5 Clinique Black Honey Lipstick Dupes For Your Fall Makeup Looks
When autumn approaches, it's time to stock up on Black Honey. And no, we aren't talking about the honey from bees. The Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey has been the holy grail of the autumnal it-girl makeup for decades; Molly Ringwald rocked it back in 1985 in "The Breakfast Club” (Black Honey was the real star of her character's lipstick trick), and today, the lipstick is still regularly sold out.
A juicy-tinted lip balm, Clinique Almost Lipstick stands out for the shade Black Honey, which fans hail as a magical chameleon lip color that looks good on virtually everyone. "It makes your teeth look whiter, it makes your lips look gorgeous, and it's very forgiving — you don't even need a mirror when you put it on," Janet Pardo, Clinique's SVP of Product Development, tells Byrdie. "It's functional, yet so desirable."
The color is a dark purple red, akin to a plum or red currant, and the sheer tint adds a richer, deeper shade to your natural lips — it's the perfect finishing touch for a dark academia ensemble. But if you can't get your hands on the coveted Clinique lip balm, or you don't want to spend $24 on a lip product, don't give up on your dream of autumn makeup: The beauty market is abundant with Black Honey dupes.
CoverGirl Clean Fresh Tinted Lip Balm in Bliss You Berry
CoverGirl Clean Fresh Tinted Lip Balm in Bliss You Berry is an excellent dupe for Clinique Almost Lipstick if you want that perfect Black Honey-esque shade. This tinted lip balm costs only $6.99 at the time of writing, and, as TikTok user @looksbyaolany demonstrates, Bliss You Berry will give you incredibly similar results to Black Honey.
Since Black Honey and Bliss You Berry are nearly identical in color and opacity, the only real difference you'll notice between Clinique Almost Lipstick and the less expensive CoverGirl tinted lip balm is the mold shape. Clinique comes in a thin bullet shape with a flat angled top, whereas CoverGirl has a thicker, rounded shape.
Clinique's lipstick's thin silhouette and flat-angled top can allow for more precise application than the wide shape you get from CoverGirl lip balm, but realistically, this minor difference won't have a big impact on your day-to-day makeup experience. Plus, for a skincare perk, the CoverGirl Clean Fresh Tinted Lip Balm contains hyaluronic acid, which can help your lips retain more moisture.
Undone Beauty Light on Lip in Berry Glow
Undone Beauty Light on Lip in Berry Glow, available for $10, is the ideal Black Honey alternative for folks who want to replicate both the color and application experience of the original Clinique product. This lip balm-lipstick hybrid drifts a little more into the lipstick territory in comparison to Almost Lipstick, but the color is still sheer and buildable.
A TikTok video by @kimmy.styl shows that the shade Berry Glow shares the same brown undertone as Black Honey, as well as that subtle hint of purple that darkens the lips. Undone Beauty Light on Lip also comes in a thin bullet mold, much like Clinique Almost Lipstick. With all that in mind, Undone Beauty Light on Lip in Berry Glow should be the ultimate dupe for Clinique Black Honey, but for one factor: the sparkles.
Light on Lip seems to have a shimmer finish, as opposed to the glossy finish of Clinique Almost Lipstick. Small sparkles in Light on Lip will give your lips a cute, slightly frosted look, which can be really fun but not necessarily what you picture when you think of the classic Clinique Black Honey. However, if you want to embrace the shimmer, Undone Beauty is a wonderful addition to your fall makeup collection.
e.l.f. Hydrating Core Lip Shine in Ecstatic
e.l.f. Hydrating Core Lip Shine in Ecstatic, priced at only $7, also draws comparisons to Black Honey. This lip product shares the same silhouette as Clinique Almost Lipstick and gives you a similarly glossy finish. As the name suggests, Hydrating Core Lip Shine features a center core with a moisturizing formula, surrounded by tinted lipstick.
The core has a nice dose of hydrating Vitamin E, and, honestly, the heart shape of the mold is fun, and makeup is truly at its best when it brings us joy. In a TikTok demonstration, @kellystrackofficial compares the e.l.f. dupe alongside the original Clinique Black Honey, and the similarity between the two shades is undeniable.
Although the color is not a precise recreation of Black Honey — the shade from e.l.f. has a slightly stronger purple hue and seems to have no brown undertones — only hardcore Black Honey fans would catch the minor differences. Overall, the moisturizing formula and silky texture, along with the moody vibes of the shade Ecstatic, puts Hydrating Core Lip Shine as a solid sibling, if not a twin, to Clinique Almost Lipstick.
Revlon Super Lustrous Glass Shine Lipstick in Black Cherry or Rum Raisin
The Revlon Super Lustrous Glass Shine Lipstick has received some attention as a potential dupe for Clinique Almost Lipstick. This Revlon Lipstick, available for $11.79 at the time of writing, is a glossy lipstick that's advertised as having a creamy, balm-like texture. While the Glass Shine Lipstick is slightly more opaque than Clinique's Almost Lipstick, it still has a buildable, semi-sheer coverage that allows the pigment to blend into your natural lip color.
In terms of which shade is the best match for Black Honey, reviewers seem split between two: Black Cherry and Rum Raisin. Both shades have a dark and moody vibe, but Black Cherry leans more purple, whereas Rum Raisin is more of a beige or taupe tone. It's important to note that the shade could vary based on your skin tone, but this swatch comparison by TikTok user @cakefacereviews shows how Black Cherry is darker and cooler than Black Honey on her arm, which, depending on your personal tastes, could be a great option.
Rum Raisin, on the other hand — as demonstrated by TikToker @gemmaadilemmaa in a video with text that reads, "Clinique black honey dupe!!" — is a bit warmer than Black Honey but has a very similar shade depth. At a relatively low price, it doesn't hurt to experiment with both the Black Cherry and Rum Raisin shades to decide which version of this dupe by Revlon is best for you!
Honest Beauty Tinted Lip Balm in Plum Drop
Honest Beauty Tinted Lip Balm in Plum Drop, typically available for around $10, is a great dupe for Black Honey if you prefer a lip balm with an ultra sheer tint. Per clean beauty TikToker @selfloveyaz, the lip balm is the "perfect dupe" for Clinique's Almost Lipstick in Black Honey. The Honest Beauty Tinted Lip Balm features a visible color, but the initial coverage is very light, so you have a lot of control to create the shade you desire by adding more layers of the product. You can either build it up to match the opacity of Almost Lipstick or stick to just one layer for a subtle flush of color.
The shade Plum Drop is a satisfying take on the Black Honey concept, offering a purple-brown hue that intermingles nicely with your natural lip color, producing a rich, wine-like shade that works well for an autumn palette. The finish is less glossy than Clinique Almost Lipstick, but it's a quality lip balm that will give your lips a hydrated look.
Whether you want a near-identical dupe or prefer to have some variety, you're guaranteed to enjoy some fabulous fall lip balms and lipstick shades that deliver the same sexy, seasonal vibes of the cult classic Black Honey.