Last updated: January 2, 2025
Clinique’s Almost Lipstick in the shade Black Honey is one of the latest beauty trends to go viral with TikTok users.
However because of its recent popularity it is often sold out and really difficult to get hold of.
It’s also not the most affordable lip product on the market, retailing at $24 USD (or £22 / €24.50)
To top that off, Clinique is not a cruelty-free brand either so many beauty lovers who want to try out this gorgeous berry shade find it to be off limits.
Fortunately there are a large number of Clinique Black Honey dupes on the market which make a great substitute for the real deal.
Scroll down to see the full Clinique Black Honey dupe list and get the same look as this cult favorite for less.
The Clinique Black Honey dupe list below has a number of bargain dupes which give you the same sheer wash of berry color and natural finish as Black Honey without the same high price tag.
These are all sheer lipsticks or lip balms with a sheer tint that will give you the same gorgeous color as the Tik Tok favorite that is Clinique’s lipstick.
Shop these products by clicking on the images below:
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Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Red Dahlia $5.49
One of the best dupes for Clinique’s Black Honey is said to be Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balm in the shade Red Dahlia which gets rave reviews and also happens to be very affordable.
This is a very moisturizing balm which is on the sheer side so is great for a subtle look.
Pros:
- Extremely inexpensive
- Cruelty free
- Contains hydrating shea butter
Cons:
- Not very long lasting so needs more frequent application than Clinique’s Black Honey lipstick
Elf Cosmetics Hydrating Core Lip Shine in Ecstatic $7
When it comes to the best Black Honey dupes, Elf Sheer Slick Lipstick in the shade Ecstatic is often said to be an almost perfect dupe of the real thing.
The bonus is that it costs just a fraction of the price of Clinique.
Pros:
- Very affordable
- Cruelty free and suitable for vegans
- Contains the antioxidant Vitamin E
Cons:
- Has a strong sweet scent which some people don’t like
Nivea Berry Shine Caring Lip Balm in Blackberry $7.72
Another very popular dupe is Nivea Berry Shine Caring Lip Balm in Blackberry.
This much cheaper than Clinique’s lipstick, and is an almost perfect dupe for Clinique’s Black Honey.
Pros:
- Inexpensive
- Enriched with soothing shea butter
Cons:
- Nivea is not a cruelty free brand
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Glossier Ultralip in Ember $18
Another good dupe for this viral beauty product is Glossier’s Ultralip in the color Ember.
The shades are very similar, but Glossier’s product is on the more pigmented and therefore slightly more opaque side.
Pros:
- Fragrance free
- Cruelty free and suitable for vegans
- Contains a triple-oil blend of Meadowfoam Seed Oil, Jojoba Seed Oil and Watermelon Seed Oil to keep lips soft
Cons:
- Glossier products are not as affordable as lots of the other Black Honey dupes
Covergirl Clean Fresh Tinted Lip Balm in Bliss You Berry $6.99
This product is one of the best Clinique Black Honey dupes and it’s been almost as popular on TikTok as the real thing.
This lovely beauty dupe can also be used on the cheeks to add a flush of sheer berry color to match your lips.
Pros:
- Made with clean ingredients
- Cruelty free and vegan
- Contains Hyaluronic Acid and Pomegranate Oil which plump lips and make them look smoother over time
Cons:
- Not quite as long lasting as Clinique
ChapStick Total Hydration Moisture + Tint in Merlot $5.99
This deep berry color is often considered to be the closest dupe to Clinique’s Black Honey Almost Lipstick.
It’s such a similar shade to the original product and gives you the same soft shine.
Pros:
- Very affordable
- A good choice for very dry lips as it contains rosehip oil, jojoba oil, mango seed butter, avocado oil, olive oil and Vitamin E
Cons:
- Chapstick is not a truly cruelty free brand
Honest Beauty Tinted Lip Balm in Plum Drop $9
Plum Drop is a very sheer balm-lipstick hybrid that has a very similar color to Clinique Black Honey Almost Lipstick.
Honest Beauty is Jessica Alba’s brand and their products are all clean, dermatologist-tested and have simplistic yet sustainable packaging.
Pros:
- The tube is made from recyclable tree-free paper formulated from upcycled sugarcane
- Cruelty free and vegan-friendly
- The ingredients include nourishing avocado oil as well as açai and pomegranate extract
Cons:
- The formula is a very sheer lipstick which is great for a very subtle hint of a tint but it’s not as noticeable on the lips as Black Honey
Undone Beauty Light on Lip in Berry Glow $10
Berry Glow is one of the balm-lipstick hybrid style of beauty products which has nourishing ingredients as well as good color payoff.
Undone Beauty’s product is a buildable formula that is designed to be layered on the lips depending on how much pigmentation you want to deposit. A quick swipe deposits a wash of sheer color very similar to Black Honey.
Pros:
- Very pigmented for a sheer lipstick
- Cruelty free and suitable for vegans
- Contains moisturizing coconut oil and soothing aloe vera
Cons:
- The formula contains very fine gold glitter pigments which are sometimes visible once the product wears off
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Ulta Beauty Collection Gloss Stick in Buggin $10
Ulta’s makeup products are really gaining in popularity and for good reason. They’re affordable, and the quality is comparable to some of the best drugstore brands.
As the name suggests this is a lip gloss but it can also be used on the cheeks. The deep berry shade of Buggin works well on lots of different skin tones and is a very good Clinique Black Honey dupe.
Pros:
- Multifunctional beauty product for both lips and cheeks
- Cruelty free
- When the glossy finish wears off you’re left with a longer lasting lip stain
Cons:
- The tint is more pigmented than Black Honey so to get the same look with this product you will need to blot the color off a little or just use a very light hand when applying it
Hurraw! Black Cherry Tinted Lip Balm $8.95
This is a really interesting product that has some serious eco-credentials.
It’s a vegan lip balm which gets its dark berry pigmentation from wildcrafted Pakistani alkanet root, a flowering plant that is used to produce dark red dyes.
Pros:
- Has a natural black cherry scent and taste
- Cruelty free, vegan, all natural, and made from raw and organic ingredients
- The lip balm nourishes lips with safflower seed oil, coconut oil, cacao seed butter, sunflower seed oil, olive oil, jojoba seed oil and Vitamin E to help fight the aging effects of free radicals
Cons:
- Natural ingredients mean the product will expire quicker than some other products
Ethique Tinted Lip Balm in Sugarplum $8.50
If a natural Clinique Black Honey dupe interests you this is another great option just like the Hurraw! lip balm.
Ethique’s deep berry tinted balm bears a close resemblance to Black Honey when applied to the lips but for just a fraction of the price.
Pros:
- Comes in a home-compostable tube
- Vegan and cruelty free
- Contains castor seed, moringa and jojoba oils as well as cocoa butter
Cons:
- Contains natural botanical waxes which some people don’t like in a lip balm because of the waxy (rather than glossy) feeling they leave behind
More highly-rated Black Honey Lipstick dupes:
If you can’t get hold of any of the products above you can also try these dupes below. It’s also a good idea to shop your own makeup collection as you may already have a Black Honey dupe in your stash.
Catrice Power Full 5 Lip Care Balm in Addicting Cassis £3.49
NYX Butter Gloss in Rocky Road $5
Julep It’s Balm Lip Balm Crayon in Cherry Wood $12
Pacifica Beauty Color Quench Natural Lip Tint in Sugared Fig $5
Palladio Herbal Tinted Lip Balm in Brownie $7.99
Physicians Formula Murumuru Butter Lip Cream SPF 15 in Nights In Rio $9
Revlon Super Lustrous Glass Shine Moisturizing Lipstick in Black Cherry $5.99
Versed Silk Slip Conditioning Tinted Lip Oil in Fig $12
If you can’t get hold of what is now known as the TikTok lipstick because it is sold out, or you would prefer to get the same look from a cruelty free or vegan brand, take a look at the list above.
Although the Clinique lipstick rightfully has its place in makeup history and on social media as a universal shade with an emollient-rich formula that’s comfortable to wear, you can get the same color or very similar for a lower price and without having to search far and wide for it.
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If you love finding dupes then check out the NARS Ita Brush dupe list and these Chanel bronzer dupes. You can also find yourself a great Milk Hydro Grip Primer dupe and an affordable Dior Rosy Glow Blush dupe as well as some amazing Glossier Cloud Paint dupes, and the Charlotte Tilbury Contour Wand dupes.
Frequently asked questions
This lip product recently became a very popular product in the beauty world when it was revealed on TikTok to be the lipstick Liv Tyler wears in Lord of the Rings. People of all skin tones tried Clinique’s Black Honey and it was found to be a universally flattering shade on anyone.
However this shade has actually been around since 1971 when it was originally released in a little pot. Later down the line Clinique reformulated it as the Almost Lipstick stick format we know and love today, and it became a cult classic in the 90s.
Nowadays it is in many people’s makeup bags because of its chameleon-like ability to flatter everyone as well as being comfortable to wear with its glossy sheen and creamy formula.
On first glance at the tube of Black Honey you would be forgiven for thinking this iconic shade is a very dark purple. However, Black Honey is more sheer on application and the color comes out as a sheer plum shade which looks different on everyone and yet flatters every skin tone.
Black Honey is definitely a ‘your lips but better’ shade which Clinique say is so foolproof to use and wear that you can even apply it without using a mirror.
Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey is not discontinued. However it does keep selling out making it hard to find in beauty stores. Fortunately there are a number of Clinique Black Honey lipstick dupes on the market, and the best part is that many of these dupes have a much lower price point than Clinique.
Glossier Ultralip in the shade Ember, Elf Cosmetics Hydrating Core Lip Shine in Ecstatic and Covergirl’s Clean Fresh Tinted Lip Balm in Bliss You Berry are widely considered to be the best Clinique Black Honey dupes. They are all more affordable than the real thing too.
The shade Black Honey has been seen on celebrities like Drew Barrymore, Liv Tyler (in Lord of the Rings), Julia Roberts in Stepmom, Zooey Deschanel in New Girl, and Troian Bellisario in the series Pretty Little Liars
Yes, Clinique Black Honey looks different on everyone. The color is a sheer berry color that can appear different depending on your skin tone. On fair skin, it can give a rosy tint, while on medium to dark skin, it can appear more brown. The color is also influenced by your lip pigmentation and undertones. Overall, Black Honey is a versatile color that can flatter a variety of skin tones.
Clinique Black Honey is considered to be a moderately warm-toned lipstick. It has a muted, medium plum color with subtle, warm undertones. The color can appear different on different skin tones, but it generally flatters both a warm and a cool undertone.
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