Taylor Swift was one of the most-anticipated guests at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, given that she’s one of the most-nominated, most-awarded stars at the long-running awards show and is getting the first Artist Director Honors. (She’s also got 11 nominations under her belt for this year.) But the biggest thing we noticed when she hit the aqua carpet just minutes before the show began wasn’t her lob, her bangs, or her gown—it was a very unexpected twist on her signature black cat-eye liner!
Swift has been wearing a cat eye for years, regardless of its popularity in the makeup trend cycle. It’s part of her iconography at this point, especially paired with a red lip. And make no mistake, the cat eye was present and accounted for at the VMAs, but Swift gave it a mod-style update with a few flicks of white liner to accent her eyes even more.
Blink and you’ll miss it, but there’s definitely something new going on with Swift’s eyeliner. A lighter hue has been traced in her inner corners and above and under the black to give it a little extra lift, and it also looks like there may be some bronze liner in her lower lashline too. White liner was also applied to her waterline, which is a classic makeup trick to accentuate the eyes. It’s a little mod, especially with her high-necked, sleeveless black and silver gown, and a fun spin on her signature.
Swift skipped the other signature element of her makeup, the red lip, but that’s not exactly new news; she’s been all about a rosy color lately. Her hair, which she recently cut into a lob, was worn straight with just a teeny tiny bend and barely brushed her collarbones. We love that Swift has been so loyal to her liner and lip combo, but if there was ever a time to try a little tweak on your trademark, it’s the VMAs!
