Editor’s note: this post is from our archive. The original shimmering powder we wrote about has been discontinued, but Clinique’s iconic Black Honey shade is still very much alive in the Almost Lipstick — and that’s the format we’d reach for today.
Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey” />Black Honey is the lipstick that built its own fan club. It launched in 1971, and TikTok rediscovered it in 2020. I have been wearing it on and off for years and the appeal is the same now as it was the first day I tried it: it is universal. The bullet looks alarming — a deep, almost-black plum — but the moment it touches your mouth it sheers down into a tinted version of your own lip color. Berry on me, plum on a friend, soft brown-red on another. It is the same product, three faces.
Texture is balm-like. There is no waxy drag, no sticky pull, no fragrance bomb. It feels like Vaseline tinted with intent. Wear time is about three to four hours; it fades evenly, no patchy ring around the outline. Layer it twice for a deeper bite, or press once with a finger for a sheer wash.
I keep one in my desk, one in my bag, and one in the car because I lose lipsticks at an unethical rate. At $20, it is a top-shelf product priced like a mid-shelf one, which is rare these days.
If you have only seen it in pictures and you are scared of the bullet color, do not be. Walk to a Clinique counter, swipe it, and watch it transform. It is the most diplomatic lipstick I own and the only one I’d buy in triplicate.
Want to check the line yourself? Clinique.com • Almost Lipstick product page.
Related reads: Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels — my favorite morning rescue for matching the kind of healthy face this lipstick deserves.
Shop the post
Our current pick: Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey on Amazon.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. We only recommend products we have used or would recommend to friends. Read the full disclosure.