In the world of beauty, it’s hard not to get swept up in the excitement of newness; fancy product launches that promise us the world or, at the very least, noticeably glowy skin, lengthened lashes, or fuller-looking lips. Sure, some do live up to their lofty promises, and may even become a firm fixture in our beauty bags, but it won’t be long before another wonder product comes along to steal the spotlight. The real objective of any beauty product should, however, be longevity—to be eternally relevant and adorned long after the initial social media fanfare. It takes time, but the products that are worth knowing are the ones that remain in-demand once everything goes quiet.
However, sometimes a quietly unassuming beauty classic does offer all that, but is still unexpectedly swept once again into the spotlight due to TikTok hysteria. And that’s certainly the case when it comes to this lipstick. Yes, Gen Z have been causing Clinique’s Black Honey Almost Lipstick to sell out after countless videos have gone viral showing people applying the sheer berry shade to their lips. It might have been going since 1971, but the key to its success today is its versatility—this lipstick looks good on every skin tone. And the 13.6million views of the #blackhoney hashtag are testament to the interest in this product.
I was 11 when I bought my first beauty product; at least, one that didn’t involve loose glitter. After months of raiding my mum’s handbags to steal a slick of her favourite lipstick, she finally relented and allowed me to accompany her on a visit to the Clinique counter. It was there that I handed over the entire contents of my piggy bank, to be presented with Clinique’s Black Honey Almost Lipstick in return.
