Paige Lorenze has great taste. As the Founder and Creative Director of Dairy Boy and a Content Creator with over 2 million combined followers on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, she’s built an impressive personal brand grounded in individuality, authenticity, and stylish fashion and beauty picks. (Although her picturesque New England lifestyle doesn’t hurt either.)
If you’ve watched her YouTube vlogs for as long as I have, you’ll know she’s no stranger to a GRWM video. She often does her own makeup while chatting to the camera, whether it’s ahead of an important brand meeting or before supporting her fiancé, professional tennis player Tommy Paul, courtside at a Grand Slam. And because she has great taste, I’m always taking notes, ID’ing the specific products she uses and how she applies them.
If there’s one makeup product Lorenze seems to use most often, it’s Clinique’s cult-classic Almost There Lipstick ($25) in Black Honey. The singular, shape-shifting raisin shade has been around since 1971 (yep, that’s an impressive 55-year history), which is why it continues to transcend generational lines. A quick scroll through TikTok is all it takes to prove that it’s just as beloved by Baby Boomers as it is by Gen Z. Lorenze has been a fan of it for years. In fact, she was introduced to it by her mom years ago.
Cut to 2026, and she’s the face of Clinique’s new Black Honey campaign, The Difference Is You. It celebrates the enduring popularity of Black Honey, as well as Lorenze’s personal taste and organic love for the product. Ahead, I chat with Lorenze about all things beauty, including her formula for a quick 5-minute face, how she stays confident in the public eye, and what we can expect from her highly anticipated wedding.
Clinique's Almost Lipstick in Black Honey
You’re a longtime, organic fan of Clinique’s Almost There Lipstick in Black Honey. It’s such an iconic product and collection. What do you love about it, and why do you keep coming back to it despite having tested so many beauty products over the years?
I love that you organically follow me because I’m sure you’ve seen me use it. It’s definitely been a staple of mine forever, so this campaign is beyond my wildest dreams. Originally, I stole it from my mom. My mom is very much a ‘no-makeup makeup’ girl, and I actually wear more makeup than her. When I stole it from her, I thought, ‘This is such a good product whether you’re not wearing makeup or you are wearing makeup.’ It was a fun entry into makeup because it’s hydrating and balmy, but it has color and is buildable. Now, it’s everywhere. I have one in my car, one in my purse, and one in my makeup bag.
Even if I’m not wearing makeup but want to look fresh and healthy, I’ll put it on. But if I want that perfect dark purpley shade of lip—which is honestly my lip color but better—I can layer it on with a lip liner. It’s very effortless but also very multifaceted. You can use it for so many different things.
I always say Almost Lipstick in Black Honey is one of the most versatile makeup products. Also, moms have the best beauty recommendations. They always have the simple, good things.
Yes, exactly. 100%.
Let’s say you’re short on time—you woke up late and have to be out of the house in five minutes or less. How are you using Almost Lipstick in Black Honey to create a quick makeup look?
I think doing your eyebrows, having a nice facial mist, and putting Almost Lipstick in Black Honey on your cheeks and lips is enough. If my eyebrows are brushed up, my skin is looking fresh, and I have Black Honey on, I feel like I’m good to go.
Do you have a favorite brow gel or face mist at the moment?
My favorite face mist… I feel like I use so many different ones. Honestly, I’ve been using Clinique’s Moisture Surge ($33) for years. It’s really, really good, and it’s nice because they have it in so many airports around the world. They usually have a Clinique in TSA, so I’ve bought Moisture Surge a million times while traveling.
I’ve actually been using a brow oil that’s meant for growth and fullness. I bought it at my local lash and brow place, and I’ve been using it to brush up my brows. I feel like it’s been making them look really healthy. People also use things like Vaseline and castor oil.
Those are all good. Using a brow serum to brush up your brows is a good hack. It makes them look good while also giving them the growth benefits. Clinique’s Almost Lipstick in Black Honey has a 55-year history, which is really impressive. What about it feels timeless to you?
I think the packaging feels really timeless. I think [Clinique’s] graphic identity and the way [the brand] has stayed true to itself are very authentic. I also love that it’s science-based and backed. Everyone feels comfortable using Clinique products because they’re universally known, loved, and have been around for so long.
Finally, I think it feels timeless to me because my mom used it, and because you can find it in so many places—at the airport, at the mall, or wherever you shop for beauty products. It’s accessible, which makes it feel classic and very American to me.
Speaking of timelessness, I feel like Dairy Boy captures a sense of timelessness in its design portfolio, and your home design and lifestyle content on YouTube does as well. How have your personal style and, especially, Dairy Boy’s brand identity evolved throughout the years? Do you intentionally try to capture that sense of timelessness?
Definitely. I think growing up in New England has given me so much source material to pull from and so many inspirational people to look to—whether that’s public figures, family members, women I grew up around, or just the people who shaped my taste over the years.
I feel like I was surrounded by so many beautiful properties. I rode horses a lot, spent a lot of time in Vermont, went to boarding school there, grew up going to Nantucket, and was born in Boston. I grew up all along the East Coast, and I’ve always seen the beauty in loving where you’re from and taking inspiration from those places.
I think the East Coast has a very classic, timeless sense of style that values things collected over time and things with history. Those are the things that inspire me a lot—in my brand, my home, and everything that I do.
I love that. It’s like that quote I always see: “You’re a collection of your favorite things.”
Yes, totally.
What’s next for Dairy Boy? Can we expect it to expand into any new categories, whether that’s home, lifestyle, or beauty?
We’ve been developing a perfume for about a year and a half, and I’m really excited about it and looking forward to launching it. I’m going to be wearing the scent on my wedding day, so that’s a category we’re really excited about.
That’s so exciting. Speaking of your wedding, I wanted to say congratulations. How have you approached the beauty element of the wedding? It can be a lot of pressure for people when they’re putting together their wedding look. Can you share any insight into the look you wanted to create or any inspiration you’ve drawn from?
That’s such a good question. I think because I’m both a creator and a consumer of content, I tried at the beginning of the wedding planning process—whether it was beauty or decor—to stay away from Pinterest. I think it’s good to collect a Pinterest mood board over the years, even before you’re engaged, of the things you love, and then put it away when it’s time to actually plan. I feel like I’ve seen enough. I’ve seen so many beautiful weddings and beautiful things, and I really wanted to put that mood board aside and create something that was completely ours.
It’s so easy now, with how many beautiful weddings you can find on Pinterest, not to create something that feels individual. I think the most special weddings, regardless of the beauty, the money, the dresses, or the looks, should just feel like the bride and groom. If you spend too much time looking at other people’s weddings, it won’t actually end up being a true reflection of the couple. That was challenging because there were so many decisions where I thought, “I would love to see how this looks, and I’m sure there’s a photo of it somewhere.”
I really tried to push myself with my dress, makeup look, and hair to do things that felt flattering to me and aligned with the things I know and love. I wanted to keep things simple, but also romantic and a little more whimsical. For the beauty side of things—from the skincare part of my wedding journey to my wedding makeup trial—I’ve just tried to keep things simple. I wanted to use the things I know and love and not try anything new.
That’s why working with Clinique around my wedding is such a dream. It’s also a sense of comfort on your wedding day to know that you’re using products you’ve already been using, that you love, and that you trust.
Absolutely. Wedding planning can be so overwhelming, and I think there are so many different avenues you can go down with beauty. I love the idea of keeping it simple and relying on your tried-and-true products to feel like yourself. I love your Pinterest hot take about having your board but not relying too heavily on it. Do you have any other wedding planning tips or tricks?
Yes. I would say if you’re going to spend money on anything, spend money on your planner. You cannot buy peace of mind. There’s no price on that. I would say cut back on other expensive things and invest in a good planner because if you can pass off your vision to someone who will execute it and you don’t have to micromanage, it allows you to enjoy this season of your life so much more.
Being a bride isn’t only about your wedding day. The entire year that you’re engaged—or for some people, multiple years—is such a beautiful season of life that you’ll hopefully never experience again. It’s so important to enjoy that process and not dread planning your wedding or feel like you have to micromanage every detail.
It’s universally known that brides get incredibly stressed during the year of their wedding. For me, my wedding planners were Easton Events, and they were the best of all time. They are expensive, but it was so worth it. They’re not just expensive because of the weddings they’ve done—they’re expensive because they have incredible organizational processes, detailed systems, programs, and technology they’ve invested in to make the wedding planning process easier for me and my entire family. That’s made a huge difference. Especially as a business owner, I’m like, “Oh my gosh, I’m sad that I won’t have meetings with them anymore because they’re so sharp.”
I can understand that. Peace of mind is the biggest thing. I want to know more about how you relate to Clinique’s The Difference Is You campaign. It celebrates individuality at its core. What does individuality mean to you, and how do you keep it central to everything you do—whether that’s content creation, Dairy Boy design, or your foundation? How do you celebrate your individuality?
I do that through my work. I love pouring myself into my work because, with owning a brand—especially a lifestyle brand—the more authentic and true to myself I’ve been, and the more I’ve gone back to my roots and stripped away any layers that weren’t me, the more I’ve been rewarded and the more I’ve found my community.
It’s really nice that, in my work, being authentic pays off. That’s been such a fun thing over the years. I love what I do for a living, and I feel like I’m able to be really self-expressive through that.
Totally. You’re in the public eye a lot as a businesswoman, brand founder, and content creator. What makes you feel confident, and what do you do to build your confidence on days when you might not be feeling your best?
I think confidence does come from within, but feeling and looking good and refreshed never hurts. If I’m not feeling my best, I’ll do an everything shower, get a facial, do my makeup and hair, and give myself a blowout. That usually helps a little bit.
I also spend time with my family, but I think that, for me, if I’m ever feeling off, it’s usually a sign that I’m not doing the things I love or spending enough time outdoors. It’s easy for me to recenter myself now that I live in Connecticut because I’m surrounded by so many of the things I love.
Speaking of Connecticut, since you moved back, has it influenced your beauty routine?
Yes, I would say everything is much simpler—my skincare routine, my beauty routine, everything in my life. I think that has contributed to my happiness.
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