'We tried Clinique's 'Nude Honey' lipstick and one of us hasn't worn anything else since'

If there were a Hollywood Stars Walk of Fame for beauty products, Clinique’s Almost Lipstick in the shade Black Honey would undoubtedly earn a spot, not least for its universally flattering shade and balmy texture. Selling seven tubes every minute worldwide, according to the brand, it’s very much the hot commodity today as it was when it launched in 1971.

Following a resurgence in popularity in recent years thanks to TikTok, Clinique has gone on to develop the beloved formula, releasing the lesser-known (but equally gorgeous) Pink Honey in 2023. Now, the American cosmetics company has once again expanded the Honey lineup with a new, equally adaptable hue: Nude Honey.

Described by the brand as ‘the only nude you need,’ Nude Honey features the same sheer, balmy texture of the original, and is designed to enhance our natural lip colour rather than mask it. It has a much more neutral tone that boasts a carefully balanced mix of warm and cool pigments, creating a shade that looks slightly different on everyone.

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Like its predecessors, it features a sheer, buildable formula with 95% conditioning ingredients for a comfortable, soft-shine finish that hydrates the lips. Of course, at £25 per tube, the price point for what is essentially a tinted lip balm, may be too expensive for some shoppers.

If so, the Glossier Ultralip High Shine Lipstick is a close alternative, coming in slightly cheaper at £22. For something even more purse friendly, the No7 Sheer Temptation Lipstick is £9.95.

That said, the Clinique Nude Honey is already raking in the accolades from shoppers. Online, one shopper said: “I already love my pink honey, but this may be a new favorite. It is a beautiful natural nude.”

“Obsessed! It's giving nude but with a warm, golden hour glow. Adore the sleek package too,” said a second, though others have found it requires regular top-ups, commenting: “Have been wanting to try this for a while which I wish I had before purchased I like the packaging but doesn't last very long on the lips at all therefore need to top it up which seems to defeat the purpose.”

Another added: “Excited to try the new Nude honey, it glides up nicely just like Black honey, and gives me a really natural glow. My lips feel hydrated and comfortable too.”

So it seems to have the seal of approval from shoppers, but what about our team of beauty writers? Three women put the new shade to the test and here’s what they thought.

Bethan’s thoughts:

For a decade straight, Mac’s Velvet Teddy has been my signature lip shade, so it’s safe to say that a nude lip is my go-to. I enjoyed Black Honey’s plummy hue (particularly in its lip and cheek oil form ), however, I was less keen on Pink Honey when it launched a couple of years ago. But Nude Honey? It's a bit of me. So much so that I’ve not worn anything else since it landed on my desk.

Not quite lipstick, not quite gloss, its texture is more like a tinted lip balm that can easily be layered. One swipe offers a sheer wash of colour, like ‘your lips but better’ with no need for a lip liner or mirror. It’s an incredibly forgiving formula, which makes it perfect for on-the-go.

Suitable for all skin types, including sensitive as it’s fragrance free, there’s no dragging or waxy feel. Instead, just heaps of hydration, a hint of colour and soft-shine finish. The tone is warm and I feel like it makes my skin glow when I wear it. They really have nailed the ‘perfect nude’ here.

For the moments when I want my makeup to pack more punch, I found it does build easily to a more opaque shade for more drama, while still remaining lightweight and comfortable on the lips.

Even after a full day at work followed by an evening of cocktails, my lips still felt soft, though I did reapply once in a while to bring back the colour. It’s not the most longwearing formula in the world, but the fact that it’s easy enough to reapply without a mirror negates that. Sorry Velvet Teddy, but this is going to be a Nude Honey summer.

Jada's thoughts:

Nude lips have been my go to since I first found Mac's Whirl as a teenager. I love how easy they are to pair with every outfit and love how well nude shades compliment my skin tone. I've seen the rave reviews for Black Honey and while it does look lovely I've never felt the need to take the plunge since it's slightly more vampy than I'd usually go for, so when I heard about Nude Honey I was immediately interested.

Clinique famously dropped Black Honey in a few different formats, even including a mascara, but the new Nude Honey is only available in their balmy Almost Lipstick. The formula is lovely on. It's not greasy but leaves a nice level of shine and buildable colour which is a big win for me after years of chalk dry lips from matte options.

I recently went to Ibiza, which had scorching hot temperatures that left my shoulders on the dryer side, and wore this out for dinner and drinks. My lips remained super soft and moisturised the entire time, although I did have to reapply after greasy food items. The tube is quite narrow which I think makes application a little bit easier, which was great when it came to topping up my pout as I didn't need a mirror. This is definitely one of my favourite products this summer.

Eve's thoughts:

I’ve never really beena nude lipstick kind of gal thanks to my typically dry lips. I lean more towards a bold red when my skin is playing ball (helloCharlotte Tilbury Hollywood Vixen) bid to make my complexion look better and brighter. Or a lip balm if I want something more natural that also gives my usually dry lips some TLC. But having tried Clinique’s newest iterationof its viral Black and Pink Honey Almost Lipstick - its newNude Honey - I may be somewhat of a convert.

The formula, first off, is silky smooth and creamy, feels nourishing and hydrating on the lips (very important) and best of all doesn’t leave a bit of a crispy cast on the dry patches that my trust lip balm hasn’t quite banished (something red lipstick tends to highlight).

Costing £25,the lipstickis buildable - the colour isn't too strong on first application - and is great for those who want to build a heavier, deeper nude lip or contrastingly something that enhances natural lip colour.

Applying the products feels just like a lip balm in texture but a bit more fancy thanks to its silver casing and lipstick shape. The emollient rich formula leaves my lips looking subtly glossy - but not too much - and without the stickiness a lip gloss delivers; something I usually love about lipsticks.

Clinique claims that this new nude shade looks ‘different on every lip’ as it has the perfect mix of warm and cool pigments. With one layer, it leaves my lips looking slightly darker and more mauve-y than usual and it certainly gives me a more ‘done up’ look. It's long and thin casing makes it easy to carry around in my handbag too and it gives me more precision when applying.

It doesn’t stay on all day and after a few hours I’ve had to reapply the product, but that’s not too much faff and is usually the case with lipsticks anyway. I enjoy its fragrance free finish too and lack of stickiness. While I’ve not yet tried it over or under any other lip colours, as the website says can be done, I do like the boost it gives my lips when I wear it alone and will certainly be adding it to my every-day beauty routine. Get it here.