Taylor Swift Finally Reveals Her Go-To Perfume Is Tom Ford at the 2024 VMAs
After years of speculation, it seems Swifties finally have confirmation.
For more than a decade, inquiring minds have been working day and night to figure out what Taylor Swift smells like. Or more specifically, which perfume she wears. Now, it seems her recent appearance at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards has led to a major break in the case. During a very cute recorded interaction between Swift and drag queen Xunami Muse that subsequently surfaced on X, Muse poses for a photo with Swift, then casually turns and does the unthinkable by straight-up asking the pop star what scent she's wearing.
"You smell so good," Muse appears to tell Swift before miming the act of applying perfume. "What is that?" Swift seemingly lights up and replies, "Oh thank you, it's Tom Ford." Muse then appears to echo Swift by saying, "Tom Ford! It's so nice."
📹| Drag queen @XunamiMuse asking Taylor what perfume she's wearing 😂 #VMAs Xunami: You smell so good. What is that? *imitates perfume spray*Taylor: Oh thank you! It's Tom Ford!Xunami: Tom Ford!! It's so nice! pic.twitter.com/42rKXUdPINSeptember 12, 2024
The clip is the closest fans have ever come to getting a direct answer from Swift herself. Of course, we've been theorizing about her signature scent for years. In the pop star's 2020 Netflix documentary Miss Americana, Swifities noticed a bottle of Tom Ford's Santal Blush sitting in the background along with a bottle of L'Oreal Elnett Spray. The discovery backs up claims on Reddit and TikTok that Swift has shared several of her favorite fragrances with secret listening party attendees over the years. The rumored list includes Santal Blush as well as Viktor&Rolf Flowerbomb and another iconic Tom Ford fragrance, Tobacco Vanille.
All three perfumes cohere with David Letterman's 2010 remark about Speak Now-era Swift smelling like “expensive wood.” Santal Blush is a spicy, sumptuous blend of ylang-ylang, cinnamon, cedar, and sandalwood. Tobacco Vanille is an elevated gourmand spiked with wood sap. Flowerbomb opens with tea and bergamot but dries down to a base of musk and patchouli.
Perhaps someday Swift will give us the perfume collection tour we've been requesting for more than a decade now, but I wouldn't hold your breath. Miss Americana rarely, if ever, name-checks beauty brands. That is, unless you're Mother Pat McGrath.
Stay In The Know
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.
Hanna Lustig is a staff writer at Marie Claire, where she gets to gab every day about the topics she holds most dear: fashion, beauty, and celebrity. Hanna’s editorial journey began with formative internships at Elle and InStyle, where she was lucky enough to work for some of the smartest women in media while she was still in college at the University of Tennessee. Hanna then accepted a digital culture reporting fellowship at Insider, where she helped carve out a new beat dedicated to covering influencers. Those experiences later served her well as a staff writer at Glamour, where she developed a knack for spinning quick turnaround celebrity news and trend reporting into juicy feature stories. Some of her greatest hits include an earnest ode to the no-pants trend, this meticulously reported feature exploring the rise of endoscopic facelifts, this snappy take on the Chanel-designed fantasy of Sofia Richie’s wedding, this tribute to WAGs past and present, and this timeline of Katie Holmes’s life and career as told through her denim collection.
Diane Keaton once hung up on Hanna during an interview, but thankfully that mishap did not derail what has otherwise been a deeply fulfilling career writing for and about women. As one of Marie Claire's resident experts on style and culture, her current coverage ranges from exploring TikTok's contrast makeup theory and the return of the boat shoe trend to interviews with costume designers for hit shows like Nobody Wants This and The Penguin. When she’s not at work, Hanna can probably be found listening to pop music, talking to her dog, and gossiping with her best friends. For more of Hanna’s perfect opinions on pop culture, you can follow her on Instagram and X.
-
32 Great TV Shows That Capture What We Love About Our Closest Friendships
Watch these with your bestie (or when you miss them).
By Katherine J. Igoe Published
-
Princess Kate's Sculpted Cheeks Could Be the Work of This Insider-Loved Treatment
The technique also has Meghan Markle's stamp of approval.
By Hanna Lustig Published
-
Kaia Gerber Test-Drives Selena Gomez's Winter Shoe Styling Hack
There's still a way to wear those open-toe heels.
By Halie LeSavage Last updated
-
Taylor Swift's All-Time Favorite Pat McGrath Red Lipstick Is Finally Back in Stock
It's been a long time coming.
By Halie LeSavage Last updated
-
Taylor Swift Matches Her Blinding Cheekbone Highlighter to Her Bejeweled Bag and Choker
Best believe she's still bejeweled.
By Hanna Lustig Published
-
Cyber Monday's Best Tom Ford Fragrance Deals Let You Smell Just Like Taylor Swift
Her favorite scent and her favorite lipstick are both on sale.
By Halie LeSavage Published
-
Hair Pins for a Flawless French Twist Are Under $20 for Black Friday
Vintage hair pins are less than $20 right now.
By Halie LeSavage Last updated
-
Taylor Swift Takes the Boyfriend Blush Trend Out to Dinner With Matching Coral Lipstick and Eyeshadow
With coral lipstick and eyeshadow to match.
By Halie LeSavage Published
-
Taylor Swift Pairs Her Signature Chiefs Game Lipstick With a New French Twist Up-Do
She's trying a brand-new up-do.
By Halie LeSavage Published
-
20 Celebrity-Favorite Nail Polish Colors to Inspire Your Next Fall Manicure
From bubble bath shades to moody fall hues.
By Brooke Knappenberger Published
-
Creator of Taylor Swift's Glitter Freckles Sobs After Star Provokes 2,500% Sales Spike
Their creator shared a look at the wave of orders on TikTok.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published