Clinique Black Honey lipstick has transcended time—through the ‘70s, ‘80s,’90s, the aughts, the 2010s— and it’s still glistening on lips in 2024. The your-lips-but-better pigment went viral before “going viral” was even a thing (first in 1971 as the original “honey pot” gloss and then throughout the 90s after it was reinvented into slim lipstick form), and again more recently on TikTok with millions of people tagging #cliniqueblackhoney, showing how a “black” lipstick could look so gorgeously sheer… on everyone. The shade is a phenomenon—and soon that magic will no longer be limited to bullet and gloss form: Pop Lip + Cheek Oil and High Impact Mascara are both launching in a Black Honey version on June 30th.
The new two-in-one tint gleams in the same vampy aubergine hue, and like the original, the blend of blue, red, and yellow pigments imparts only a kiss of rosy color. “What makes Black Honey unique is that it’s universal—it’s perfectly between a warm and cool tone,” makeup artist Jewels Grogan tells Allure. What makes the oil different: its ultra-plush, ultra-glassy finish. One swipe of the very nourishing formula (it’s overflowing with hydrators including safflower, jojoba, olive, sunflower seed, and castor oils) was enough to soften my lips and give them a 3D sheen instantly. (That high-shine finish does soften to more of a berry stain after some time or, in my case, after eating lunch.)
Staring at my glazed lips in the mirror, I hesitated to add the same formula to my cheeks. But a few dots (placed right along my cheekbones) sheered out to a pretty, dewy flush of color—and there was no sticky feel. Allure associate beauty editor Annie Blay had the same initial feeling about applying the shiny oil as a blush but was pleasantly surprised with the pretty wash of color it left on her deep skin.
To round out the monochromatic look, the High Impact Mascara in Black Honey lives up to its name. Grogan suggests wearing it as a “topcoat over your everyday mascara, making sure to always curl the lashes for the best, eye-opening effect first.” Currently, burgundy mascara is having a moment because it goes easy on the eyes. “It’s universally flatting to every eye color,” Grogran says, adding that “it will work especially well with brown eyes.”
I’m a brown-eyed girl and confirm the soft bristles added volume while also leaving behind a pretty wink of color. Allure senior editor Jesa Marie Calaor was also a fan of the super-subtle tint and the lifting effect on her thin, wispy lashes. Candidly though, unless your lashes catch the light, the pigment looks more chocolate brown than burgundy. Allure content director Kara McGrath and her green eyes are big supporters of the burgundy mascara trend (McGrath has been reaching for Benefit Cosmetics’ Badgal Bang Mascara in the Wild Plum shade), too, and she says the color makes her eyes look brighter than regular ol’ black mascara does.
That’s the no-so-secret secret behind the famed color: it’s a very wearable, everyday pop of color. Janet Pardo, senior vice president of global product development, previously told Allure in a 2018 issue that the coveted Black Honey lip color “is not a fussy product, but it’s got a special something that people just love.” And now that’s also true on the cheeks and lashes.
