Hailey Bieber Just Said Butter Yellow Is "Played Out"—She's Choosing This Color Trend Instead
Her new favorite shade is still good enough to eat—and package as a Rhode lip treatment.
There was a lot of shocking news wrapped into Hailey Bieber's reveal of her next Rhode peptide lip treatment shade, "Lemontini," on July 2. First, that incoming tariffs would increase the cult-favorite product's price by $2. Second, that the beauty mogul has had enough with the butter yellow color trend she used to wear from head to toe.
Between snaps where she exits a Mediterranean beach in a black plunge bathing suit and close-ups of the lip tint's glittery updated formula, Bieber clarified the sunny new shade's name once and for all on her Instagram Stories. The untrained eye might have thought it was butter yellow, the same color dominating runway collections since Spring 2024 (and turning up again on Louis Vuitton, Hermès, and Jacquemus runways in Paris last week). Bieber said that's incorrect.
"Stop asking me why it's not 'butter yellow,'" Bieber wrote under a photo lensed by Dudi Hasson. "It's not butter yellow because it's LEMON. Not butter. And butter yellow is played out...respectfully."
Hailey Bieber unveiled Rhode's latest peptide tip treatment in "Lemontini" with a proclamation: "Butter yellow is played out, respectfully."
Hailey Bieber was the last celebrity I expected to turn her back on butter yellow. She dedicated her entire baby shower look to the shade last year, coordinating a see-through Jacquemus dress to her Zola Ganzorigt-painted nails. A year later, several of her favorite designers are still churning out butter yellow pieces that would look right at home alongside her The Row tote bags and Onitsuka Tiger sneakers. Experts have gone so far as to call butter yellow a "new neutral," in part because it's the easy base for dozens of unexpected color combinations.
Bieber was one of the first celebrities to go all-in on butter yellow, most notably with her sheer Jacquemus dress at her 2024 baby shower.
Hailey Bieber's turn toward lemon yellow might just be a sign of the times. Color trends are at constant risk of becoming oversaturated—and pale shades of butter yellow are stocked at every retailer and every price point by now. Meanwhile, the zestier depth in a lemon yellow is more aligned with the sun-soaked, out-of-office, Italian Riviera energy so many celebrities want to embrace from May until September.
I won't blame anyone for sticking by butter yellow's side after they've made the investment. (True personal style is wearing what you like, after all.) But for those ready to swatch on something new, I tracked down 15 shoppable finds from my favorite brands and retailers—J.Crew, Abercrombie Fitch, and more—that squeeze all the juice out of this shade. If Hailey Bieber is painting her campaigns in lemon, the whole fashion industry will be selling lemonade shades soon. Your closet will be all the better for trying it out. Respectfully.
My first taste of lemontini summer is going to be this shiny skirt set. I love the contrast between the dainty white trim and the exuberant shade of yellow. I'll wear both pieces together to start, then team the lace-lined skirt with a cropped vintage tee.
This top has all the makings of a gateway purchase. Not only is it soaked in a Bieber-approved lemon yellow, it's cut in an inventive geometric silhouette. Flowy linen pants and poplin midi skirts alike will look so much more elevated with this on top.
There's no silhouette I love more than a drop-waist dress. I must have at least eight hanging in my closet right now. I'm definitely planning to add one more, now that I know it comes in the definitive It-color of the summer with a playful mini length and a comfortable smocked bodice.
New York City is still very much in the throes of a heat wave. This tie-front top is the sort of chicly ventilated shirt I wish I'd ordered at the start of summer—so I'm making up for lost time now.
I'm a sucker for a bias-cut slip dress. They look so elegant with strappy heels for a date night, and they translate seamlessly to daytime with an oversize shirt or button-up on top. (Katie Holmes happens to agree.) While I usually reach for the same navy or black Everlane number, I'm going to add some color to my assortment with this Shopbop find.
In the spirit of another celebrity style muse, Jennifer Lawrence, I'm all-in on a pair of lemon yellow lounge pants. Just like her, I'll wear them with everything from oversize T-shirts to poplin button-ups.
I'm attending ten (10!) weddings this year and committed to wearing the same dress for every single one. (Yes, a story is coming soon at Marie Claire about the experience.) But I'm tempted to order this lemon yellow mini for the welcome receptions and after-parties on my calendar. The belted detail and brocade fabric are a welcome alternative to all the backless satin numbers I've tried on my wedding circuit so far.
It feels like every A-lister I track at Marie Claire loves wearing flip-flops with baggy jeans (or, in Mary-Kate Olsen's case, sweatpants). I'm going to follow their lead, but make it my own by swapping in lemon yellow sandals in lieu of their black leather flats.
My hours (and hours) of tracking celebrity style for Marie Claire have also surfaced plenty of cropped halter tops this summer. Drenched in bright lemon yellow, this under-$50 find combines two trends into one perfect impulse buy.
Not ready to commit to head-to-toe lemon yellow? Try fastening an on-theme clip into your hair.
Lemon yellow cabana stripes are exactly what an afternoon at the pool demands. This shirt (and the matching shorts) will be my designated bikini cover-up for the rest of summer.
Why settle for just a splash of lemon when you can have the whole tree? This under-$30 HM find feels like a trip to a secluded grove on the Amalfi Coast, contained in a single dress.
I used to have to travel all the way to Copenhagen Fashion Week for my favorite Scandi-inspired scrunchies. This summer, I can just hit "Order" on this J.Crew accessory for a splash of lemon yellow in my hair.
Pluck this lemon zest tank top from J.Crew's sale lineup, and watch it garnish everything from linen pants to lace-lined skirts with ease.
Catch me packing this lemon-coated swimsuit for my next beach day. It has just enough of a dolce vita vibe—and five-star reviews vouching for its comfortable, stays-in-place silhouette.
I have a feeling Staud's Ellison dress will soon go as viral as its beaded sardine bags. First, because its pleated knit skirt is made for twirling on TikTok (and in real life). Second, because its shade of lemon drop fabric is the embodiment of summer.
Speaking of Staud finds, how precious is this fruit-shaped bag? It's a select for the woman who takes her summer cocktails and her outfits with a lemon twist. (That woman is also me.)
