Clinique has undoubtedly got a cult classic on its hands with Black Honey, the burgundy shade of the brand’s Almost Lipstick which has become a make-up staple.
The silver bullet balm-lipstick has remained a must-buy for consumers and make-up artists alike for 55 years, with its magic lying in not being quite what it seems – black in colour on opening, but applying as a sheer, berry balm that flatters every skin tone.
And this ‘magic’ has won it a lot of praise (and sales), with seven Clinique Black Honey Lipsticks sold every minute globally; while also taking the number one lip colour item title in the UK, according to data from analyst Circana.
Not to mention there being more than 18.2K videos about #cliniqueblackhoney on TikTok.
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“You hit the jackpot when you create something like Black Honey – [something] that nobody thinks they need, but when you have it you are like, ‘oh my goodness, I cannot live without it’,” says Janet Pardo, SVP Global Product Development at Clinique, which is owned by Estée Lauder Companies.
“The product still has a high repeat purchase rate [because] it is just one of those cross-generational products, it goes from grandmother-to-mother-to-daughter.
“[And it has been in] the top three lipstick shades at Clinique for the past 20 years, so I am very cautious about guarding it to make sure that it stays a precious icon.”
Pardo reveals how Clinique’s Almost Lipstick Black Honey became, and has remained, a category-defining make-up item in Cosmetics Business’ ‘Untold Story’ series.
Clinique's original 'The Honeys' lip gloss in shade Black Honey
How Clinique’s Almost Lipstick Black Honey came to be…
Clinique’s Black Honey made its debut in 1971 as part of a six-shade line-up of lip glosses, known in the industry as ‘The Honeys’, created by brand founder Carol Phillips.
Named after honey because of the product’s gooey-like texture, the glosses – which took a year to create – were housed in green pots and came with a small brush for application.
Shade Black Honey looked black in the pot, but melted into a sheer, reddish-berry stain that suited every skin tone – as the brand found out.
“Women at the time were not really wearing full coverage, precision-type lip products, they wanted
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