This Is the Exact Shade of Red Nail Polish Carolyn Bessette Kennedy Wears in 'Love Story'

I am deep in the throes of watching Love Story on FX, and just like the entirety of the Marie Claire team, Sarah Pidgeon's minimalist '90s wardrobe has completely hypnotized me. Roll neck sweaters! Slinky slip dresses! LL Bean boat totes! But it's not just her fashion choices that are causing a stir among the aesthetically-minded set. As the late Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, Pidgeon's glam is equally swoon-worthy, from the signature buttery blonde shade of her long, cool-girl hair, to the already-iconic opening sequence in episode one wherein a relentless pack of paparazzi swarms outside of her nail appointment. During the anxiety-inducing scene, CBK receives a bright, blood-red manicure on short, rounded nails, flashbulbs popping in the background, before hastily asking her nail tech to switch to an unproblematic nude color.

The relevance of her polish swap is clear to anyone with even a slight comprehension of her whirlwind romance to JFK Jr. and tragic death in a plane crash in the late '90s. Joining what was arguably the closest thing to a royal family that America has ever had was not for the faint of heart, and watching an independent, career-minded woman like Carolyn take a backseat to her husband's political dynasty pedigree is tough to watch, to say the least. It's why the moment she relinquishes her bold red nails for a demure, unproblematic neutral feels like the latest acquiescence in a long line of personal sacrifices. Death by a thousand paper cuts? More like erasure by a few dozen safe, unassuming manicures.

However! I'm considering this scene, and the entire, heart-wrenching series as a reminder to lean into vividly colored manicures now that winter is finally melting away to spring. Luckily, Essie has revealed the exact shade of red nail polish the FX team used for Pidgeon's unsettling manicure scene: Not Red-y For Bed, a luxe cherry hue with slight yellow undertones. It's the type of color a strong, independent, fashionable woman would reach for, even if you haven't married into one of the country's most powerful political families.

However, essie’s Director, Color Designer Product Development, Isabelle Marlow, reveals that CBK would never completely throw her sartorial sensibility away for a man and his slightly stuffy family. “She wasn’t looking to disappear entirely; she was looking for a shade that told a different story about who she was," says Marlow via an email to media. "A semi-sheer like essie’s Ballet Slippers or Vanity Fairest complements a minimalist aesthetic while still feeling polished and intentional.”

So, if you're trying to channel CBK and you've already picked up enough black slip dresses and crisp white button-downs to last a lifetime (but you're perhaps not quite ready to pull the trigger on those blonde highlights), I highly suggest adding this rich red (or a barely-there pink) polish to your at-home manicure routine. Bonus points if you channel your inner Carolyn and treat yourself to a salon appointment—paparazzi be damned.

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion, and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.