HONEY, I'M HOME

Clinique Turned Its Famous Black Honey Lipstick Shade Into a Full Collection

Clinique’s Black Honey Almost Lipstick has been a cult obsession since 1971. Now it’s a full makeup collection.

Clinique.

By Jamie StoneAug 10, 2026

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There is a specific kind of beauty product that transcends trend cycles, defies categories, and gets passed down like family lore. Clinique’s Almost Lipstick in the shade Black Honey is the perfect example. It launched in 1971, went dormant, came back in the ’80s, got rediscovered by YouTube beauty vloggers in the late aughts, and then went absolutely nuclear on TikTok in 2021. The social media attention caused it to sell out repeatedly, racking up hundreds of millions of views under the hashtag #cliniqueblackhoney. In fact, seven tubes sell every single minute, according to the brand.

What makes Black Honey’s enduring appeal and virality extra interesting is that the color also looks terrifying in the tube. It’s a dark, almost-black plum. Once applied, however, the almost-black shade transforms into a sheer berry stain that somehow flatters literally everyone. The formula—a calibrated blend of blue, red, and yellow pigments in a balmy base—applies like a sheer balm and adjusts to your lip’s natural shade, which means it looks slightly different on everyone.

Clinique Almost Lipstick Black Honey — Amazon.

So what did Clinique do when one product becomes this beloved again and again? Finally, they did what any smart beauty brand does: they added more iterations to the family.

Early this summer, Clinique quietly expanded the Black Honey lineup, launching limited-edition eye, cheek, and nail formulas in the iconic hue. As someone who’s loved the Almost Lipstick since the 2000s, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the new products. Scroll through below for my thoughts on the new additions.