I tested Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour MAC Locked Kiss lipstick

Here’s the truth from her red lips.

For years, fans have wondered which lipstick Taylor Swift wore on stage during her Eras Tour. Night after night, the mystery shade managed to withstand three and a half hours of singing, dancing and sweating (not to mention the occasional downpour) without missing a beat.

And finally — thanks to Swift’s Disney + documentary series, “The End of an Era” — we have our answer. In a scene from the final episode, we see the superstar’s longtime makeup artist, Lorrie Turk, applying MAC’s Locked Kiss 24HR Lipstick shortly before Swift’s last performance in Vancouver.

Shortly after, MAC confirmed her shade as Ruby True, a classic blue red. (In case you’re curious, the songstress layered it over Smashbox Be Legendary Line & Prime Pencil in True Red.)

MAC Locked Kiss 24HR Lipstick in Ruby True

Billed by MAC as “kissproof and transfer-resistant,” the Locked Kiss formula promises 24 hours of matte rich color, as its name suggests. It’s the cosmetics brand’s longest-wearing lipstick to date, harnessing the power of something called FlexiLock Technology (OK!) to keep the pigment from fading, flaking or feathering.

Plus, it’s made with passion fruit oil to purportedly prevent that dreaded drying effect common with many matte lipsticks.

As someone who spends her days writing, editing, in meetings and at press events rather than belting out pop hits for tens of thousands of fans, I don’t demand quite as much from my lip color as Swift. Still, as a passionate fan, I was eager to see if Locked Kiss could deliver on its promise of a perfect pop-star pout that stays put — so I purchased my own tube of Ruby True to test.

Our review

MAC Locked Kiss 24HR Lipstick in Ruby True

The first time I swiped on this lipstick, I made the absolute rookie mistake of not exfoliating beforehand. Locked Kiss is the mattest of mattes, which means it’ll highlight any dryness or flakiness you may have on your lips. The second time, I prepped with a quick scrub using a soft toothbrush, and the formula went on way more smoothly and looked better throughout the day — so folks, don’t skip this crucial step!

Because it’s so matte and pigmented (and I’m a perfectionist), it also required a bit of time and precision to paint on; this isn’t a lipstick I’d want to apply in a moving car or, God forbid, while standing up on the subway. And while the slim, sleek tube is great for getting those crisp and clean edges, it means it’ll take a few extra swipes to cover the entirety of your lips in color.

All that said, Ruby True is a gorgeous shade — and when it comes to its transfer-proof claims, Locked Kiss definitely delivers.

After giving my lipstick a couple minutes to set, as the brand recommends, I planted a kiss on my husband — followed by the back of my hand, and then a white paper towel. Nothing left a mark. I tried a wet paper towel to test the product’s waterproof claims, too, and detected zero transfer.

Over the course of the day, I did plenty of talking and drank water, coffee and cocktails, and my lip color didn’t budge, bleed or fade. It also stayed put as I snacked on apples, popcorn and carrot sticks. But if you’re eating something oily, don’t expect a miracle; after devouring a fully dressed salad, I definitely needed to reapply.

Does this invalidate MAC’s 24-hour-wear promise? I guess it depends on how you look at it. If you’re on an all-liquid diet or avoid sauces, oils and fats like the plague (sad!), you probably could squeeze a full day and night’s wear out of this particular product. The rest of us can realistically expect more like 5-6 hours of wear before the need for a touch-up — still a solid performance.

The final verdict

Locked Kiss may not have lasted a full 24 hours on me, but it’s easily among the longest-wearing lip colors I’ve tried, and one I’ll be keeping in my makeup bag for many eras to come. If you’re looking for a lipstick that’ll stay put for hours sans smudging or smearing, I highly recommend it.

That said, the formula can feel drying and will enhance any visible signs of dehydration you may have on your lips, making proper prep a must. A little exfoliation and a good balm (wiped off right before you apply the lipstick, so as not to interfere with the color’s adherence) goes a long way.

How I tested

I wore Locked Kiss for several consecutive days for a period of at least 12 hours at a time, considering the product’s ease of application, pigment, longevity and comfort level throughout.

Why Trust Page Six Style Shopping

This article was written by Elana Fishman, Page Six’s Style & Shopping Director. A passionate Swiftie and pop culture fanatic, Elana applies her celebrity fashion and beauty expertise to shoppable content for fellow fans as the host of video series including Currently Trending, Style Trial, Heart to Cart and Beauty Scoop — and by tracking down every Taylor Swift-worn style so you can shop it, too. Elana consults celebrity stylists on the latest street style and red carpet trends and predictions, researches which celebrity-backed brands and products are worth it and chats with the stars themselves for beauty and fashion recommendations. Prior to Page Six Style’s inception in 2018, Elana covered celebrity fashion at Vox Media, Lucky, Marie Claire and Teen Vogue.