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.