Review: Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey

Here's a review on Clinique Black Honey Lipstick

Price: P1,100.00

Bought From: A blog sale

Other Locations: Available in all Clinique counters in leading malls

THE VERDICT:

I guess 'tis really true, that when you let go and let God, miracles start to happen. Take for example, this Clinique Black Honey Lipstick: I've been dying to get my hands on it for over a year already and went on a tedious search for it online and in Clinique's local stores but to no avail. The SAs at Clinique Rockwell and Makati would prolly remember me as the "Black Honey Girl", as I've been bugging them constantly last year to contact me just in case stocks of Black Honey land on their counters. Alas, Black Honey did not arrive. Frustrated and annoyed, I just gave up on my search and told myself "Oh well. One day, I'll have one for myself."

And just before 2012 ended, I acquired meself Black Honey. Luck and the universal forces have just conspired and led me to this much- coveted lipstick of Clinique. One time, I was blog hopping and chanced upon Kira Ramirez of Elegantly Wasted's blog sale which only featured this product. I was the first one to see it (I should know. I saw it a minute after she posted it!) and of course, I snagged it right away. To cut the long story short, I'm now one happy girl because Black Honey and I are finally together. :D

Anyway, so here's my take on Clinique's world famous Almost Lipstick shade called Black Honey. I love reading foreign beauty blogs because they always have the first dibs on some of my favorite beauty brands, and it's where I discover a lot of interesting beauty products such as this one. According to these beauty blogs, Black Honey is a universally flattering shade for it enhances any inherent lip color beautifully and naturally. No wonder it has become a huge favorite of so many women. If I'm not mistaken, in terms of status and popularity, Black Honey's fame can be likened to Nars Orgasm. FYI, this product is one of Elle's "BEST BEAUTY PRODUCTS SINCE 1985."

Click READ MORE for my detailed review!

CLINIQUE ALMOST LIPSTICK IN BLACK HONEY IN DETAIL

Almost Lipstick is a fusion of lipgloss and lipbalm with the color coverage of a lip stain. Texture is soft and buttery, and it has an emollient consistency making it great for people with dry, flaky lips. Coverage is sheer to medium, and it is unscented and taste- free.

Tube is very slim, compact, and handy. It actually comes in another version, the traditional lipstick packaging, and I prefer that one better but hey, I can't complain alright? This is better than having none at all! :D

Here's a swatch of the product. Black Honey is a sheer Black-Red shade with a slight brown undertone. It looks a little bold and muddy in here, but it fares differently once it's on your lips already: It looks lighter and more tolerable than this skin swatch.

CLINIQUE ALMOST LIPSTICK IN BLACK HONEY IN ACTION

Black Honey applied lightly

- If applied lightly, it improves the tone of your lips for a wee bit.

Black Honey applied heavily

- When applied heavily, the color becomes deeper and comes off stronger, yet the overall look still stays natural. 

It's like Black Honey intelligently melds with the natural tint of your lips, giving it a prettier look.

I love the color so much! It just gives my lips a better- looking appearance, and complements a fresh makeup look perfectly. I saw the same product on Julia Arenas of Bless My Bag and it looks a little redder on her, and has warmed up her fair complexion. I don't know how it does it, but methinks this lip color knows how to flatter whatever skin tone it's sitting on!

It keeps my lips moist and smooth without the greasy feel, but its staying power is the ultimate let down here: In less than an hour or two, the color comes off completely, but the moisturizing effect stays.

In comparison with other lip products: The closest lip product I can compare this to is Revlon's Lip Butter. Both products have a balmy, wet texture but this one is lighter and non- sticky.

Photo Credits: bubblesandbeauty.blogspot.com

I found this helpful photo on the Internet, and it gives you an idea on how Black Honey fares with different skin tones. Bottomline, it's a good go- to color, and perhaps the best choice if you want a very natural- looking and prettifying red lip shade. It's vintage and a little vampy, yet not over-the-top--It's the kind of shade that transcends trends. I even think it's one of the essential shades you'll ever need when you get older, aside from the classic true red. However, I don't think Black Honey will appeal to the younger audience as they're more inclined to pinky and orange shades.

To sum it up, I love this product because it's iconic, (I have a penchant for iconic products) the shade is unique, and it's a good everyday lip product that's more moisturizing than lipstick and better (color- wise) than tinted lip balms. Unfortunately, this is always out of stock in our local Clinique counters so my advice, just ask a relative who's living abroad to get you one. (That is, if you like the shade) Or if you can't find anybody overseas to buy it for you, then just keep on checking our local Clinique counters and boutiques.

CLINIQUE ALMOST LIPSTICK IN BLACK HONEY RATING

How about you? Have you ever tried Black Honey? Share your thoughts!