The return of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy has sent fashion editors reaching for vintage Calvin Klein. Beauty editors, meanwhile, are more concerned with the cosmetic details. Beyond the undone blonde and bare skin was a carefully calibrated signature: a glossy wash of cranberry red lipstick that read radical in its restraint. Below, we trace its origins, speak to the Swedish brand behind it, and test whether it still holds up today
CBK fever has struck the internet and, predictably, our editorial office following the premiere of Love Story, the third instalment of Ryan Murphy’s anthology series chronicling the whirlwind romance of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and John F. Kennedy Jr. Before we knew it, we were digging through the backs of our wardrobes for vintage Calvin Klein and debating which modern Scandinavian brands might have earned a place in Carolyn’s closet today. Spoiler: there’s a lot of Toteme.
But for this beauty editor, it was never the clothes alone. It was CBK’s undone blonde hair paired with that unmistakable wash of red lipstick that struck a deeper chord.
Some writers have described the look as “effortless”. I find that word both reductive and misleading. This was a woman famously known for spending $450 on her hair in the 1990s, roughly $900 today, to achieve her signature honey blonde. There was nothing accidental about Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s beauty. It was as meticulously curated as her wardrobe. It simply looked effortless.
The most impactful choice in her beauty arsenal? A glossy veil of cranberry red lipstick.
For someone so fluent in monochrome, CBK was the original purveyor of the unexpected red. And her shade of choice? Face Stockholm’s Cranberry Veil.
Related: The 22 best red lipsticks our beauty editor has tried, tested, and would actually recommend