Clinique Almost Lipstick - Black Honey

I've been wearing this since 1977, and have rarely ever been without a tube of it. Doesn't matter the season or occasion, this is the "Almost Lipstick" that always looks right. It's definitely sheer and not very long lasting but, at least for me, it is a lovely wash of color without going overboard. Yes, it looks like a much deeper color than it ultimately is, and no - it doesn't have all sorts of added ingredients to make it good for my lips. But its dependable and hasn't changed in lo these many years. I love it.

pros:
- pigment and finish look absolutely lovely. great as a MLBB color, very natural.
- feels really nice on your lips, like a lip balm. doesn't get sticky or drying.
- wears off evenly throughout the day, preventing that "lip-liner" look.
- i love the size and shape of the bullet, it is a bit thinner than most lipsticks and i find that this helps with application.

cons:
- that price--yikes!!
- definitely not long-lasting.
- packaging is really ugly and feels cheap. if i'm paying $17 for a lipstick can't it at least come in a pretty tube?

I must be in the majority that this color didn't work for me at all.... I have pigmented lips and this barely showed any color on my lips.. got it in a gift set with the color balm and gave it to my sister so it didn't get totally wasted... still on the hunt for a nude color of lipstick that goes good with my skin tone... sigh....

I just don't get it.

I received a deluxe sample of this in a Sephora Play box this month, and was initially very excited. Clinique is an old-school brand that tends to do lip products very well and is somewhat underrated amongst Sephora brands. The color didn't scare me because I could tell just from looking at the lipstick that it would apply semi-sheer.

The formula is rather slippery yet not at all moisturizing; my lips were equally dry before and after using this. The color isn't bad, like I said- somewhat sheer with a wash of maroon berry color. The issue that guaranteed this would be no more than a 3-lippie rating (it's a 2-lippie because these cost $17 and that is way, way too much for what you're getting), is that the pigment in this settled into my lip lines like crazy and applied super patchy and uneven. I don't have wrinkly lips; I'm 28 and pretty much never have this problem. When I attempted to get an even spread of color, the pigment in this just kind of "moved around" and areas were darker than others.

Part of the problem, IMO, is that these deeper colors don't lend themselves well to balmy, semi-sheer formulas. If this were a lighter shade, it might have not been as issue. As it stands, I had to "watch" this because it wanted to get patchy on me.

Had this been a lighter color, or had it been a bit more moisturizing or opaque, it could have been a good product for me, but it just makes no sense to spend $17 on something that Maybelline Baby Lips probably has an identical dupe for (and no, I'm not crazy about Baby Lips either, but the formulas feel and look similar on the lips, so if you're fond of one, you may like the other).

I really really wanted to love this lipstick. I kept reading all over the internet that it is one of those cult classic shades that suits everyone, and I like to go for vampy shades anyway.

Unfortunately after one application it did not show up at all, so one more application and nope - not a shade that suits me.

It felt lovely on, but feathered and the colour did not stay (perhaps if it had left a light stain it might have looked better).

Also the stick broke after 2 or 3 uses, so it would no longer wind up & down. It's super thin so I used to keep it in my handbag for touching up or if I wanted to quickly add a wash of colour.

In the end I lost it after just a few uses but I would definitely not re-purchase.

Don't believe that one shade can suit everyone and buy something on a whim without trying it first.

This is a very wearable color for everyone. Its not an intense color which is why its called "almost lipstick". I got this when I was starting out with make-up and I still love it to this day. For people who want are intimidated from wearing a bold color lipstick, try Almost Lipstick.

Absolutely gorgeous colour with the option to layer from barely-there to vampish. I do wish it felt a little more permanent, it stays slippery like lip balm until it wears off, which I don't like. I also hate the packaging. It feels very cheap and light weight.

Don't let the name or even the dark tone of this product frighten off the nude lip lover in you! This is a sheer glossy color that works well with my yellow undertoned skin. It's not dark or opaque but more of a brownish plum that is in no way overwhelming. It wears like a balm and keeps my lips hydrated. I had a sample tube of this and have purchased, and will repurchase, the full size tube. It's an everyday, easy go to lip color for me and I LOVE it!

My go to basic daily lip. I love this color and formulation. 'Almost lipstick' describes it perfectly. It is very sheer but it's so pretty!

I remember being obsessed with Black Honey when I was a teenager. Maybe it's the fond memories of going to the Clinique counter with my mom and staring in awe at the mountain of samples they gave out every visit, leading to my first foray into makeup. So naturally Almost Lipstick in Black Honey was my first "real" lipstick.

It's an attractive color for sure - kind of like a "my lips but darker", but the formula leaves a lot to be desired. Being a sheerer, lip balmy formula, I expected this lipstick to be hydrating, but somehow, this is seriously drying on me, to the point where my lips get flaky if I wear this for too long. I still wear this lipstick when I'm going for a no-makeup makeup look, although it's fallen far from my favorite just because of the uncomfortable formula.