Santa (or rather, Clinique) has delivered the kind of perfect present beauty lovers secretly hope to find under the tree. A gift wrapped in nostalgia, tied with a velvet bow, and packed with the sort of cult status usually reserved for a Hallmark movie. And so, we can only hope that we’ve made the nice list (and that Mrs Claus has had a word in Father Nick’s ear). Because, all we really want to unwrap come December 25 is the Limited Edition Clinique Black Honey Holiday Edition – coming home for Christmas and looking more iconic than ever!
The Spirit of the Season
Long before TikTok algorithms turned beauty products viral overnight, Black Honey was quietly building a legacy. What began in the early ’70s as a glossy, “honey-pot” balm evolved in 1989 into its most famous form: the slim, silver Almost Lipstick – the ultimate “barely-there but better” lip. Deep and dramatic in the tube yet sheer on the lips, it became the original all-is-calm, all-is-bright colour: soft, wearable, flattering on practically everyone.
Its magic has always been its chameleon quality. On some, it leans mulberry; on others, rosewood; on deeper skin, it becomes a warm berry stain. It’s the beauty equivalent of fairy lights – universally flattering, effortlessly elevating.
Stars That Shine (And Not Just a Top The Xmas Tree!)
Every classic has its constellation of devotees, and Black Honey’s star-studded fan base reads like a festive wish list of Wise (Wo)men. Throughout the ’90s, actresses like Drew Barrymore and Courteney Cox were rumoured to swipe it on before interviews and red carpets, drawn to its unfussy sophistication.
Then came the mythology: whispers that the ethereal lip shade worn by Liv Tyler in The Lord of the Rings had a familiar plum-tint resemblance. Beauty folklore has kept that association alive for decades – a testament to how deeply the shade embedded itself in pop-culture memory.
For a while, Black Honey became the insider’s secret – the lipstick tucked into makeup bags a la Elf on The Shelf.
Fast-forward to the 2020s: with the return of ’90s minimalism and the social-media rediscovery of classic products, the shade suddenly went from cult to Christmas-morning-sellout. TikTok declared it a universal colour; Gen Z crowned it their “my lips but moodier” essential; and beauty counters worldwide struggled to keep it in stock. Black Honey wasn’t back. It had never left.
A Very Merry Expansion
This year Clinique’s festive lineup has made its Black Honey offerings merrier than ever with a range of products that are less grinch, more glow. Highlights inlcude
- A Limited Edition Black Honey Almost Lipstick with an iconic balm meets lipstick formula that melts in like mulled-wine warmth
- A High Impact Gel Tech Liner in Black Honey
- A High Impact mascara (infused with that signature deep-plum tone)
- And a lip-and-cheek pop, in (you guessed it) a fail-safe Black Honey Shade.
It’s Black Honey, but dressed for the holidays. Think minimalist glamour with a seasonal wink. The collection doesn’t stray from the shade’s DNA – it simply ties it up in a limited-edition bow.
There’s a reason Black Honey has endured: it behaves like the best holiday traditions. Timeless, comforting, suited to everyone at the table. It’s the lipstick you can put on without a mirror, the one that flatters during office parties, lunches, late-night toasts and next-morning brunches.
Beauty trends may sparkle brightly and fade like tinsel, but Black Honey keeps its glow – understated, elegant, quietly festive. And perhaps that’s why it feels especially right for the holidays. It’s the cosmetic equivalent of a classic carol – updated each decade, re-recorded by new artists, but still carrying the same heart-skipping note.