This red lip color inspired a love story of its own.
Carolyn Bessette Kennedy was known for her timeless style, looking as elegant in her favorite Levi’s as she did in her favorite Prada pieces. However, one accessory she was rarely without was her effortlessly chic crimson lipstick — and her go-to was the sheer, wearable Face Stockholm Veil Lipstick in Cranberry.
CBK happened upon the color on the cobblestone streets of Prince and Greene in SoHo, where a window-front, brick-and-mortar store attracted those in the know.
Martina Arfwidson, CEO and co-founder of the Swedish makeup brand, tells Page Six Style the former Calvin Klein exec visited the location “quite often.”
“We were very much part of that neighborhood at the time, and SoHo was such an exciting place to be. It was her neighborhood, and she found us there,” Arfwidson says.
“Cranberry really is a very special shade. It is a warm red, but not too bold and not too sheer. What made it so right for Carolyn, I think, is that it matched her effortless style.”
But while the formula was suited to Bessette Kennedy’s iconic aesthetic, Arfwidson adds that there’s “something about this shade that seems to work on almost everyone.”
“The formula is transparent, so you can swipe it on without a mirror, and it just works,” she says. “It has been described in the press as ‘freakishly flattering,’ which honestly feels quite accurate.”
The makeup maven adds that while you can use a lip liner with the warm berry hue, “straight from the bullet is the way Carolyn wore it.”
Arfwidson says Bessette Kennedy was also a fan of the brand’s creamy, shimmery Highliter in Dignity, which is described as “the perfect candlelight shade.”
The founder says the response to Ryan Murphy’s “Love Story” series has been “incredible,” telling us that “to watch a new generation discover Carolyn, and through her discover us, has been really extraordinary.”
Face Stockholm was established by Arfwidson’s mother, Gun Nowak, in 1982 in Stockholm, and today also has a base in Hudson, New York.
The journey from the pre-digital world to today has been a wild (but incredibly fun) ride for the mother-daughter duo.
Much like CBK herself, the brand’s aesthetic has never been about chasing trends — yet with all the changes over the years, Arfwidson says that “still being here now feels very special.”
After all, Bessette Kennedy was among stately company in wearing the brand, which was also a favorite of the Swedish royal family’s.
“We have been fortunate to have many remarkable people find their way to us over the years,” the founder proudly adds.
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This article was written by Erica Radol, Page Six Commerce Reporter. From identifying the top anti-aging skincare secrets the stars trust to dishing on the latest fashion collabs to finding a great deal on all of the above, Erica has a knack for reporting on – and even testing – Hollywood’s bestselling fashion and beauty products. Before joining Page Six in 2025, she wrote about entertainment, lifestyle and shopping trends for Us Weekly, The Daily Beast, Entertainment Tonight, Well+Good and Hearst.
