Curl Gone Wild.

Byline: HANNAH MORRILL

Who? Taylor Swift. What? The April cover of allure , shot by Michael Thompson. When? January 26. Where? Lux Studio in New York City. Why? In 2008, Swift was the best-selling recording artist in the country. Her second album, Fearless, has already gone triple platinum. Nerves of Steel: Swift flew in from Nashville the night before the shoot and arrived ten minutes early with her mother, her publicist, and a manager. As she sat for hair and makeup, photographer Michael Thompson joked, "So, Taylor, are you nervous?" Swift replied, "No, are you?" Red Hot: The singer had put on eyeliner and mascara at the hotel, which makeup artist Gucci Westman gently wiped off, explaining to Swift that she'd be creating a look for her with a bold mouth and almost-bare eyes. "I'm excited about doing red lipsI've never done them before," Swift said. When Westman told Swift that with the lipstick, she resembled Mad Men star January Jones, the singer was thrilled: "Thank youI love her! She's so pretty." (Westman later slipped her a tube.) Lunch Break: Swift changed into a robe and flip-flops for lunch. "Those last pictures were so cool," she told her mom. The star's driver picked up her favorite sandwich: tomato, basil, and mozzarella from CosA-, a specialty chain. "I have one every time I come to New York," she said. Song Bird: Thompson's 12-year-old daughter, Ruby, showed Swift some lyrics she had written, and the two posed for a mock album cover. Swift hugged Ruby and said, "Keep writing songs." Then the star distributed hugs to each member of the crew. "I think tonight is a little-black-dress night," she said, and left to get ready for dinner.

Hair How-to

To give Swift's ringlets a rougher, tougher look, hairstylist Serge Normant spritzed volumizer at the roots and rubbed a silicone smoothing serum through ...