HOT FOR TEACHER: Taylor Swift's Blank Space Video

When she first started out, Taylor Swift’s music was very hit or miss for me – it all got a bit twee for a bit there – but her recent releases have been in my head pretty much constantly for the last few months. Blank Space is a great song, with a great video, very Gatsby, and as soon as I saw those intense closeups of Taylor acting like a crazy person I knew I wanted to recreate the look.

The look of the makeup, not the crazy person. That comes naturally.

FUN FACT: For ages, I misheard a lyric of this song as ‘Got lovely Starbucks lovers; they’ll tell you I’m insane.’

STEP ONE.

There’s not actually a whole lot to the base of this look – it’s just a very plain, flawless (you know, ish) face – so I used a medium-to-high-coverage foundation (Max Factor Skin Luminizer in Light Ivory) and then just added a little bit of Benefit’s Hoola bronzer under my cheekbones and around the jaw for definition. For concealer, I used Collection Lasting Perfection (in Fair) layered over Benefit Fake Up (in 01), set with the pale yellow shadow, Heaven, from the Too Faced Natural Eyes palette.

STEP TWO.

This look is based around a really soft, lovely grey- and blue-based smoky eye. To start with,  line about the inner third of your waterline with white eyeliner (my faithful Mac Kohl Pencil in Fascinating), extending a little bit out in the inner corner to elongate the shape of your eye.

STEP THREE.

Then, line the outer two thirds of your waterline in a pale grey (Seventeen’s Eye Kohl), overlapping with the white a little bit in the middle to get a gradient effect. This makes eyes look rounder, because it creates a natural-looking outward curve, and Taylor’s look in Blank Space is all about big, subtly-defined eyes and super-dramatic lips.

STEP FOUR.

Using a pale grey or blue shadow, cover most of your eyelid, starting in the inner corner and extending about ¾ of the way across. I used shade 01 from the Bourjois Smoky Eyes trio in Bleu Jean. Soften the edges really well with a blending brush.

STEP FIVE.

Using a mid-shade grey, build up colour in your crease. I used Gunmetal from the Urban Decay Naked palette.

STEP SIX.

With a black eyeliner pencil (I used Smashbox Limitless Eyeliner), lightly define the outer corner of your waterline. Extend the line super lightly past the edge of your eye, creating the flick – it can be as long or short or at whatever angle you like, depending on the shape of your eye. Blend into the grey shadow with a brush.

STEP SEVEN.

Take an angled liner brush and a navy or dark blue-grey (I used shade 03 from the Bourjois trio) and take the colour lightly over the upper lashline, concentrating in the outer corner. Then, line about the outer third of your lower lashline and extend it up towards the flick, blending into the grey shadow.

STEP EIGHT.

Taylor’s lashes aren’t super dramatic , so I used one that was more lengthening than volumising – Max Factor Masterpiece Max – and concentrated the product again on the outer corners.

STEP NINE.

The red lip is what takes this whole look from a gentle, subtle airy-fairy sort of thing to something with much more impact. I used Rimmel’s Exaggerate lipliner in Red Diva, concentrating on defining the cupid’s bow, and then filled them in with Rimmel’s Lasting Finish lipstick in Alarm, neatening the edges with a lip brush.

STEP TEN.

For extra definition, I outlined my lips carefully with the Collection concealer and blended with a brush. Then, using my fingers, I pressed a pale pink shimmer eyeshadow (Virgin from the Naked palette) into the centre of my lips at the top and bottom, for a bit of shine and to emphasise the shape.

And, after some faffing around with an apple, you’re done! I really like this look - I kept the eye makeup on all day (decided the lips were probably a bit much for my sister’s ninth birthday party). ‘Tis the season, and all that, and I think this is a great look for Christmas meals or parties, as the soft eye keeps it from being too dramatic for a daytime event and the lip keeps it fancy enough – can’t go wrong with a red lip at Christmas.

Or, you know, if you wanted to wear it while smashing up your boyfriend’s car with a golf club, it works for that too. Taylor Swift: versatile makeup looks for your every need.