When did lipstick stop being unapologetically pigmented on purpose? The truth is, it didn’t just happen—sheer lipsticks have been around for decades, and nostalgia is accelerating their 2026 revival. “[Sheer lipsticks] immediately brings me back to that just been kissed, slightly undone feeling that defined so much of ’90s beauty,” renowned celebrity makeup artist and m.ph beauty founder Mary Phillips tells Vogue.
Consider Clinique’s cult-favorite shade Black Honey: a sort of founding mother of sheer lipstick formulas. It’s a blackberry-tinted lip product that defined ’90s makeup on cool girls from Drew Barrymore to Liv Tyler (and more). Though it was introduced in its current Almost Lipstick format in 1989, its origins trace back even further to 1971, when Clinique cofounder and Vogue beauty editor Carol Phillips set out to create what she called the “black turtleneck” of lip color: effortless and universally flattering. “It’s a shade that you could throw on and instantly feel chic,” Clinique’s senior vice president of global marketing Christie Sclater, tells Vogue. “Its ability to look slightly different on each person is what keeps it relevant and why it continues to resonate with every new generation.” That in-between quality—not quite lipstick, not quite balm—cemented its staying power. And when it resurfaced on TikTok a few years ago, nostalgia did the rest. “Fueled by 2000s nostalgia and Gen Z rediscovery, it became a lasting TikTok phenomenon,” says Sclater, noting that a tube of Black Honey is sold every seven minutes globally.
Vogue’s Favorite Sheer LipsticksThe Original
Clinique Almost Lipstick
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Chanel Rouge Coco Baume Satin
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Westman Atelier HydroBalm Tinted Lipstick
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m.ph Beauty Lip Ciggy
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Violette_FR Bisou Jelly Sheer Shine Hydrating Lipstick
Meanwhile, the signs of a barely-there renaissance have been hiding in plain sight. Violette_FR’s Bisou Jelly became one of 2024’s quiet breakout hits, while Chanel struck gold with Rouge Coco Baume in 2022—quickly cementing its status as a bestseller for the house. And then there’s Glossier’s Generation G, the deliberately blotted lipstick that helped define a millennial makeup era and is now officially a decade old. The through line? A soft-focus wash of color that feels lived-in rather than lacquered.
That same balmy versatility, coupled with a longing for ’90s minimalism, is what drew Phillips to make sheer lipsticks a cornerstone of her kit—and eventually, her eponymous brand. One reference point that left a lasting impression—despite predating her makeup-loving adolescence or star-studded career—was Molly Ringwald’s iconic scene applying Black Honey on screen. “It showed how a sheer lip could feel effortless and intimate, but still completely defining. That’s why sheer lip color is relevant again.” Phillips explains, “Now, everyone’s having fun with makeup again, there’s less rules and more expression. A sheer finish enhances rather than dictates.” Sheer textures, she notes, invite play: they make mixing shades, layering tones, and experimenting feel approachable—regardless of skill level. In that sense, sheer lipsticks offer polish without rigidity—a flexibility traditional opaque formulas rarely allow.
That sentiment dovetails neatly with the skinification of makeup, where skincare-grade ingredients are now expected in color cosmetics, all in pursuit of that elusive, undone finish. Phillips kept that philosophy front of mind when developing her own formula, aptly named Lip Ciggy, infused with hyaluronic acid and vitamin E. Meanwhile, Westman Atelier’s recent launch (like, last month, recent), HydroBalm is packed with hyaluronic acid microspheres, peptides, and botanic-derived butters, all while imparting subtle yet buildable color. “I love to feel like something is improving my lips,” founder Westman Atelier previously told Vogue. “My lips look younger, they feel younger, and the ingredients are insanely beneficial for your lips.”
