.JPG)
Carolyn Bessette Kennedy rarely worked a pop of color into her minimalist dress code—so when she did, she made it count. That’s definitely true of her statement red lip, and decades later, certain beauty enthusiasts believe they’ve pinned her exact lipstick shade.
Featured in this article
.png)
.png)
.png)
Following the February premiere of Ryan Murphy’s American Love Story, which is based on the relationship of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and Johh F. Kennedy Jr., CBK's iconic ’90s style is dominating feeds in 2026. And while we’re all reassessing the quality of our basics and hunting down CBK-approved denim cuts, her deeply intentional beauty formula is just as inspo-worthy.
Most remember Bessette Kennedy’s long butter-blonde hair as her true beauty staple. But for someone who favored a pared-down makeup look over the grungy ’90s liner of her time, CBK’s frequent red lipstick was just as much of a statement. Rather than a bright cherry red, she opted for a semisheer cranberry shade with softly blurred edges.
A 2012 blog post from XO Jane writer Cat Marnell claimed that Bessette Kennedy’s red lipstick of choice was Face Stockholm’s Cranberry Veil. Alice Gregory from New York magazine later shared she had the same theory about the shade. Now we’re left to wonder—does this popular speculation mean that Cranberry Veil made it into Sarah Pidgeon’s glam kit for the series?
While we may never know for sure which shade of red CBK kept in her unlabeled designer bags, there’s a reason why Cranberry Veil is still our best guess. Beyond the color match, the formula is semisheer and balm-like, which is ideal achieving the low-key wash of pigment seen on her lips. Today fans of the product compare it to Clinique’s iconic Black Honey Almost Lipstick.
Looking to channel Bessette Kennedy in your beauty routine? Consider this your sign to invest in a ’90s-French-girl-coded lipstick with a hydrating, blurry finish. And while you’re at it, pick up a tortoiseshell headband for good measure.
Grace McCarty is the associate beauty editor at Glamour.
