This Is Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s Rumored Go-To Red Lipstick
Carolyn Bessette Kennedy rarely added a pop of color to her minimalist dress code — so when she did, she made it count. That’s definitely true for her statement red lip, and decades later, some beauty enthusiasts believe they’ve pinned her exact lipstick shade.
After the February premiere of Ryan Murphy’s film American love story, which is based on the relationship between Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and Johh F. Kennedy Jr., CBK’s iconic ’90s style is dominating feeds in 2026. And while we’re all re-evaluating the quality of our basics and reaching for CBK-approved denim fits, its deeply intentional beauty formula is just as worthy of inspiration.
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Most remember Bessette Kennedy’s long, buttery blonde hair as her true beauty staple. But for someone who preferred sleek makeup to the ’90s grunge liner of her era, CBK’s frequent red lipstick was just as much of a statement. Rather than a bright cherry red, she opted for a semi-sheer cranberry shade with slightly blurred edges.
A 2012 blog post from XO Jeanne writer Cat Marnell, claimed that Bessette Kennedy’s lipstick of choice was Face Stockholm’s Cranberry Veil. Alice Gregory from New York Review she later shared that she had the same theory about the shadow. Now we wonder: Does this popular speculation mean that “Cranberry Veil” made it into Sarah Pidgeon’s glam kit for the series?
Face Stockholm Cranberry Veil Lipstick
While we may never know for sure what shade of red CBK kept in its unlabeled designer bags, there’s a reason Cranberry Veil remains our best guess. Beyond the color match, the formula is semi-sheer and balm-like, which is great for achieving the light wash of pigment seen on one’s lips. Today, fans of the product compare it to Clinique’s iconic Black Honey Almost lipstick.
