- Quite a comfortable formula
- It adds a pretty soft tint to the lips
- It looks the best with lip liner + gloss
- Clinique is not cruelty-free
- It feels slightly drying on the lips
- It looks pretty matte on me
The Clinique Black Honey Lipstick went completely viral because it is… a black lipstick. And black isn’t a color that many of us wear daily, if ever. But clearly, this lipstick is more opaque, so it should look good on quite a lot of different skin tones.
But as you can read by the title, unfortunately, this Clinique Black Honey lipstick let me down, and it’s not because of the color.
Want to know what the reason was, or better say reasons were… then keep on reading as I’m spilling all the tea, respectfully, obviously.
Now that I’ve spoiled the whole review already, I want to make sure & promise you it’s worth it to keep reading. Why?
Because my thorough thoughts are written out for you, I included swatches on my hand and lips + how it looks with lip liner and gloss, and I recommend some fire alternatives.
And on top of that, I even have 2 discount codes for you. Did I say 2? Yes, absolutely. Keep scrolling for all the deets!
What Is The Clinique Black Honey Lipstick
The Clinique Black Honey Lipstick is not quite a lipstick, not quite a gloss—its texture is more like a balm you can easily layer. Transparent pigment glides on a sheer, glossy slip of lightweight color. The emollient-rich formula gives lips a sleek, moist finish.
Cult-classic Black Honey is famous for its chameleon-like ability to flatter all skin tones yet look different on everyone.
Don’t be fooled by the way it looks in the tube. The sheer formula is part of its mystique. It’s also very forgiving—you don’t even need a mirror to put it on.
Formula Facts
- Sheer coverage.
- Soft-shine finish.
- Combines the benefits of both lipstick and lip gloss.
- The unique Black Honey shade looks a little different on everyone.
- It can be worn alone or under/over other lip colors.
How To Use
Apply the Clinique Black Honey Lipstick directly to the lips. It can easily be layered. Use it alone, on top/under a lip liner, or other lip product.
Things To Note
The Clinique Black Honey Lipstick is paraben-free, phthalate-free, and fragrance-free. Sadly, Clinique is not considered a cruelty-free brand; they “only” test on animals when required by law, and they sell their products in China, where it is required.
Where To Buy
The Clinique Black Honey Lipstick retails for $22 and is available at the Clinique website clinique.com and Sephora.
Ingredients
Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Glyceryl Triacetyl Ricinoleate, Cetyl Ricinoleate, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) WaxCandelilla CeraCire De Candelilla, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) WaxCera CarnaubaCire De Carnauba, Polyethylene, Tocopheryl Acetate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Barium Sulfate, [+/- Yellow 5 Lake (Ci 19140), Blue 1 Lake (Ci 42090), Iron Oxides (Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499), Red 7 Lake (Ci 15850), Mica, Carmine (Ci 75470), Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Red 6 (Ci 15850), Red 22 Lake (Ci 45380), Red 30 Lake (Ci 73360), Yellow 6 Lake (Ci 15985), Bismuth Oxychloride (Ci 77163), Red 33 Lake (Ci 17200), Red 28 Lake (Ci 45410)] <ILN38083>
Show All Ingredients +Clinique Black Honey Lipstick Review
The Clinique Black Honey Lipstick is pretty and has a decent formula, but I don’t get the hype. The formula probably bothers me the most because this lipstick looks matte on me.
It’s nowhere near a mix between lipstick and lipgloss – it might be very slightly shiny when the light hits it, but otherwise, it looks matte. It gives my lips a nice tint but looks the same as regular matte lipstick.
I wouldn’t even say this feels like a balm. It does feel nourishing, but it’s not feeling like it’s hydrating my lips.
It’s quite a comfortable lipstick but not the most comfortable ever; it kind of feels drying on my lips – just like some matte lipsticks would feel. If this makes sense, I need to apply a lip balm or gloss on top of this lipstick to make it look and feel more hydrated.
Overall, I’m just really confused. I don’t think this is a lousy lipstick at all, I love the sheer color it adds to the lips, but for some reason, it’s nothing like the description on me, formula-wise. I’m not sure if I did something wrong or if my lips suck up all the moisture, but I just have a matte tint.
However, if I knew how it would look and feel on my lips, I wouldn’t have purchased it as it is not something unique I don’t already have.
A lip liner added beneath the Clinique Black Honey Lipstick is what changed the look of the lipstick for me. This helped my lips look fuller, and the Black Honey Lipstick appeared a little darker, obviously still quite sheer as it’s supposed to be.
In case you’re wondering, the lip liner I added was one of my new favorites, Make Up For Ever Anywhere Caffeine. In the last picture, I added the Fenty Beauty Universal Gloss Bomb in Fenty Glow, where I got excited. The combination of the three products looked fabulous!
I can make the Clinique Black Honey Lipstick work, and it’s not a bad product after all, but it still disappointed me because I expected something phenomenal.
It’s funny how this lipstick looks black but is just a tint, and it looks pretty cute. Would I repurchase it? No. If I had known this beforehand, would I have purchased it? No. Will I use it? In combination with a lip liner and lipgloss, definitely.
Alternatives
Final Verdict
The Clinique Black Honey Lipstick is lovely but isn’t anywhere close to a lipgloss or hydrating lip balm. It is quite comfortable but still made my lips feel a little dry as if I was wearing matte lipstick.
The lipstick adds a bit of a tint to the lips, which looks cute, but I preferred the finished look with a lip liner and lipgloss. It’s funny that it looks black but isn’t, and it’s pretty cute on, but not worth the huge hype it got, in my opinion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Very popular lipstick that is now avaliable in gift sets.