Reese Witherspoon's Red Carpet Lipstick Is a Subtle Nod to "Legally Blonde"

If you thought hot pink was over—well, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Reese Witherspoon is the latest celeb to wear the hyper-girly color, but in a way different from the Barbiecore garb A-listers have been wearing on the red carpet—her take is a bit more subtle. At the Los Angeles premier of Something from Tiffany’s, which her company produced, Witherspoon channeled her iconic role as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde with a swipe of hot pink lipstick.

As a Y2K legend herself, Witherspoon teaches the world how to rock the Y2K-offshoot trend with elegance. She wore a black midi dress with off-the-shoulder sleeves, a gold necklace, and black pointed heels, adding a classic touch to her red-carpet look. She paired her dress with a neutral brown smokey eye, tousled blonde tresses, and, of course, hot pink lipstick for a true lawyer-meets-sorority-girl moment.

Honestly, everything about Witherspoon’s whole look is perfect for the holidays, as she balances what could be a conservative outfit with a fun color. Her lipstick is a subtle nod to the bright trends that are all over TikTok, the red carpet, and fashion week. Celebs have worn the Barbiecore trend in ways that are breathtaking, but, realistically, are difficult to replicate for anyone who isn't headed to a black-tie event. Whereas Witherspoon's outfit actually seems wearable for a holiday party with family, friends, or coworkers.

By pairing hot pink with a classic LBD, Witherspoon proves that you don’t have to tone down your city-chic looks while heading back home for the holidays—the secret is mixing and matching clothes that are “family appropriate” (whatever that means) with a glam that feels truer to your everyday style. Plus, hot pink is much more unexpected than red lipstick, so it’s a great way to add a fun edge to a classic holiday look.

Truth be told, I’ve had a long-standing personal vendetta against hot pink lipstick because although the color can look fabulous on some people, many formulas tend to wash out my olive-toned complexion. So if you have blue undertones in your skin, try a cool hot pink color. Conversely, if you have warm or olive undertones, go for a warm hot pink instead. It’ll take a bit of trial and error, but stick with it—soon, you’ll be on your way to your laundry list of holiday parties (or Harvard Law School… what, like, it’s hard?) in no time.