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So you managed to nab tickets to the British leg of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour? Well done — it really was “The Greatest War” securing a spot at the highest-grossing, most anticipated tour of... All time (at least in this writer’s — and long time Swiftie’s — opinion.)
With only a few months to go until Taylor finally lands in the UK, there’s one thing you should now be turning your attention to: What you’re going to wear, and how you’re going to accessorise with a beauty look that embodies your favourite era (or eras).
Swift’s albums each have distinct aesthetics and energies to them, which makes them all fertile ground for creating an individualistic beauty look that feels distinctly you and true to your chosen era. And though her aesthetic has changed throughout her many eras, there are a few beauty signatures that remain fairly constant throughout: her pristine red lip (“crimson red paint on my lips”), winged eyeliner (“cat eye sharp enough to kill a man”) and ’60s-inspired, feathery fringe. Or simply douse yourself in glitter and stick-on jewels — just don’t forget to draw Swift’s iconic lucky number 13 on the back of your hand.
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Still not sure how or where to pledge your beauty allegiance for the Eras Tour? Read on for an album-by-album, era-by-era colour and inspiration guide, featuring plenty of Swiftie-endorsed Easter eggs and lyrical nods.
Hair & Makeup Ideas For The Eras Tour If You’re A Debut Fan
Taylor Swift’s self-titled debut album (commonly nicknamed Debut by the fandom) was released when she was 16 years old and is a reflection of her country music roots. All blue jeans and Chevy trucks, lake-side dancing and unrequited high-school crushes; sang with a country twang and the idealism of a hopeless romantic. Still, tragically, there is no dedicated Debut section on the Eras Tour — we’ve only had glimpses courtesy of the acoustic, “secret” songs that Swift plays (two per show, these are usually her way to nod to the location she’s in or subtly hint at how she’s feeling). I’m hoping, praying and manifesting like one of the “witches” in the “Willow” music video that she’ll incorporate her first album more once Debut (Taylor’s Version) is released.
The Colours, Themes & Aesthetic Of The Debut Era
The most obvious hallmarks of Swift’s style at this time were her long curly hair, boho dresses (she had a penchant for white), cowboy boots, blue jeans, statement chandelier earrings (especially a gold hoop) and stacks of bracelets inching up her arms. (There was also a dedicated choker moment for teenage Swift I would love to see honoured). Her makeup at this time was kept simple and youthful, with a slightly tinted glossy lip balm and tight-lined eye makeup, plus a whisper of peach blush across her cheekbones. (To recreate I would choose NARS’ blush and lip gloss in the shade Orgasm — it’s not too pink, not too peach, and has just the right amount of micro shimmer to look super natural).
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Though the cover of Debut is a turquoise blue-green (which, by all means, adopt into your look), the fandom — and Swift herself — have mutually agreed that the colour of Debut is light green; mostly to distinguish it from the light blue of 1989 and dark green of reputation.
Debut-Era Beauty Ideas
Curling your hair into tight ringlets and going heavy on the shimmery eyeshadow will go a long way to capturing Swift’s own Debut-era beauty look. Taylor herself opted for muted gold in the “Tim McGraw” music video, silver in “Teardrops on My Guitar”, a gunmetal silver-grey in “Picture to Burn” and a metallic blue-silver in “Our Song” (a trend she happily adopted on the red carpet at the time, too). Bonus points for matching her light pink gloss — our reigning queen of the red lip was yet to find her signature look for a good few years yet.
It’s not just colour that captures the essence of Debut though. The vibe of this album is light and natural, best reflected by the rural, small town energy woven throughout these songs. Motifs most associated with Debut are the butterflies and flowers we see adorning the album cover (often, according to Pinterest searches of “Taylor Swift Debut aesthetic”, this includes white daisies) — if you have a steady hand, then you could attempt drawing these around your eyes or, if not, try the temporary tattoo makeup trend popularised by TikTok (applying the wings of a butterfly to each corner of your eye, or flowers along your cheekbone). Don’t forget your hair — add some green and blue butterfly clips or, in true early-2000s boho energy, a flower crown.
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If you’re after a more glamorous Debut look, then you can’t go wrong with the rhinestone teardrops spilling from Swift’s eye in the “Teardrops on My Guitar” music video (this was released 14 years ago and I’m still gagged).
@glowbysoph I’ve loved this makeup look since the music video came out and its about time I recreate it!! 🥹💧✨🦋❤️🔥 #debutera #teardropsonmyguitarmakeup #teardropsonmyguitar #inmyerastourera #debuteramakeup #debuteramakeuplook #tstheerastour #erastourmakeup #taylorswiftmakeup #taylorswiftmakeupinspired #rhinestonemakeup #glittereyeshadow #colourpopme #supershockshadow #tstheerastour #erastourinspo #swifttok #fyp ♬ teardrops on my guitar sped up - taylorauds
Hair & Makeup Ideas For The Eras Tour If You’re A Fearless Fan
It’s hard to believe that some of the most iconic and enduring Taylor Swift songs like “Love Story” and “You Belong With Me” arrived so early on in her career — released when she was just 18! This was the era when Swift started to break out of the “country music darling” mould and test the waters of the pop world that she now dominates. Fearless is also the first album to be re-recorded and re-released, kicking off the Taylor’s Version journey.
The Colours, Themes & Aesthetic Of The Fearless Era
On the Eras Tour, the Fearless section kicks off with a shower of golden rain cascading down the massive screens backing the stage; from this, Swift emerges wearing a gold fringed mini dress, paired with rhinestone cowboy boots, in homage to outfits she originally wore on the Fearless Tour. Still rooted in country music and singing about high school crushes, Swift was first flexing her muscles as a bonafide pop star and incorporating more glamour and more sparkle into her outfits, on and off the stage. You can see this in her beauty looks from the time. Her corkscrew curls are still there, but they are more groomed and sleek; pinned up in elegant up-dos. And she starts to experiment with winged eyeliner and deeper pink and peach lip glosses for events.
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Fearless-Era Beauty Ideas
I suggest you embrace all things gold with your Fearless-inspired beauty look, with a dewy and bronzed base and sparkling eye makeup. Go all out with golden glitter, sequins or face gems and go ham with a can of glitter hair-and-body spray.
As for the hair, either pin it up in an elaborate up-do (look to the “Love Story” music video for inspiration) or, as Swift loves to, wear it down so you can also toss it around as you belt out all the words to your favourite songs. If accessories are your thing, then this is the perfect opportunity to don a gold cowboy hat or headful of sparkling gold hair clips.
@cinthimacedo Fearless inspired makeup tutorial #makeuptutorial #fearlesstaylorsversion #fearless #swifttok #taylorswift #theerastour #therastouroutfis ♬ original sound - <3
If you’re after a more literal Fearless inspired outfit, then the “dorky” Taylor in the “You Belong With Me” music video wearing her Junior Jewels T-shirt, pyjama bottoms, exaggerated glasses and a messy ponytail can’t be beat. Going with a friend? Get her a brunette wig and tube of hot pink lip gloss to be “cheerleader” Taylor.
Whatever you choose, don’t forget that number 13 on the back of your hand! Fearless was the era that Taylor started drawing hers on — usually, she used nail polish (in a variety of colours, but always sparkly) and outlined with Sharpie. This was also the era that she admitted to drawing on her eyeliner with Sharpie because she had ran out of eyeliner, but I definitely don’t recommend that! Waterproof and sweat-proof liquid liner is your best bet here, like benefit Roller Liner, £20.50 or Urban Decay Perversion Waterproof Pen, £16).
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Hair & Makeup Ideas For The Eras Tour If You’re A Speak Now Fan
Speak Now is all about whimsy, fairytale and romance. It’s also the era that gave us everything and anything we could have wanted from an album: big, belting pop power ballads like “Enchanted”, the dramatic, pop-rock-operatic “Haunted”, a hark back to Swift’s country twanging roots (“Mean”), heartbreaking rumination on growing up (“Never Grow Up”), and more. Though Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) has been out in the world since July 2023, we still only have two Speak Now songs on tour — though what a moment it is. Taylor usually dons a princess-worthy ball gown to belt out “Enchanted” and fan favourite, “Long Live”, which is her ode to the fans and her band for making it where they have. (Though written for 2010’s Speak Now, this song takes on more meaning as her career grows).
@karaleighcannella makeup products tagged above ⭐️ speak now era has started :) #taylorswift #speaknowmakeup ♬ the story of us taylor swift - tayloraudios🎧
The Colours, Themes & Aesthetic Of The Speak Now Era
Purple is the colour for the Speak Now era, and if you couple a purple-heavy beauty look with a purple dress, there’ll be no doubt which era you’re embodying. Especially if there’s plenty of sparkle involved (are you seeing the pattern here?).
During the OG Speak Now era was when Swift truly chose the cat-eye-and-red-lip life (albeit a glossy, rosy-red lip which still feels youthful). Her hair was still often seen in its signature curls, but the curls were bigger, bouncier and fluffier (without being frizzy). Still, she started to experiment more with different hairstyles — dramatic side sweep fringes, straightened curls and, one for the history books, her first full, chunky fringe at the 2010 American Music Awards (these were clip ins though as Taylor did not full commit to cutting her fringe until 2012, for the cover of American Vogue). This was likely because her dedicated glam team came on board — Swift’s longtime makeup artist Lorrie Turk, hair stylist Jemma Muradian and fashion stylist Joseph Cassell are believed to all joined in the Speak Now era.
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Speak Now-Era beauty Ideas
Embrace the whimsy of the Speak Now era with blown-out, shimmery purple eyeshadow, purple-berry blush, a dainty but sharp winged eyeliner, and rosy-red lip. Again butterflies are a welcome, romantic motif, along with stars and sparkles (very “Enchanted”). Remember, along with face gems and sequins, you can also adapt nail stickers into your beauty look with some handy eyelash glue.
@faerieaus Replying to @Olivia Casey SPEAK NOW ERA 💜 what era should I do next?! I can’t beileve we are all seeing Taylor Swift so soon 🥹 #taylorswift #erastour #erastourtaylorswift #erastoursydney #erastouraustralia #erastourmakeup ♬ Speak now - ❆⸆⸉
If you’re feeling extra, I would love to see some Speak Now stans attempt to replicate the charms found on Swift’s perfume bottle, Wonderstruck EDP, with a steady hand and gold eyeliner; released during this era with an equally magical advert, the purple, sparkly bottles were each adorned with a gold, embossed lid and gold charms of a dove, a star burst and a cage. Now, woefully discontinued, the bottle has become an icon of the era.
During the OG Speak Now Tour in 2011 and 2012, Swift wrote lyrics and famous quotes on her arm before every show, from her own songs and those she was loving at the time; a “mood ring” of sorts. Since her 2024 Eras Tour shows are coming to the UK in the summer, there’s no reason you can’t embrace this idea in your own look. Just be sure to use a sweat-proof product to write with (Taylor famously used Sharpie pens, again, but this no-budge, permanent marker approach might not fly the morning after in post-concert reality. Rather, I would suggest a long wearing eyeliner).
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Hair & Makeup Ideas For The Eras Tour If You’re A RED Fan
As a RED stan myself, it’s hard not to wax lyrical about this album. For true fans, its packed with career-defining songs like the masterpiece “All Too Well”, arena-rock epic “State of Grace” and slow-burn ballad “Treacherous”. RED also gifted us with iconic songs that even non-Taylor fans would know all the words to — like “22”, “I Knew You Were Trouble” and “We Are Never Getting Back Together” — all of which feature on the Eras setlist. If there was any doubt that Taylor Swift was a pop icon, this album firmly cemented her place in the genre and it is the last of her albums to be considered country. In fact, RED is so tumultuous in terms of genre (along with pop, rock and country influences, there’s also dance pop and dubstep in there) because it reflects the ups and downs of a significant breakup.
The love that RED gets on the Eras Tour (four, sometimes five) goes to prove that this was and still is Swift’s favourite album. When re-recorded and re-released as a Taylor’s Version, it came with a mega press tour, two major music videos (one of which was a short film, directed by Taylor, for “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)” and new collaborations with the likes of Phoebe Bridgers, Chris Stapleton and Ed Sheehan (his second on the project).
@glambysinead Replying to @Monica Taylor @Taylor Swift RED inspired makeup💋which era should i do next?? #redtaylorsversion #redtaylorswift #taylorswiftmakeup #red #theerastourtaylorswift #erastour #theerastourts ♬ original sound - r & m <3 ⸆⸉
The Colours, Themes & Aesthetic Of The RED Era
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The colour red was obviously a key theme of the RED era, though that’s not all there is to it. When the OG album was first released in 2012, the Tumblr era was in full swing and Swift’s style was very reflective of this time. In particular, the twee fashion popularised by the likes of New Girl’s Zooey Deschanel and Alexa Chung. She debuted her now-signature, cut-for-the-cover-of-Vogue heavy fringe and high-waisted shorts, tea dresses, pea coats, Mary Jane heels, lace up brogues, pearl jewellery and cat-eye sunglasses were all staples in her wardrobe. For someone who has proudly declared their love for antiques and had (at this time) just written “Starlight” inspired by Ethel and Bobby Kennedy, the ’50s-fashion-as-done-by-the-2010s aesthetic tracks.
Perhaps one of her most iconic tour looks of all time, if I may be so bold, was during her RED world tour: the sequinned circus ringleader jacket complete with black top hat and Victoriana lace up boots. She was matched by her backup dancers in various other circus looks, from clowns and jesters to doll-like ballet dancers, magicians and even a white rabbit. Perhaps a commentary on the circus that is fame? RED does include the song “The Lucky One” which depicts an Old Hollywood starlet and their rise to fame and subsequent fall.
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Beauty-wise, the red lip was (aptly) here to stay, taking on more of a bold, blue-red shade and matte formula — as opposed to the earlier, pink-red glossy looks. During the original RED era, Swift was known to use NARS’ Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in the shade Dragon Girl, £23 which has recently been upgraded with an even more pigmented formula: the Powermatte High Intensity Lip Pencil, £24. As lip pencils these are both great for those of us who struggle to direct and guide a traditional bullet lipstick. Also, they’re creamy enough to be patted in as a more subtle lip stain.
As for Swift’s eyeliner, the cat eye grew bolder and more dramatic — this was the era she said goodbye to the subtle, mini flick — and she began to wear thicker, more fluttery false eyelashes on tour and for red carpet events. It’s not known for sure which lashes and eyeliner RED era Taylor used, but her current, rumoured favourites are from Lilly Lashes and Pat McGrath Lab’s Perma Precision Liquid Eyeliner in Xtreme Black, £30. Either way, you’re safe with a true-black, pen-style liner and fluttery lashes that fan out at the edges to mimic your sharp cat eye.
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RED-Era Beauty Ideas
There are two ways to pull together a beauty look befitting of the RED era. The first is to simply add a classic red lip to your favourite everyday makeup routine — it’s Swift’s own signature for a reason. In fact, we’ve already done a deep dive on the different red lips Ms Swift has worn throughout her career. Though her makeup artist Lorrie Turk has yet to reveal what exact lippie she uses on the Eras Tour, its strongly believed that Taylor uses Pat McGrath Lab’s Elson 4 — it’s the colour that we know for a fact that Pat McGrath used on Swift for the “Bejeweled” music video and has since included in the aptly titled “Taylor Made” lip kit. Since Swift also needs to be extra secure on stage against sweat and water, I reckon she opts for the liquid, LiquiLUST: Legendary Wear Matte Lipstick version of Elson 4 — sis will continue to perform in the pouring rain if it’s safe to do so, and her lipstick never budges. Setting your lipstick with translucent powder before reapplying helps with the staying power.
The second way to adopt RED vibes into your makeup look (if you’re not a lipstick fan) is with, of course, red eyeshadow and glimmer. Also, with red liquid eyeliner. @maddiebwells survived the infamous rain show on Nashville night three and her sharp, red cat eye courtesy of ColourPop’s BFF Liquid Liner in the shade Try Me did not smudge one bit.
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@maddiebwells #erastour night 3 in nashville was a rain show AND we got a heart breaker of a surprise song, and my eye makeup held on!!! so here’s what I used🫶♥️ #taylorswift #makeup #makeuphacks #holygrail #erastournashvillenight3 #eyeliner #eyelinerhack #red #waterproofmakeup #fyp #viral #viralmakeup ♬ bejeweled - instrumental - Instrumental Covers Tazzy & Instrumental Songs & Tazzy
To amp up the RED vibes, the key is to accessorise with sunglasses (cat-eye or red heart-shaped, of course) and a hat (either a black bowler hat or a rust-coloured baker boy hat, just like Swift wore on the album cover of Taylor’s Version). Of course, if you’re really committed you could also cut yourself a fringe...
Hair & Makeup Ideas For The Eras Tour If You’re A 1989 Fan
The release of 1989 catapulted Swift into the pop music stratosphere, with bangers like “Style”, “Blank Space”, “Shake It Off”, “Bad Blood”, “Out Of The Woods”, “Wildest Dreams”... (The list goes on, and on, and on). It’s regarded as a favourite album amongst many Swifties and non-Swifties alike, thanks to seemingly endless list of catchy songs. Even more so since Swift released 1989 (Taylor’s Version) with some of her best vault tracks yet, unveiling more about her high-profile relationship with Harry Styles at the time.
The Colours, Themes & Aesthetic Of The 1989 Era
Swift’s own makeup during the original 1989 era was pared back. If you look to the OG album cover — a half-cut-off polaroid picture of Swift — it’s just her red lipstick that we see. (She also referenced red lips three times in the lyrics on 1989). Still, on the 1989 (Taylor’s Version), red lips play a significant role, yet this older version takes more of a laidback, relaxed approach. For one, we see Taylor beaming a smile, as opposed to the stone faced version she offered to us in 2014. In 2014 Taylor had also just cut her long locks into a choppy, mid-length bob, which she emulated on the cover of her Taylor’s Version re-release, with her hair in waves and clipped up into a faux bob.
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Differences aside, both the 2014 and Taylor’s Version album covers make clear: the colour of the 1989 era is pastel blue. It captures both the summer-in-the-city vibe of the original and the beachy, seaside feel of the new. Blue eyeshadow is currently having a moment, so this is definitely the easiest way to put some 1989 energy into your look. I love how @flaviazizeth incorporated the white of the polaroid border and seagulls with graphic white liner over a blue base.
1989-Era Beauty Ideas
No 1989 beauty look is complete without a “red lip classic”, but what you choose to do beyond this can be either subtle or… A real show-stopper. A simple wash of shimmery powder-blue eyeshadow or blue eyeliner flick will do the trick, or if you’re feeling creative, you could adopt some of the era’s signifiers into your look: Paint on one of the album cover’s seagulls like @kimberleyroya or a polaroid frame around one eye like @amandalynnglam.
Don’t forget about your hair either. Taylor loved curling her bob into soft waves during this era. I also love the idea of incorporating the blue theme with blue hair mascara and hair clip in tinsel, or going all out with themed hair accessories. DIY your own polaroid hair clip or a pair of paper airplane hair clips (the “two paper airplanes flying, flying, flying” from “Out of the Woods”).
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Hair & Makeup Ideas For The Eras Tour If You’re A reputation Fan
reputation was the era when Swift tossed the candy-coloured accents to the side in favour of a darker and moodier, no-fucks-given vibe. She was back after a year “hiding” to kill off her old “good girl” self (“I’m sorry, the old Taylor can’t come to phone right now. / Why? Because she’s dead!”), reclaim her reputation and call out those who had allegedly wronged her (at this time her record label were, behind the scenes, starting to put feelers out for the sale of her masters but, according to Swift herself, demanded that she “earn” them back with new music).
The Colours, Themes & Aesthetic Of The reputation Era
Stylistically, reputation is for the grunge girlies, the girlies with attitude and anyone who wants to add some serious edge to their look. Aesthetically and sonically, Swift is taking to the dark side: A colour palette of black and white, grey, burgundy purple and deep, dark green are a mirror to the dark, gritty and grunge electro pop, dubstep and R&B sound of the album. (In reality though, this album is all about Swift falling deeply in love).
reputation-Era Beauty Ideas
A black and silver smokey eye is a no-brainer for the reputation era — the more blown-out and grungy, the better. Likewise, Swift’s other beauty signatures during this era (best seen in the reputation Stadium Tour film which used to live on Netflix but can now be found on YouTube): black nail polish, tousled hair or a wet, slicked-back look à la the album cover. I love how @sophdoeslife has added extra shimmer to her adaption with black rhinestones.
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The rep era also saw Swift say goodbye to her signature red lip, replacing it with a darker and moodier burgundy. Though no products have been confirmed by Swift’s team, Swiftie and beauty content creator @amy_skelton has blessed us all by revealing what she believes to be Swift’s reputation choice: Dior’s Rouge Dior Forever lipstick in the shade Daring, £37.
@sophdoeslife Back to my series of @Taylor Swift albums as makeup looks.. Reputation 🐍🪦🖤 Using my soph x @REVOLUTION extra spice palette, @BEAUTY BAY wilderness palette (for the green) @Pat McGrath Labs Liquid liner & liquid lip in elson 4, @Rare Beauty mascara & lip liner in strong @Taylor Nation #swifttok #tstheerastour #reputationera #taylorswift #taylorswiftmakeup ♬ original sound - Kaylen
This is the time to incorporate snakes into your beauty look as much as your outfit, whether that’s tracing a delicate and winding serpent around your eye with rhinestones like @makeupbydenz or a bold, black silhouette across your face like @makeupwithchaz. Don’t feel confident? In Your Dreams have crafted a nifty face jewels set already in the shape of a snake, or you can whip out the temporary tattoo trick again.
For your hair, big and bold barrel curls will give you the drama you need, but adding a snake headband or silver hair crystals will take it up another notch.
@makeupwithchaz the eras tour hasn’t even been announced for the uk yet but i’m trying to give you all the inspo🥹🐍🖤 #erastour #taylorswift #swifttok #makeup #mua #makeuptutorial #makeuptransformation #taylornation #reputationtour #fyp #foryou ♬ original sound - TS sped up
Hair & Makeup Ideas For The Eras Tour If You’re A Lover Fan
Swift emerged from her reputation era reborn and dove head first into the bubblegum pop that is Lover. Literally, like the snake bursting into a cloud of pastel butterflies at the start of the “Me!” music video is a metaphor for her reclaiming her old self and all the things she enjoys, from rainbows and kittens to country line dancing and French romance films. Significantly, Lover was the first album she owned herself after her departure from Big Machine Records and Swift honours this album with six songs at the top of the Eras tour setlist. This is particularly meaningful to the lovers who never got to see this album performed live after Lover Fest was cut short due to the pandemic.
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The Colours, Themes & Aesthetic Of The Lover Era
Pastel rainbow is the theme of the Lover era, so I suggest adding as many of the romantic tones to your beauty look as you can handle. Especially, though, pink; the “purple pink skies” seen on the album cover and that she references in Folklore’s “invisible string”.
It’s also the era for bedazzling, so make sure you stock up on coloured eyeliner, glitters and rhinestones. The butterflies make a comeback once more, along with heart, floral and sparkle motifs. Basically, anything saccharine sweet and romantic flies.
Swift’s own makeup took a softer approach this era. reputation’s burgundy lips were replaced with bright pinks, and the smudgy, smoky eyes replaced with light, shimmery shadows and subtle eyeliner.
@glowbysoph Dreamy pastel cotton candy liner to match the lover album of course 😌🩵✨☁️💓 #pasteleyeliner #pastelmakeup #creativemakeup #editorialeyeliner #graphiclinerlook #longwearmakeup #dreamymakeup #lovereramakeuplook #lovereramakeup #inmyloverera #greenscreen #erastourtaylorswift #tstheerastour #tstheerastourlosangeles #erastourmakeup #erastourmakeupinspo #fyp ♬ original sound - r & m <3 ⸆⸉
Lover-Era Beauty Ideas
The most popular way to embrace the era is by drawing a love heart around your eye — ideally with a sparkly eye pencil or glued-on glitter. Following @amy_skelton’s tutorial, use a pink pencil eyeliner or lip pencil which is easy to control and first map out your shape (she used Victoria Beckham’s Satin Kajal Liner in the shade Cherry Blossom, £30, though MAC’s Lip Pencil in Talking Point, £20 is a similar, and cheaper, option) and then paint on a glitter paste with a small brush (Skelton uses Lemonhead LA’s Spacepaste, £21. I also like Half Magic’s Glitterpill Eye Paint & Liner in Sweet Prince, £22 for this as it comes with its own thin applicator brush).
@amy_skelton Taylor glitter lover heart makeup tutorial💖#makeuptutorial #erastour #lover #taylorswift #makeupinspo #erastourmakeup ♬ cruel summer sped up - r & m <3 ⸆⸉
This is also the time for trying out coloured blushes, with bright pinks, purples and blues blended out from the eye and around your cheekbones to add a dramatic yet dreamy effect to the skin.
If you’re feeling really adventurous, consider adding a temporary pastel pink colour to your hair for a dip-dye effect like Swift did on the cover of the album. Swift’s hair during this era was long and choppy, so adding a spritz of dry texture spray to loose waves should do the trick (I’m a big, big fan of Hair by Sam McKnight’s Cool Girl Texture Mist, £27). If you don’t feel so brave, Swift also loved donning a flower crown or butterfly clips during this era. (Basically, the Lover era is the gown up version of Debut).
Hair & Makeup Ideas For The Eras Tour If You’re A folklore Fan
folklore was released with less than 24 hours’ notice on 24 July 2020, and marked a distinct deviation from the pop bangers she’d become associated with. Most likely because this album was born out of a situation no one had ever experienced: Quarantine freed Swift from the typical two-year album-then-tour schedule. It also inspired the lush, dreamy, introspective world she wrote about, working into a brand new landscape of music (folklore is categorised as alternative and as indie folk) and with brand new collaborators (Aaron Dessner of The National and Bon Iver) that she did not meet in person.
As the album cover conveys, we head into the “folklorian woods” with Swift; into a rustic, pastoral, cottagecore world of soft muted patterns, bare faces and natural ringlets.
The Colours, Themes & Aesthetic Of The folklore Era
Technically, if you’re lining up all the eras colours, folklore is depicted with a soft grey to match the album cover. This, of course, isn’t the funnest shade to work with beauty-wise, but that hasn’t stopped fans of the album from getting creative. In fact folklore-era beauty has two speeds: ethereal forest fairy and dazzling “mirrorball”. The prevailing beauty aesthetic for folklore lovers is either earthy greens and browns and flower and leaf motifs, or silver glitter liners and packed-on silver eyeshadow. Or a combination of both.
The easiest way to achieve a truly ethereal flower fairy look? Using lash glue to adhere dried flower nail art decals to your face.
@theballerinabridemua My mind turns your life into folklore 🧚🏼♂️🍃🌲 @Noff Baras @Karla Cosmetics @madebymitchell #makeupartist #mua #brisbanemakeupartist #erastourmakeup #taylorswift #fairymakeup #erastour ♬ New Abundance - Omar Enfedaque
folklore-Era Beauty Ideas
If you don’t want to go out and buy a bunch of new beauty products, I suggest embracing “mirrorball” and opt for a monochromatic silver eye look with glitter spilling down your cheekbones. Bonus points for a matching glitter lip gloss.
@ifrancyris Replying to @Lulu shiny tears🩶 #fyp #folkloremakeup #theerastour #taylorswift #makeup #maquillaje ♬ YES GIRL rock that blanket cape - c ★ r r i e
To embrace the earthier tones, get blending with browns and greens, highlighted with shimmers. To stop your green eye look from looking too reputation snake green, add flower and leaf motifs, flushed cheeks (that make you look like you just came from a jaunt in the forest with woodland creatures) and tie your hair up into “folklorian” braided space buns (like those that Swift wears on the album’s back cover). This is also the perfect opportunity to lean into that cottagecore, countryside-coquette vibe with hair ribbons.
Hair & Makeup Ideas For The Eras Tour If You’re An evermore Fan
Considered a sister album to folklore, evermore was also released as a surprise album in 2020 and like the former, Swift abandoned the long and intricately planned album rollout she had become so known for. When announcing the album on Instagram, she admitted that she and her collaborators simply weren’t able to stop writing songs when putting together folklore, and thus, evermore was born. Poetically put, they just couldn’t leave the “folklorian woods”, delving even deeper into a world steeped with magic, legend and escapism.
The Colours, Themes & Aesthetic Of The evermore Era
evermore marked a continuation of the earthy “folklorian woods” theme, with an autumnal-through-to-winter energy (as opposed to folklore’s spring-through-to-summer vibe); evoked by seasonal songs like “’tis the damn season” and “evermore” and the cosy energy of the album cover (the colour of this album match, such as deep rusty orange, copper and brownish-red). Naturally, your beauty choices are where the evermore magic really happens, with “gold rush” accents, “pinned-up hair” and “ivy”-inspired eyeliner (try Victoria Beckham’s Satin Kajal Liner in Sour Apple, £30).
@chloeandcos How I would do my makeup if I was going as poison ivy for Halloween! #graphicliner #eyelinerswoop ♬ Freaks - Surf Curse
evermore-Era Beauty Ideas
Autumnal, warm colours are perfect for an evermore makeup look, so an orange-toned matte lipstick and a matching orange blush are a good start. Add an iridescent highlighter to the tops of your cheekbones, then swipe a dramatic winged eyeliner over a bronzed smokey eye, before popping your hair back in a French braid like Swift’s. If, like me, you have two left hands when it comes to braiding, opt instead for a suitably autumnal hair adornment.
@sophietovarf Evermore 🤎 , AHH solo falta midnights #taylorswift #erastour #taylorsversion #makeup #evermore #makeup #maquillaje #mua #easymakeup #erastourtaylorswift #taylorswiftmexico #erastourmexico ♬ original sound - sophie tovar
Hair & Makeup Ideas For The Eras Tour If You’re A Midnights Fan
For Swift’s latest album, Midnights, she tells the story of 13 sleepless nights throughout her life. At the time, she described it as a “journey through terrors and sweet dreams”. Overall, Midnights is about a relationship breaking down. As Swift’s six-year relationship with Joe Alwyn grinds to a halt, she reflects on past affairs and her own behavioural patterns, triggers and traumas, desperate to work out what and why things are going wrong now.
The Colours, Themes & Aesthetic Of The Midnights Era
Undeniably, the colour of Midnights is a deep navy/midnight blue. The glamour was back for this album — Taylor was ready to be “Bejeweled” as she realised that her lover is not paying her enough attention or consideration. As such, she aptly leaned into the nighttime theme with plenty of zodiac, star and moon-inspired pieces, plenty of sparkle, and Old Hollywood-style faux fur coats flung over silky mini dresses. The bright, bold red lip was back courtesy of Pat McGrath and so was her signature cat eye, this time paired with diamond-bright or midnight-blue shimmer shadows and, occasionally, rhinestone gemstones (such as in the music video for “Bejeweled”).
But it’s also an album steeped in anxiety and staying up all night, going back over the past to see where you went wrong before and how to stop it happening again. This is reflected by the hazy, retro-inspired album cover and photo shoot — most notably, Swift’s blurred-out, shimmery blue-silver eyeshadow, heavy eyeliner and ultra-thick lashes. According to Hollywood Life, Swift wears Lilly Lashes in Enticing, £18 on the Eras Tour and so could potentially be making use of them here.
@kammiebrooks_ Feeling generous so heres another eras tutorial 😋 #midnights #taylorswift #erastour #erastouraustralia ♬ original sound - kammie styles 💐🪩
Midnights-Era Beauty Ideas
And so I think of Midnights in terms of these two vibes: an ultra glam, more literal interpretation of an inky night sky with glittering silver stars, and second, the hazy, smudged, glam-grunge looks after being up all night. The “Lavender Haze” music video is also great inspiration for this latter theme. I love this look by @lorraine.alam for capturing both perfectly.
The one non-negotiable if you’re dressing as the Midnights era? “Draw the cat eye sharp enough to kill a man”, of course!
Hair & Makeup Ideas For The Eras Tour If You’re A The Tortured Poets Department Fan
Well, well, well... How are we feeling, fellow clowns? Just as we thought Swift was about to announce reputation (Taylor's Version) at the 2024 Grammys, she pulled a red herring on us and dropped a brand new album announcement for TS11. (It’s hardly our fault, she was wearing a particularly rep-coded outfit, right down to the layered chokers).
Fun fact: This is the first and (so far) only Taylor Swift album to have more than one word in the title (bar Debut, but that technically doesn’t have a name). It seems that Swift is going full Lana Del Rey on us with a wordy title — potentially she’ll offer similarly poetic, anguished lyrics to match? It does appear to be the sad breakup album that Midnights was inching towards. For example, one version of the album has the caption “I love you, it’s ruining my life” on the back.
So far, Swift has yet to make any changes to the Eras Tour set list. I anticipate that she won’t add a whole new section for TTPD and will relegate it to the acoustic, secret song section, but unsurprisingly it’s already garnering a lot of buzz so why not anticipate some Tortured Poets-themed beauty looks?
The Colours, Themes & Aesthetic Of The Tortured Poets Department Era
Currently, we know is that Tortured Poets has a sepia-tinged, Dark Academia-meets-Case-File theme. Its colour is white, which Swift confirmed with her Grammys nails (hidden under long opera gloves until the reveal). This fits all the preppy outfits that she’s been seen sporting this year, plus song titles like “The Manuscript”, “The Alchemy” and a title track.
Tortured Poets also appears to have an Old Hollywood feel to it; less the shiny, glamorous leanings of Midnights, and more of a gritty look at the dark side of fame, suggested by tracks called “Clara Bow” (after the silent film star) and “I Can Do It with a Broken Heart”. This theory is supported by Swift’s look for the Grammys when announcing TTPD: wearing a white sculptural, corseted Schiaparelli gown, hair swept to one side, eyes a coppery, brown shimmer, lips painted deep, dark red and neck dripping with diamonds (in particular, a watch choker set to midnight, what else?).
The Tortured Poets Department-Era Beauty Ideas
Of course, it’s hard to predict beauty ideas for an album that’s not yet been released, but that hasn’t stopped us Swifties from having fun — mostly because Swift has already given us such a strong and enticing aesthetic to play with. So have fun working white into your makeup, whether that’s through white eyeliner, glitters or gemstones. I would just try not to make your beauty looks too clean and sharp; that isn’t what the TTPD energy is giving. I love @goldrushred’s pearl-embellished vision.
@goldrushred i love you, its ruining my life 🤍🕊️ #thetorturedpoetsdepartment #ttpd #ttpdaesthetic #ts11 #taylorswift #grammys #erastour #erastourtokyo #tstheerastourtokyo #taylorswiftmakeup #erasmakeup ♬ the lakes intro - afterglow audios
Likewise, consider any fun and interesting ways you could incorporate the theme of “tortured poets” into your beauty, such as @amy_skelton’s smudged-from-crying heart look.
@amy_skelton This look kinda reminds me of the tortured poets department 🤍 #makeup #thetorturedpoetsdepartment #antivalentines #taylorswift ♬ the lakes sped up - r & m <3 ⸆⸉
Here’s How To Incorporate All Taylor Swift’s Eras For The Eras Tour
Can’t choose your favourite era? I get you, how can you — it’s like picking a favourite child! Luckily, the colour themes of Swift’s albums make for the perfect multicoloured beauty looks, the likes of which can be much more subtle to the untrained, non-Swiftie eye.
@taylorr_dc Eras Tour Makeup for all Eras 🌈 | I bought coloured liners just for this 😂 #fyp #erastour #taylorswift #erastourmakeup #makeupinspo #erastourmakeupinspo #erastourtaylorswift #eras #makeup #makeupideas ♬ bejeweled sped up - bia (taylor’s version)
Beauty Ideas For All Of Taylor Swift’s Eras
Whether you opt for coloured liners like @taylor_dc and draw stars and hearts in all the album’s colours around your eyes, or apply a rainbow of gemstones to your cheekbones like @lilainc, you can’t go wrong. I especially love how Lila has her gems cascading down her cheeks like tears, both a nod to “My Tears Ricochet” and “Teardrops on My Guitar”.
Taylor Swift Eras Tour-Inspired Nails
This is the easiest and most Swift-coded way to prepare for the Eras Tour: painting your nails the colours of each era (scroll through Swift’s post here for her own manicure). Luckily, we have ten fingers and, so far, ten albums featured in the Eras Tour. If you’re extra skilled at nail art or have a favoured nail artist in mind, I’ve broken down the colours and motifs of each era to help get you started. Luckily, TikTok and Instagram are also littered with inspiration.
Debut: light green, butterflies and flowers (daisies)
Fearless: gold, sparks and rain
Speak Now: purple, sparkles and butterflies
RED: red and autumn leaves
1989: light blue, seagulls and polaroids
reputation: black/dark green and snakes
Lover: pink, butterflies and hearts
folklore: light grey/silver and mirrorballs
evermore: copper/orange and ivy, flowers and forests
Midnights: dark blue, stars, moons and sparkles
A reminder if you’re feeling anxious about your look for the Eras Tour...
In case it wasn’t obvious, there aren’t really any rules when pulling together your beauty look for the Eras Tour, because no matter what you wear or how you do your hair, you’ll be having an extremely fun night. But hopefully, we’ve provided some inspo to get you started. Be creative, have fun!
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