It’s difficult to resist being sucked into the excitement of newness in the world of beauty; glitzy product launches that promise us the moon or, at the absolute least, visibly glowing skin, extended lashes, or fuller-looking lips. Certain products do live up to their lofty claims, and some may even become a permanent feature in our makeup bags, but it won’t be long until another wonder item emerges to take the lead. The true goal of any cosmetic product, though, should be longevity—to remain relevant and beautiful long after the first buzz on social media. It takes time, but the goods worth learning about are the ones that are still in demand when things are calm.
However, occasionally a subdued beauty classic does offer.but is unpredictably thrust back into the spotlight by TikTok mania. And in the case of this lipstick, that is unquestionably the case. Yes, Gen Z has been responsible for the Black Honey Almost Lipstick by Clinique selling out after multiple videos of people using the sheer berry shade went viral. Even though it has been around since 1971, this lipstick looks nice on all skin tones, which is the secret to its current success. Additionally, the #blackhoney hashtag has had 13.6 million views, which demonstrates how popular this item is.
If you’re unfamiliar with Black Honey, allow me to bring you up to speed. Black Honey has been a part of Clinique’s impressive beauty roster since 1971—a time when beauty looks were anything but subtle. That, however, is why it stood out in the first place. While the texture has received some tweaks over the years to turn it into the legendary Almost Lipstick formulation it is today; Black Honey holds the same appeal now as it did in the Seventies thanks to its colour.
When you slick it on your lips it transforms into a sheer, rose-tinted glossy veil, without the usual stickiness. Unlike other lipsticks of the time, Black Honey wasn’t created to change the colour of your lips; it was developed to bump up their natural tone. Soon, it was one of Clinique’s most in-demand buys, and, to this day, it continues to be the brand’s best-selling lipstick, with a tube of the cult product being sold every three minutes.
