The names Black Honey, Rum Raisin, Raisin Rage, Cherry Jubilee, Vampire Love and Film Noir will all be fondly familiar to makeup fiends of the 1990s and early 2000s. Though ranging in saturation, warmth, coolness and overall dramatics, all the aforementioned vintage lipstick shades had one undertone in common: black cherry.
A far cry from ‘clean girl’ and ‘no makeup’ makeup, the burgundy fruit-inspired tone delivers experimental dramatics - with the ability to build up or blot down for a subtle day-to-day look, or a 90s grunge-approved, kissed-by-a-vampire aesthetic.
The recent revival of all things black cherry has bled into other trends too, with fashion, nails, hair and even interiors getting the whimsigoth treatment. You’ve heard of the unexpected red theory, which dictates that a pop of colour in an otherwise neutral environment ties a room or sartorial look together with elegant ease, right? Well, get ready for the unexpected black cherry.
The incorporation of black cherry into your daily life need not be limited to a singular dramatic moment. Take Dua Lipa’s autumnal aesthetics from last year – the mega popstar transformed her entire colour palette into a monochromatic black cherry dreamscape. Her cherry red hair (gone but never forgotten) seldom saw an outfit or makeup look which didn’t complement and accentuate it.
What has beauty enthusiasts returning to or sticking by the cult-favourite shade is its universally flattering nature. No matter your skin tone, black cherry tones can be applied in varying degrees to achieve the perfect, just-bitten, gothic yet healthy and plump look for any occasion.
This is especially the case with Clinique’s semi-sheer and butter-soft Black Honey lipstick, which was initially launched as a gloss in 1971, rereleased as an ‘almost lipstick’ in 1989, and is experiencing an unprecedented revival in 2025.
We’ve curated a selection of the best juicy black cherry beauty products to perfect your 90s-inspired makeup look, no matter how dramatic of an aesthetic you’re aiming for.
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Clinique Pop Lip + Cheek Oil in Black Honey
Clinique’s Black Honey Almost Lipstick was an instant TikTok sensation and over the last six months (and over 700 million views later), one has sold every five minutes at Boots.
The label has revamped the formula, offering the universally-flattering adapting pop of colour that has earned its predecessor its popularity but in lip oil form so you get a nourishing coat of safflower and jojoba oil.
Buy now £23.50, Clinique
Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey
Beloved in the 1990s and a cult favourite today, rejoice for the comeback of Clinique’s Almost Lipstick in the universally flattering Black Honey shade. Sheer, glossy and subtly buildable - suiting everyone may be the tagline of this hydrating wonder, but it’s available in two shades for a reason.
Black Honey is perfectly suited to paler skin tones looking for a daily pop of colour, while Pink Honey is perfect for warm-toned complexions.
Buy now £24.50, John Lewis
Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Black Cherry
Revlon’s Super Lustrous Lipstick is great if you’re someone who likes a little variety. At less than £8, it’s easy to pick up a few of these shades to alternate between days.
Despite their budget-friendly price tag, these lipsticks provide impressive, smooth colour with a slick, moisturising finish. Formulated with micro-fine pigments for high-impact colour, this soft, creamy shade is boosted with vitamins A, C and E as well as silk-enriched moisturisers.
Buy now £7.19, Boots
REFY Lip Blush
This multitasking lippy taps into the blurred lip trend with its blotted effect. It’s a lightweight product that leaves a subtle wash of colour in the same way as a tinted lip balm. The creamy texture glides onto the pout but works double duty for the cheeks too - we love a formula that can do both.
The low-maintenance makeup essential stays put once applied but may need to be layered up with a more pigmented product for a fuller lipstick look. There are eight shades in pops of pink, orange, purple and reddy brown. Our favourites for achieving a black cherry-inspired look are ‘Wine’, a deep red with a hint of purple, and ‘Canyon’, which is a rusted, red-brown hue.
Buy now £16.00, REFY
NUDESTIX Nudies Bloom All Over Face Dewy Blush Colour
We love the fact that this multi-stick from NUDESTIX is available in an array of vibrant, highly saturated hues. Designed to deliver monochromatic colour on the lips, eyes and cheeks, the wonderfully creamy formula goes on like butter and builds like a dream. The fantastic product also comes with a built-in, removable and washable brush for blending with ease. When it comes to blonzing, you can’t do better than the dreamy shade ‘Sunkissed’.
Buy now £31.50, lookfantastic
benefit Bene Tint Rose-Tinted Lip & Cheek Stain 10ml
When the girls go out with nothing but a tiny clutch purse that can barely fit a phone, this is what’s rattling around inside. The cult-classic, long-lasting stain instantly brings colour to the lips, cheeks and eyes.
It’s the contemporary equivalent of pinching your cheeks to get them perfectly rosy, only far more effortless. Sheer yet buildable, smudge-proof yet fabulously blurry, it’ll leave you looking flushed in the best way.
Buy now £22.50, Boots
Elemis Pro-Collagen Black Cherry Cleansing Balm
The Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm is one of my favourite products in existence. I have long used the rose-scented variation and adore the feel of the sumptuous balm texture on my skin as well as the way that it transforms into a silky milky that effectively removes dirt and grime from the day without stripping the skin.
All these properties have made it the number one facial cleanser in the UK and one sells every 10 seconds. Building on its legacy, you will now find it in a brand new delicious black cherry aroma that combines the note with touches of almond and vanilla.
Buy now £49.00, Cult Beauty
MERIT Flush Balm
The MERIT M.O. is to create effortless makeup essentials that you can slot in your cosmetics bag for ease of application no matter where you are. This is an idea that is immediately obvious the second you catch a glimpse of the Flush Balm. The mini transportable product can slip into the tiniest of handbags to bring a wash of colour to your complexion.
While it may feel creamy in texture, it imparts microfine pigment powders to enhance your natural skin without feeling cumbersome or cakey. The composition is also non-comedogenic to prevent a reaction, instead opting for vitamin E within to nourish. Our colour of choice? You guessed it, Après - which is a soft and buildable deep berry.
Buy now £32.00, MERIT Beauty
Glossier Black Cherry Quartet
Glossier’s frequently sold-out though recently launched Black Cherry collection comprises the brand’s cult-favourite Balm Dotcom in a sheer burgundy red with an addictive cherry scent, the liquid blush known as Cloud Paint in a true burgundy, the No.1 Pencil in a deep burgundy red with a shimmering finish, as well as Lip Line in a plump, deep burgundy to enhance your natural lip shape and tone.
Since the Black Cherry set was limited edition, you’ll have to purchase each of the products separately. Trust us, it’s worth it. The price below is the accumulated price for all four products without shipping.
Buy now £56.00, Glossier
MAC Macximal Sleek Satin Lipstick- Paramount
Available in an impressive 34 different shades, MAC’s Macximal satin lipstick range glides on with ease thanks to the new and improved butter-soft formula which is filled to the brim with pigment-rich colour.
Film Noir and Guessing Game are two cult-favourite black cherry shades – the former is a dark-as-night brown-toned hue, while the latter is more of a true burgundy. Our personal favourite, however, is Paramount – a 1990s-style reddish brown lipstick with marvellous cherry undertones.
Buy now £25.00, John Lewis
Huda Beauty Blush Filter in Black Cherry
Designed to deliver buildable pigments, this lightweight liquid blush by Huda Beauty offers a soft-focus, filtered finish. Black Cherry is our shade of choice for a subtly flushed look which can be built upon for a night out.
Buy now £19.20, Huda Beauty
