floral dress, her aesthetic tapped into '70s beauty trends. The more natural look fit with her music at the time. She'd released the albums "Folklore" and "Evermore" the year prior, which showed a less glitzy, more earthy side to the star and her music.

But she hadn't left her retro-inspired go-to look completely. The rich lipstick and more dramatic eyeliner was back when she attended the Brit Awards that year. But the shade was a little pinker and more fun that we're used to. It flattered her tan skin and harked back to her colorful "Lover" era.

Taylor Swift seemed more comfortable experimenting in 2024. Now happy and in love with the man that would become her fiancé, Travis Kelce, we saw elevated versions of the star's classic glam that seemingly demonstrated the excited and confident new stage she'd reached in her professional and personal life, amid her record-breaking "Eras Tour." At the Grammys, she added more dimension to her lipstick via dark lipliner, which she paired with bronzed cheeks and a dramatic cat-eye, with what appeared to be individual faux eyelashes.

Amid rumors Swift had tuned up her face, she surprised fans with a different look at the MTV VMAs. Swift rocked a deep orange lipstick with a smoky eye, which went against her beauty advice of focusing on the lips or eyes. The internet was flooded with videos from influencers attempting to recreate the look, and Swift's makeup artist, Lorrie Turk, confirmed via her Instagram Stories that Swift wore NARS Morocco Lipstick. She added (via Cosmopolitan U.K.), "She's worn it for years."

The "Karma" singer was also having more fun with her nails. At the 2025 Grammys, Swift hit the red carpet rocking a dark red shade on her shorter manicure. Her manicurist, Lisa Peña Wong, confirmed to People she wore two of OPI's dark red shades from the now discontinued "Wicked" collection under the product now known as OPI Super Gloss Top Coat. And we have no doubt Swift will continue bringing the fun via her beauty looks as her life continues to evolve.