You’ll Soon Be Able to Stock Up on Beautyblenders at *This* Iconic Makeup Brand’s Stores

Beautyblender is perhaps the most iconic makeup application tool on the market; the lil pink sponge is an absolute staple in virtually every MUA’s kit and in amateur kits across the globe. Case in point: Allure reports that “beauty blender” was the most searched beauty-related phrase on google in 2017 — and judging by the brand’s latest announcement, it’ll become even more popular in the new year.

Starting this Thursday, January 4, the iconic sponge brand is teaming up none other than MAC (an equally as iconic beauty brand!) to sell everyone’s favorite makeup applicators on MAC’s website and in all MAC stores across the US.

“Pros were the first cheerleaders of beautyblender – immediately recognizing the product’s innovation and high-performance results,” says beautyblender’s founder and CEO, Rea Ann Silva. “So, when we had the opportunity to partner with M∙A∙C Cosmetics and offer its customers our tool with their makeup all in one place it felt like the perfect fit!”

The edgy makeup powerhouse will stock the OG pink beautyblender and black beautyblender Pro for $20 each in addition to a bevy of other goodies. Specifically, the beautyblender Beauty Blusher (a handy applicator that delivers just the right amount of rouge), the beautyblender micro mini (a sponge sized perfectly for inner corners, browbone and other tricky crannies), and the all-important blender cleanser (a soap-like cleaner that keeps your sponges bouncy and squeaky clean.)

“Over the years, many of our MAC Artists in store, as well as our Senior Artists and Directors of Makeup Artistry have enthusiastically shared that they use and absolutely love beautyblender,” explained MAC’s Senior VP of Global Product Development, Nicholas Gavrelis. “From a business point of view, MAC, being the top ranked NPD Brush brand and beautyblender being the top ranked NPD Sponge/Applicator brand, this inspired us to look at ways of partnering, rather than competing,” he continued, adding that the collab is a “match made in heaven.”

We can’t wait to see beautyblender hitting more shelves in the new year, especially when we can up a tube of Ruby Woo on our way to the checkout.

Will you start buying Beautyblenders from MAC? Tweet us your thoughts @BritandCo!

(Photo via Beautyblender, L. Cohen/WireImage)

It's the first day of April, and we're celebrating it by sharing which Sephora birthday gift you can get this month. That's right — I'm talking about all the freebies you can find! Well, not all of them — just enough to help you find new makeup, skincare, or haircare products to add to your vanity. After looking at the options Sephora has to offer this month, we're sure you'll have a hard time choosing from all the great options.

Let's jump into the 6 glamorous Sephora birthday gifts you can get this month!

How do I redeem my free birthday gift?

In order to redeem your birthday gift, you have to become a beauty insider. Signing up is completely free.

Are birthday gifts only available online?

Some of them are, but some can be picked up in-stores. You'll want to look online to see if the birthday gift you want has the "Available online only" or "Available in Store only" label.

Can I redeem more than one gift?

Wouldn't it be nice if we could have all the things? Unfortunately, you can only choose one birthday gift set.

Am I able to redeem a VIB or Rogue birthday gift if I haven't reached those tiers?

If you recently became a beauty insider, you'll be in the 'insider' tier. Here's the requirements to reach the next tiers:

  • VIB: Spend $350 in one year
  • Rogue: Spend $1000 in one year

You'll have to continue spending those amounts to maintain your VIB or Rogue status. At that point, you'll be able to redeem a Rogue VIB birthday gift.

Other than that, you have free reign to choose from 7 other great options! Here's everything you can choose during your birthday month!

Kosas Lip & Brow Birthday Set

What's included:

  • Wet Lip Oil Plumping Treatment Gloss in Shade 'Unbuttoned' (Soft Warm Blush)
  • Air Brow Clear + Clean Lifting Eyebrow Gel with Lamination Effect

Kosas is known for their skincare-friendly makeup which makes this birthday gift so exciting. You'll get one of the best lip oils that'll gives your lips a boost of hydration thanks to hyaluronic acid and it'll make them look kissable. Additionally, you can give your eyebrows a little boost with Kosas' air brow gel!

Youth To The People Cleanse & Hydrate Skincare Birthday Set

What's included:

  • Superfood Gentle Antioxidant Refillable Cleanser
  • Superfood Air-Whip Lightweight Face Moisturizer with Hyaluronic Acid
  • Superberry Hydrate + Glow Dream Night Cream + Mask with Vitamin C
We stan a good skincare set that features different options for us to try. If you choose this birthday option, you'll get to sample Youth To The People's goodies that can easily be incorporate into your morning or nighttime regiment. From a pH-balancing cleanser to a Vitamin C-infused mask, your skin will appreciate this moisturizing birthday gift.

Moroccanoil Ultimate Hydration Birthday Set

What's included:

  • Moroccanoil Treatment Hair Oil
  • Hydrating Shampoo
  • Hydrating Conditioner
  • Hand Cream
Give your hair some TLC with Moroccanoil's ultimate hydrating set. Each product is infused with argan oil so you can trust that your strands will receive hydration that results in sleek hair.

Sephora Birthday Gift 250 Bonus Points

Then again, you can decide to have an extra 250 bonus points added to your account. I reached the VIB rogue tier by choosing this option one year and my total accumulated points allowed me to save $10 off my next purchase. It's a win even if it's not a gift set.

Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Look Birthday Set

What's included:

  • Matte Revolution Lipstick in shade Pillow Talk
  • Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray
  • Magic Cream Moisturizer with Hyaluronic Acid
If you've reached the VIB or Rogue tiers — congratulations! You'll get to take home this Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Look birthday set! If the pretty packaging doesn't catch your eye, then the gorgeous packaging and award-winning products will!

ROGUE VIB

Summer Fridays On-the-Go Hydration Birthday Set

What's included:

  • Jet Lag Mask
  • Lip Butter Balm for Hydration & Shine in Shade 'Vanilla'

While Sephora's other birthday gifts won't change in April, there's a new Rogue VIB option to look forward to! Sephora loves surprising their amazing customers with hydrating birthday gifts and this set is right on time for all your vacation needs. The air on airplanes can be drying so you'll need Summer Friday's jet lag mask for your face and their lip butter balm for your lips!

Which of the Sephora birthday gifts will you be taking home this month?

Brit + Co. may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations. This post is updated each month to reflect new Sephora birthday gift deals.

Nothing's more irritating than having to throw out fresh fruit you just bought because it either ripened too fast or was already festering with mold. And what food is the biggest culprit? Usually, it’s bananas. Unless you're fitting bananas in your everyday meal routine, it’s difficult to keep up with how quickly they brown (which can be anywhere from 24 hours to five days, depending on how green they were at the store when you grabbed them).

The good news is that there’s actually a lot you can do with overripe bananas. We turned to chefs for top tips (both creative and delicious) that will prevent you from throwing speckled bananas in the trash!

What To Do With Overripe Bananas

Image via Butternut Bakery

Banana Bread, Obviously

One of the most widespread baking recipes to make with overripe bananas is banana bread. Why? Because it’s simple, delicious, and an automatic crowd-pleaser. Check out our one bowl gluten-free banana bread recipe, our chocolate banana pumpkin bread, or these 40 recipes of banana bread that you need to make this weekend (the options are endless!).

(Writer’s note: My go-to recipe is the chocolate chip banana bread from Butternut Bakery — but I use dark chocolate chips instead!)

Image via Half Baked Harvest

Freeze Them For Your Smoothies

When in doubt, put your overripe bananas in the freezer. Then you’ll at least have time to think on what to do with them—and you can throw them in your morning smoothies. Bananas last up to three months in the freezer ideally, and pair well with a variety of different flavor profiles, like caramel, blueberry, chocolate, or orange.

This strawberry-banana colada smoothie from Half Baked Harvest may just be your new fav, or the cloudy summer smoothie which doubles as an Erewhon smoothie dupe. Chef Chris Morgan of Joon restaurant in Washington D.C. advises using overripe bananas and other raw fruits for your children at home (he makes little smoothies for his 7-month old baby—pure genius!).

Image via Food Faith Fitness

Make Banana Cookies

Substitute the flour for bananas in your baking with some tasty cookie options. The plus side of banana cookies is that they are often automatically gluten-free and can easily become dairy-free (but always check first!). These easy peanut banana oatmeal cookies from Food Faith Fitness are a great option. If you’re looking to ditch the peanut butter, try out these 4-ingredient banana oat cookies from Livvin Media.

Image via Kathryn's Kitchen Blog

Ice Cream, Anyone?

There is nothing better than sorbet or ice cream in the summer months. All you really need is frozen ripe bananas, any other frozen fruit you prefer, milk (whichever kind you enjoy— almond, oat, etc.) and some sweeteners like honey or vanilla extract. To fit your health goals, you can even throw in protein powder. This strawberry nice cream from Kathryn’s Kitchen Blog only has five ingredients!

Image via Butternut Bakery

Upgrade Your Breakfast

Pancakes, overnight oats, and muffins are all incredibly tasty options to use up those ripe bananas and upgrade your breakfast game. Try Butternut Bakery’sbanana nut muffins for a quick snack or these healthy chia banana pancakes from Half Baked Harvest for a savory morning bite. You can also sift through Brit + Co’s 17 overnight oats recipes — keep in mind that overnight oats only last a few days in the fridge, though!

Photo by Anna Tarazevich/PEXELS

Make Dog Treats

Don’t leave out your furry friends— they love bananas too! Making long-lasting dog treats “relieves the pressure on the idea of food waste, plus there is a bonus that your pets are spoiled, happy, and nutritiously rewarded,” says pastry chef Susan Bae of the critically-acclaimed restaurant, Moon Rabbit in Washington D.C. Check out her go-to dog treat recipe below:

Chef Susan Bae’s Dog Treat Recipe:

250g organic whole wheat flour

240g organic peanut butter

70g organic, unsweetened apple sauce

56g mashed overripe banana

113g organic plain bone broth

25g organic shredded cheddar cheese

25g freeze dried blueberries

Preheat oven to 350F.

1.) Mix to combine whole wheat flour, peanut butter, apple sauce, bone broth and banana. Until a dough is lightly formed.

2.) Fold in shredded cheese and dried blueberries to evenly distribute in dough.

3.) Roll dough out to 1/4” thickness and use your favorite cookie cutters to cut out treats.

4.) Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and bake dog treats until firm and dry to touch (this varies with each oven) Check at 45 minutes.

5.) Store at room temperature for up to 1 week in an airtight container or in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

Need more recipe inspo? Sign up for our weekly email newsletter for even more!

Header image via Half Baked Harvest

Want to be your own boss, but not sure where to start? Have a side hustle, but want to turn it into something more? Living a creative life in work and play takes dedication, inspiration, and time. But making time to hone in on your craft can boost your happiness and make you feel more fulfilled, not to mention lead to bigger opportunities. We tapped Dani Dazey, one of the most colorful interior, fashion, and print designers, to share her creative life and help you build yours.

In this reel, Dani shares how she makes every move count in her design business by focusing on what she does best, and letting TurboTax experts help her manage her taxes. Check it out!

Ready to take your creativity to the next level? Here are tips for building a dreamy creative life!

Find your niche. Be curious and explore hobbies that pique your interest, whether you want to become a pro at interior design, cooking, fashion, or some other field. Decide what makes you unique. “What's really cool about my brand being so focused on color, it seems niche, but it's actually a really broad spectrum. A lot of brands like to align themselves with color and joyfulness, and to me, color represents a happy disposition and a joyful living space,” says Dani.

Schedule creative time. If you have a 9 to 5, schedule time in the morning, after work or on weekends to explore your craft or run your business. Marking your calendar and making time to be creative will help you make sure you don’t let the chance slip by – the more you do, the more you discover your talents and build your expertise.

Don’t try to do it all. “When you're running your own business, you're essentially forced to wear all the hats,” says Dani. Being a small business owner can look like a one-woman show. Don’t try to do it all yourself. Instead, focus on what you love and let experts do the rest. Whether TurboTax experts prepare your tax return or you do it yourself, they guarantee their calculations are always 100% accurate, or they’ll pay any penalties.

Surround yourself with inspiration. Look for ways to build a creative community, visit exhibits and shops that resonate with you, go for a nature walk for inspiration – essentially become your own student and read books, take classes, and pull inspiration from everywhere. “What's so cool about interiors and fashion is there's such an overlap between inspiration,” says Dani, who’s inspired by vintage design and mixing different color schemes. Ask questions too – people with more experience are always happy to help and share with someone who has a similar passion.

Collaborate with others. Host a regular creative hang with friends, tap into a local creative community, find people online who you relate to who might want to collaborate on a project or promotion. This is a great way to get the word out about your unique offerings. Dani has turned her fashion business into an interior design and print business, collaborating with brands on wallpaper, shoe design, and more.

Don’t let failure stop you. Mistakes often lead to breakthroughs. Experiment with new ideas and techniques, and view setbacks as opportunities to learn and grow. You’ve got this! Don’t feel like you have to reach perfection before making the next move. Small business life is a journey of doing and learning. “I learned not to limit myself in what I think I can and can't do,” says Dani. “I always wanted to pursue interiors and I thought when I was younger that I had to pick a lane. But all these years later and letting go of those self-limiting thoughts, I ended up doing interiors and that took on a whole life of its own.”

Diversify your revenue streams. “A big part of being an entrepreneur is getting used to the ups and downs of running a small business, and the slow times,” says Dani. She soon learned to diversify streams of income and pursue other creative ventures, such as licensing her designs and renting out her spaces for photo shoots. “I would say really think about how you can capitalize on all the different things you're doing and get creative with that,” she adds.

Travel and explore. Have you ever traveled and not felt inspired? Not possible! See new perspectives and get out of your comfort zone and you’re sure to feel creative and inspired in the process. Travel means learning new things about yourself and what you want out of life. Tight on budget? Visit a new place in your area, have coffee with someone in your field, do something out of the norm to gain inspiration and try something new.

When you’re ready, make that big move. Dani spent six years doing apparel graphics for a corporation, until she gathered the courage to start her own clothing line. “That was probably my first really big move and I built that up on social media,” she says. She used social media to get the word out. “I used a lot of my spaces for photo shoots for my brand, so I would design really cool funky spaces and then people started to ask me if I did interiors,” she recalls.

Share your story. That brings us to having the confidence to share your work and your process. “When Instagram stories came out, I started to share my behind the scenes process,” says Dani. “And that was when people actually started to really connect with the brand. I realized that my superpower wasn't to make a fancy-looking brand and seem like it was already established. It was to embrace that I was this solopreneur at the time.”

Photos: Courtesy of Dani Dazey.

Running a business or thinking about starting one? Make your moves count with TurboTax!*

*Experts only available with TurboTax Live. See details at turbotax.com/guarantees.

Are you a small business owner looking for a good loan to grow your business? California Small Business Loan Match makes it easier to find the right loan for you. Loan Match pre-vets mission-driven lenders and matches you with the best lender for your business, at no-cost. Get started in less than 10 minutes with a brief pre-application and no credit check required!

Loan Match is powered by IBank, a state government agency that helps to promote healthier economies and improve quality of life in California communities. All lenders are enrolled in IBank’s Loan Guarantee Program, which helps bridge the gap between responsible lenders and small businesses.

Photo by RDNE Stock project

Wondering if you're eligible? Any business operating in the state of California, with 1 to 750 employees, is eligible. You just need to be a business entity (Sole Proprietor, LLC, Cooperative, Corporation, Partnership, S-Corporation, or Not-For-Profit), and operate in an eligible industry according to the 2022 NAICS codes (read: a legit business).

Here’s how it works:

Step 1: Fill out a short pre-application questionnaire that takes just minutes to complete. No credit check required!

Step 2: Based on your eligibility, they’ll match you with lenders who fit your needs.

Step 3: Review details about each lender, select the one you like, and they’ll connect you with them.

Step 4: The lender will reach out within three business days to complete the application process. (You’ll also get their contact info so you can follow up directly.)

Most California Small Business Loan Match lenders are certified as Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), which means they offer competitive rates but specialize in helping borrowers who don’t meet the rigid lending criteria of traditional banks — for example, small businesses that have a lower credit score, a prior defaulted loan, or no up-front collateral. CDFIs specialize in helping people in lower-income communities too, and offer a much more flexible and affordable repayment plan than online lenders or Merchant Cash Advance (MCA) loans.

Check them out to help you grow your business, meeting our mission to help you succeed! Good luck!

Hero photo by Amina Filkins

I am the opposite of a casual Reputation fan. Four of my five most-listened-to songs on Spotify are from the 2017 album, I wore a Rep-inspired outfit to my Eras Tour show, and I am constantly analyzing (and talking about) its symbolism. I stand by the fact that this album, as misunderstood as it is, is actually the key to understanding Taylor Swift herself, which is why its rerelease is the one I've been most looking forward to. With TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and Reddit, it feels like there's a new theory every day about when we'll get Reputation (Taylor's Version), but I'm pretty sure Taylor's been telling us the announcement date the whole time.

When is Taylor Swift releasing Reputation (Taylor's Version)?

Image via Source Pictures & Taylor Swift Productions

The cappuccino Easter egg from the "Karma" music video.

We don't have an official Reputation (Taylor's Version) release date yet, but all signs were originally pointing to an announcement on February 16, 2024. When the music video for "Karma" from Midnights came out, featuring a shot of Taylor holding a cappuccino, Swifties immediately picked up on the symbolism. The blue nail (which represents 1989 (Taylor's Version)) lines up with the 8 on the clock, and the black nail lines up with the 2 on the clock. Taylor ended up announcing 1989 TV on August 9 — and then announced The Tortured Poets Department(also known as TS11) onstage at the 2024 Grammys in February!

TaylorNation just teased the Reputation (Taylor's Version) release date by hopping on the latest internet trend, which uses the "You wouldn't last an hour in the asylum where they raised me" lyric from "Who's Afraid Of Little Old Me?" Their Instagram carousel features images that have sent Swifties spiraling in the past, but there are two pics I'm paying special attention to: the "five holes in the fence" image from the Lover era, and a "Bejeweled" music video still of Taylor Swift pressing 3 in an elevator. May 3 (5/3) comes two weeks after the TTPD release, and since Taylor has been emphasizing her lead single "Fortnight" with the "For a Fortnight" challenge, it looks like it could line up perfectly.

There are plenty of other potential summer release dates too! Swifties know Taylor Swift lives and breathes the number 13, and that she's been making her recent rerecording announcements at her Eras Tour shows.

Well, this summer, Taylor is heading to Milan for a show on Saturday, July 13. X user @roranotaurora points out that the symbol for Milan is a snake (it's also a symbol for Rep!) AND that on July 13, 1977, there was a blackout across New York City. When Taylor announced the original Reputation in 2017, the "Don't Blame Me" singer blacked out all her social media. If she announced the album in July, there's a good chance we'd get it just in time for autumn, chilly weather, and Daylight Savings Time, all three of which go perfectly with the Reputation aesthetic.

There's another 13 we need to pay attention to as well: December 13, which is also Taylor Swift's birthday. The popstar had the date front and center in her Tortured Poets Department pop-up installation. Since the date falls on a Friday, it's the perfect day to drop some new music...

Are there any other clues that Reputation (Taylor's Version) will come out next?

Image via Amy Sussman

Taylor Swift attends the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton on January 07, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California.

Recently, Taylor showed up to the 81st Golden Globe Awards in an all green ensemble, which is already so Reputation-coded to begin with. However, fans noticed one teeeeeeeny tiny detail about her look that really leans into all the theories that Rep (TV) is next. If you zoom in on her rings, one of them is a snake that's wrapped around her finger. 🐍

And after Taylor Swift released a video teasing her new album, Swifties are analyzing all the snakeskin patterns (on the curtains, the floor, and the green couch), as well as the dark visuals. While the video moves from the dark room to a bright one for TTPD, I'm convinced we'll be returning — or continuing down the hallway where you can see a dark picture frame waiting for us...

All the surprise songs at her Tokyo Eras Tour shows referenced falling apart, and a huge part of the Reputation era was related to a quote from Taylor that says "when she fell, she fell apart." Before playing "The Outside" as her piano surprise song on February 9, she made a joke that the song was 175 years old — which has Swifties thinking August 2 (175 days from February 9) could be the album's release date. Considering "The Outside" is off her first album, it's also possible we're getting Taylor Swift (Taylor's Version) in August!

A recent Disney+ ad that paired the Eras Tour film and Disney Pixar's Cars went viral on Twitter because its tagline is "Getaway Car," one of the most beloved songs on Reputation (Taylor's Version)! No matter when the album drops, having Taylor Swift's final two re-recordings be her name and her reputation is literally so iconic and I can't wait to listen.

What Taylor Swift songs are on Reputation (Taylor's Version)?

Image via Kevin Winter/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management

We know that, based on previous re-recordings, Reputation (Taylor's Version) will have the original tracklist and an unknown number of vault tracks that Taylor wrote ahead of the Reputation era. PEOPLE also confirmed we'll be able to hear Taylor Swift's "Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor's Version)" in the new docuseries for the New England Patriots! You can also hear a snippet in the trailer for Ashley Benson's Wilderness ;). Here's what you can expect on Taylor Swift's Reputation (Taylor's Version). I'm really hoping the vault tracks include "I Don't Want To Live Forever"!

  1. "Ready For It? (Taylor's Version)"
  2. "End Game (Taylor's Version)"
  3. "I Did Something Bad (Taylor's Version)"
  4. "Don't Blame Me (Taylor's Version)"
  5. "Delicate (Taylor's Version)"
  6. "Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor's Version)"
  7. "So It Goes... (Taylor's Version)"
  8. "Gorgeous (Taylor's Version)"
  9. "Getaway Car (Taylor's Version)"
  10. "King Of My Heart (Taylor's Version)"
  11. "Dancing With Our Hands Tied (Taylor's Version)"
  12. "Dress (Taylor's Version)"
  13. "This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things (Taylor's Version)"
  14. "Call It What You Want (Taylor's Version)"
  15. "New Year's Day (Taylor's Version)"

What is Taylor Swift wearing to Grammys 2024?

Image via Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Taylor Swift showed up to the 2024 Grammys in a sculptural white gown from Schiaparelli Couture. I love how Taylor has hopped on the corset trend. This is my favorite neckline in recent years! Even though the dress is white instead of black or green — and ended up going along with the Tortured Poets Department (or TS 11) announcement — I think it's still a Reputation (Taylor's Version) Easter egg. White is, of course, the opposite of black, so I think it's a more unexpected reference to the album, with black accessories like gloves, shoes, and jewelry being a direct nod. Plus, the watch necklace pays homage to Midnights! At the 2022 VMAs, Taylor wore another Reputation-coded outfit before she announced Midnights, so I think it's definitely a pattern.

Is there gonna be a Reputation Taylor's Version?

Image Paul Kane/Getty Images

Taylor Swift performs at Optus Stadium on October 19, 2018 in Perth, Australia.

Yes, we're getting a Reputation (Taylor's Version)! Taylor Swift has been very vocal about the fact she's rerecording her first five albums. However, she's been less direct about the order or the release schedule, which is honestly more fun! The official Taylor Nation account added fuel to the fire when they posted a photo of Taylor rehearsing for The Eras Tour — because, like @nashs_mom on TikTok says, the pose doesn't match up with any of the songs. While all the photos they've previously posted match up with numbers like "Enchanted" or "Illicit Affairs," the new pose seems to match up with "I Did Something Bad" (which is both the last Reputation surprise song left AND the perfect song to announce the rerecording).

"Hear me out," another TikTok user commented. "['I Did Something Bad'] was not part of the set list in 2023 but what if the first night of the tour in 2024 she performs [it] and announces REP TV."

"I literally ratatatataed as soon as I saw it," another user says, referencing the iconic production at the beginning of the song. We have less than a month before the Eras Tour starts up again, so I'm excited to see when we'll finally get a Reputation (Taylor's Version) announcement!

What caused Taylor Swift to make Reputation?

Image via Def Jam/UMG

Cover art for Kanye West's The Life Of Pablo, which features "Famous."

The primary catalyst for Taylor Swift's Reputation era was a phone call with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian. After Taylor said Kanye did not have her permission to say he "made that b-tch famous" in "Famous," a video leak from Kim seemed to show Taylor did actually give her permission (it was later revealed the video was edited, and Taylor gave her permission to be mentioned, NOT to be called a b-tch).

"#TaylorSwiftIsOverParty" began trending on Twitter, and everyone from the media to the general public began calling her a snake. So she disappeared from the public eye for over a year, and Reputation was born. The era was moody — and full of snake imagery. Taylor says in her TIME interview that the album came from "a goth-punk moment of female rage at being gaslit by an entire social structure," and told Rolling Stone in 2019 that Reputation was a "metaphor" and her "playing a character."

How old was Taylor when she wrote Reputation?

Image via Christopher Polk/Getty Images for TAS

Charli XCX, Camila Cabello and Taylor Swift perform onstage during opening night of Taylor Swift's 2018 Reputation Stadium Tour at University of Phoenix Stadium on May 8, 2018 in Glendale, Arizona.

Taylor began writing Reputation in 2016, when she was 27. However, the stories she's telling go back farther than that since "Dancing With Our Hands Tied" talks about a relationship from when she was 25.

Is Reputation a love album?

Image via Big Machine Records

Cover art for Taylor Swift's Reputation.

While Reputation is sassy, moody, and satirical, I stand by the idea that it's actually a love album at its core. While the general public talked most about "Ready for It?" and "Look What You Made Me Do," songs like "Delicate," "Call It What You Want," and "New Year's Day" are all about healing after the media turned against her. The message of the album is all about how she wants to spend the the ins and outs of life with people she loves, because they make the boring days beautiful, which is also the sentiment running throughout "Lover."

"I want your midnights, but I'll be cleaning up bottles with you on New Year's Day" and "We can leave the Christmas lights up 'til January" are the same!!

What are the Reputation Taylor's Version vault tracks?

Image via Warner Bros. Entertainment

A Horcrux from Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part I

While we don't have the tracklist for Reputation (Taylor's Version) yet, she did mention in her TIME interview that the vault tracks will be "fire."

"I’m collecting horcruxes,” she says of the rerecordings. “I’m collecting infinity stones. Gandalf’s voice is in my head every time I put out a new one. For me, it is a movie now.”

I'm going to be real honest, this is the line that sent me into a tailspin because the idea that Taylor loves stories like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and the MCU as much as I do is too much!! But it makes sense because after all, she IS a storyteller.

Do you think we'll get Reputation (Taylor's Version) in February 2024? Check out our Facebook for the latest Taylor Swift news and browse ourUltimate Taylor Swift Gift Guide!

Lead image via Big Machine Records

This post has been updated.