Clinique Just Turned Viral Black Honey Lipstick Into a Full Collection—I've Tried Them All, and I Have Thoughts

As a self-proclaimed lip product fanatic, finding a new launch that ticks every single one of my boxes is rare. I need my lipsticks and glosses to be long-wearing, vibrant and—above all—avoid that flat, 'washed-out' cast that so many pinks and purples leave on my skin tone.

Beauty has been in a serious throwback era recently, so it feels entirely apt that Clinique is doubling down on nostalgia by expanding its iconic Black Honey 'Almost' Lipstick into a complete franchise.

The beloved balm-meets-gloss had a massive viral resurgence at the end of 2025, so it makes perfect sense that Clinique has smartly run with Black Honey's renewed 'it-product' status. But rather than taking the easy route with a quick reformulation or a dusting of glitter, the brand has delivered a surprisingly robust lineup: a lip liner, lip and cheek oil, eyeshadow palette, mascara, and even a nail polish, all in that famous chameleon berry hue alongside the OG lipstick. I’ve been putting the full collection to the test—and the results genuinely surprised me.

How We Test

I’ve been incorporating these into my regular makeup routine because I think it's unrealistic—no matter how good a product is—to completely switch things up. Since the range is far more extensive than just the lipstick, I tried to see whether the other products deliver the same colour payoff as the cult classic, paying close attention to how they apply and wear throughout the day. Crucially, I wanted to see if they can hold their own as standalone buys.

In the spirit of a true first impression, rather than simply applying the lipstick to my lips, I also wanted to experiment with the OG lipstick, testing whether, like some of my other favourite lipsticks and stains, the Black Honey lipstick could double as a blush.

My two favourite eyeshadow brushes—one fluffy, the other denser—and a blush brush, along with my fingers, were my tools of choice to see what gives the best finish. Essentially, I’ve done the trial and error so you don’t have to, helping you decide whether this range is genuinely more than just a nice throwback.

First Impressions

At first glance, I was pleased to see that the packaging on the lip liner and lip products felt ultra-luxe and perfectly sized to slip into even the tiniest handbags. With the mascara, however, I was a tad surprised by how lightweight the tube felt. While great for keeping your bag from straying into excess luggage territory, it didn't quite match the premium feel of the lip packaging. To be entirely honest, it didn't fill me with confidence formula-wise. But oh, how wrong I was.

After swatching the eyeshadow quad, examining the mascara wand, and taking in the deep, moody hue of the nail polish, it became immediately clear why Clinique decided to go all-in on "Black Honey Everything."

The formulas feel remarkably buttery, silky, and rich, melting seamlessly into the skin where needed—and, in the case of the nail polish, requiring just a single coat for a high-impact, full-colour moment. True to Clinique’s signature standard, everything is 100% fragrance-free, so there's no artificial scent to irritate sensitive skin or eyes. From that very first swipe, any lingering doubts vanished, and I was genuinely keen to get the full lineup onto my face (and toes).

As the range heavily relies on its Black Honey roots, it was great to see that the eyeshadow instead came in four very versatile shades: two slightly bronzy and two lighter iridescent options, perfect for both everyday wear and, with a bit of amping up, for special occasions as well.

The rest of the range also featured more 'inspired' rather than strict berry colour protocols, with the lip and cheek oil skewing slightly lighter than the polish and lipstick, and the lip liner appearing more true berry-red rather than the chameleon purple that Black Honey lovers are used to. But as with the eyeshadow quad, I found each product surprisingly adaptable, with every shade passing the 'washes out dark skin tones' test with flying colours. That said, I’d still recommend swatching the lip products in-store first to see how they play with your specific undertones.

From the very first swipe of the nail polish, I knew I was going to like it. As a "the darker, the better" lady when it comes to pedicures, I found that the deep shade complemented my skin tone beautifully.

How to Apply

Through a bit of trial and error, I found that the OG Almost Lipstick works best kept strictly to the lips. When I tried buffing it across my cheeks with a blush brush, the pigment sheared out into a barely-there 'anti-blush' effect. The lip liner, on the other hand, packs serious pigment payoff; to keep it from looking overly precise, I used my fingers to smudge out the edges for a cooler, more lived-in lip line.

Pairing the lip and cheek oil with the liner delivered a deeper, longer-wearing wash of colour than the balm. However, layering the oil beneath the classic lipstick created a gorgeous dimensional look that let that signature berry undertone shine through, so for beauty lovers who like their lipliners to do the talking, it's a combo worth noting down.

As for the eyes? To get the most seamless, eye-catching finish with the quad, I used my denser brush to pack colour onto the lid, then a fluffier blending brush to soften the crease. The mascara wand was a dream to work with, though it definitely demands a deliberate root-to-tip wiggle to make that subtle berry tint truly pop.

The Verdict

Clinique's expansion into "Black Honey Everything" proves that this iconic shade still holds serious weight in a modern routine. The collection delivers on its promise of an effortless, cohesive wash of colour, but for me the absolute star of the lineup? The Color Rich Nail Polish. I fell so in love with the deep, moody berry shade that I found myself defying the cooling weather to go open-toed—or as my friends and I call it, "getting your dawgs out"—just to show off the ultra-glossy pedicure. It delivers full-coverage colour in a single coat and with minimal chips after three weeks of wear, I can safely say it wears remarkably well.

When it came to the eyes, the mascara on its own leaned a tad too brown for my personal taste, as I'm a black tight liner, black mascara fiend. However, once paired with the fourth, deep moody shade in the eyeshadow quad, it completely transformed into a fun, softly smoked-out finish that felt intentional rather than washed out.

On the lip front, the original Almost Lipstick proved it's still best left to do what it does best: worn solo on the lips for that lived-in, bitten tint. The Quickliner, on the other hand, has quietly become a non-negotiable daily staple as the seasons shift, giving the perfect defined berry outline. And while my initial attempt at using the OG lipstick as a cream blush was a fail, the Pop Lip + Cheek Oil easily earned a permanent spot in my daily makeup bag—I'm already plotting how to make it work for a wet-look glossy eye and cheek combo next.

Ultimately, this range isn't just a timely nostalgia ploy; it’s a surprisingly adaptable lineup where individual products easily stand out as holy-grail buys in their own right.

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