Review - Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey.

I'm feeling myself fighting off a migraine this evening. Since I've arrived home for work this afternoon, I've found myself, for once, taking advantage of catching up on some shows on XFinity On Demand. While I'm not a big television person to begin with, I ADORE Syfy's Face Off. I'm definitely on team Eric F. I love that little goth! I finally saw this week's episode and I can't believe that we're already down to the top four. Its frustrating though; there isn't anyone that I really don't like. Either way I spent the latter part of my day catching up of Face Off and watching far more episodes of American Pickers than I'd like to admit.

I know; totally unrelated.

I did, however, finally have an opportunity to give the Clinique Black Honey Almost Lipstick a good test, so I'm definitely ready to review it.

The packaging is long and skinny. The lid part is reflective metal and the bottom half is a brushed matte metal finish. The lid doesn't snap secure but kind of fits snug enough that it sticks without being too loose or too difficult to open or close.

The top of the lid is embossed with the Clinique "C".

The bullet looks quite dark, but keep in mind that this is meant to apply sheer. I was a bit bummed because I received mine with the little "chip" out of the top. It doesn't look like it was tampered with; I feel like it was a shipping issue. The bullet does retract 100%.

Black Honey is a classic shade that is said to be universally flattering. Clinique describes the shade as a "deep, blackened raisin" which actually makes a lot of sense. It has some berry tones to it, but it also has a good amount of brown to it. It really isn't the kind of shade that I've ever really been drawn to, but I think that's why I really wanted to try it out. It read very flattering on my skin; it added a bit of definition and polish to my look that day. Its one of those shades that is timeless and very work appropriate, but fun at the same time.

The formula is sheer, as is the Almost Lipstick range. It is claimed to be "Emollient rich and lightweight" which is true. It didn't weigh my lips down in the least and it felt thin and smooth. If you were to compare this to the feel that Revlon Lip Butters (the most similar product that I could find) it feels a bit thinner, but wears a touch longer than the average for the Lip Butters. For something that was intended to be sheer and glossy, it wears a little longer than I anticipated as a whole. I had about 2 hours before I felt the need to reapply, but it definitely did fade quite evenly; no patchiness or "ring around the lips", but rather it was a tad bit of pigment on my lips, leaving a "my lips but better" look. I also did not experience any drying or discomfort in wearing this.

There are only two complaints I have about this product are the taste and the applicator. This product has a waxy, chemical lipstick taste and I can usually deal with that, but I feel like it was a touch stronger than what I'm used to. It does dissipate, however. 

The applicator bothered me from the get go, as it was damaged when it arrived in my hands. It is a soft textured product, and those do tend to get messy across the board. I think the fact that is so thin makes it just a bit messier in application. 

Overall;

Pros:

- Universally flattering

- Comfortable wear

- Decent wear time

- Lightweight

- Fades evenly

Cons:

- Taste/smell.

- Messy applicator.

I bought this more or less for sentimental reasoning. Me and my grandmother bonded about how it is flattering on both of us, despite me being 22 with very fair skin and her being 77 with light olive toned skin. However, I was pleasantly surprised of the wear overall. This range retails for $15, but as is my usual complaint of Clinique, it doesn't have a huge shade range that appeals to me. If they release a super vampy toned shade or a violet, I'll be all over that.

8.5/10