"Black Honey" Is The Lip Color Of The Moment And These Three Dupes Nail The Shade And Look Great On Everyone
Stay on trend without breaking the bank.
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Clinique's Black Honey Tinted Balm ($20) is one of the latest beauty products to go viral on TikTok (despite originally hitting the shelves in 1971). That's probably because it's a beautiful purple shade that will leave your lips feeling moisturized and it looks great on absolutely everyone. But there's a few downsides — 1. it's $20 for one tube, 2. it's always sold out, and 3. did I mention it's $20 for one tube?!
If, like moi, you want to try it but don't want to shell out the cash — I have some great news! There are three dupes that popped up on the internet and they are all under $7. For research purposes only, I've purchased them all so we can find out if they might be as good (or maybe even better) than the original.
Full disclosure, I did not buy the Clinique ($20) version but here is a picture of a model of a similar skin tone with the original Black Honey on for reference.
Now on to the dupe reviews you've been anxiously waiting for...
1. E.l.f.'s Sheer Slick Lipstick in Black Cherry ($5)
The brand describes this balm as a shiny, moisturizing lip tint and that is accurate. It glides on smooth and feels like I've just applied a lip balm! The hue is not as deep as Clinique's Black Honey, but after applying two coats, there is a subtle sheer plum tint that gives you a 'my lips but better' look. The packaging is see-through so you can see exactly how much product you get and how much you have left. The only downside is that the color did not deposit evenly so it gave me an ombre effect — it gives the illusion that I have plum lip liner on my top and bottom lips with a little pink in the middle. But for $5 a tube, this is definitely worth purchasing and stocking up on.
Color Match: 8/10
Overall Rating: 9/10
Get it from e.l.f. for $5.
2. E.l.f. Hydrating Core Lip Shine in Ecstatic ($6)
This balm is another winner but for different reasons. It's described as a moisturizing balm with a hint of color but I would definitely say this is full-coverage. Unlike the previous product (where we had lipstick in the name but it applied sheer), this is more like a hydrating lipstick. If you suffer from dry, chapped lips, you'll appreciate that it has an adorable translucent heart-shaped middle that's packed with vitamin e. It will give you high-shine and great color payoff and, despite having two-toned lips, the color deposited evenly. This is a bit darker than Clinique's Black Honey so it's not an exact match, but it's super close.
Color Match: 7/10
Overall Rating: 10/10
Get it from e.l.f. for $6.
3. Burt's Bee's Tinted Lip Balm in Red Dahlia ($4.79)
This tinted lip balm is the most sheer, most hydrating, and affordable of the bunch, but it's not a close color match to the original. However, it's perfect for lips that need extra moisture. Or! Those who tried the original Black Honey but wanted something way more subtle. There is a light tint that's barely noticeable, but I still give this a 10 out of 10 because it's absolutely amazing for what it is — a fabulous tinted balm!
Color Match: 5/10
Overall Rating: 10/10
Get it from Target for $4.79.
If I could only choose one of these lippies, it would be the E.l.f. Hydrating Core Lip Shine in Ecstatic ($6) because it's highly pigmented and super moisturizing. To get the same effect, I'd have to apply a lip gloss over lipstick but Ecstatic does the job with one product. If you're on the fence, I think you should give them all a try — because even if you buy all three, it's still a fraction of the cost of the original!
You after saving a ton of money by buying these affordable dupes instead of the original:
