In the early 2000s, everyone was wearing Light Blue. It was just considered a perfume that worked for everyone. Clinique owned that space when it came to lip color. In fact, for many people, they still do. But even if their “almost lipstick” looked great on almost everyone, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t experiment with these Clinique Black Honey dupes.

Clinique got many of us early. Maybe our moms took us to the mall and headed to Clinique for our very first makeup products. Or perhaps the cheerful orange stall caught our eye while we were wandering alone. However they got you, they tended to do it before you were old enough to realize that $20 is a lot for a lipstick.

What we looked for

We’ve all fallen victim to dupes that didn’t live up the hype. That’s why we sought out Clinique Black Honey lipstick dupes that shared the same core characteristics as the original: ones that were sheer with buildable coverage, a smooth not sticky texture, and that gorgeous color that’s a deep red just on the purple, not orange, side.

That wasn’t always possible, though. That’s why you’ll find two categories of Black Honey dupes below. Besides the price, the best part of all of these products may be their availability. You shouldn’t have any issue tracking them down.

Clinique Black Honey dupes that are spot-on matches

• Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Red Dahlia
• Covergirl Lipslicks Lip Gloss in Edgy

Black Honey dupes that are so close

• Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Fig Jam
• Palladio Herbal Tinted Lip Balm in Brownie
• bareMinerals Gen Nude Radiant Lipstick in Mantra

Clinique Black Honey dupes that are spot-on matches

These lippies deserve more lip service for nailing the texture, application, and color of the original. Even better, it should be beyond simple to snag them since they’re both available at most major drug stores or retailers with makeup sections. Since they’re a fraction of the price, you may even want to buy both Clinique Black Honey dupes—one for home and one for your purse.

Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balm

Overall verdict: This one’s the sleeper dupe. People rave about the “my lips but better” effects of this product that sits between a lipstick and a chapstick. Many people claim they’ve ditched Clinique permanently for this product that you can snag at just about any drugstore or Whole Foods. Some don’t like the texture, but most claim it’s smooth and helps keep their lips healthy and hydrated.

Shade match: Red Dahlia

Main features:

• Feels hydrating
• Applies smoothly
• Sheer color

CoverGirl Lipslicks Lipgloss

Overall verdict: As long as you know you’re getting sheer coverage, you’ll love this Clinique Black Honey dupe. The only people who give this one negative reviews wanted more color—but that’s what you love about the original right? The sheerness that makes your lips look natural but just slightly better. You’ll get exactly that and just the right amount of shine with this.

Shade match: Edgy

Main features:

• Shiny but not wet look
• Sheer color
• Smooth, not sticky, formula

Clinique Black Honey lipstick dupes that are so close

Sometimes close enough is close enough, especially when you’re saving money. These Clinique Black Honey dupes vary ever-so-slightly from the true hue of the beloved mall brand’s, but you’d never notice from afar. In fact, you may not notice at all. The differences are minor. Some of these lip products have a slightly warm undertone instead of Black Honey’s slightly cool, but it’s subtle. 

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter

Overall verdict: Fans can’t get enough of the silky texture of this lippie. Reach for the Fig Jam color if you’re looking for a Clinique Black honey dupe, but know that there are plenty of other colors available including light pinks that get rave reviews. You can build color, just like with Clinique, but make sure to bring it with you. This one fades in a couple of hours.

Shade match: Fig Jam

Main features:

• Buildable coverage
• Smooth, not sticky, formula
• Feels hydrating
• Slightly waxy texture

Palladio Herbal Tinted Lip Balm

Overall verdict: Although the price is what will catch your eye first, people keep coming back for the subtle but stunning colors this line offers. Brownie is a close dupe for Clinique Black Honey, but you will need to regularly reapply this balm if you want the color to show all day. It leans just slightly warmer than Clinique’s shade, but maybe that’s what you wanted from the beloved favorite all along. (You can get the lipstick version of Brownie here.)

Shade match: Brownie

Main features:

• Needs to be reapplied frequently
• Easy to apply
• Sheer color
• Feels hydrating

bareMinerals Gen Nude Radiant Lipstick in Mantra

Overall verdict: You may get this Clinique Black Honey dupe and disagree that the shade is warmer, but we’re sticking with it. The brand claims this shade is a “dirty mauve,” but you see more of the terra cotta color of the “dirty” than the purple tones of the “mauve.” Other than that small point, expect the same smooth texture as the original. Though most agree this product is sheer, some say it’s more pigmented than Clinique’s fan favorite.

Shade match: Mantra

Main features:

• Feels hydrating
• Smooth application
• Sheer, buildable color
• Slightly waxy texture