I think everyone was super psyched when this year's Sephora birthday gift was announced at the end of last year. I know I was, at least! I've heard pretty much nothing but good things about the Fresh lip balms, but at $22.50 apiece, they're just too expensive for me to want to purchase if I'm not sure they'll work out. Enter the birthday duo!
 |
| Fresh Sugar Rosé and Original Lip Treatments |
 |
| Rosé (left) and Original (right) |
The original Fresh Sugar lip treatment is a clear balm that melts upon contact with lips. It has a rather strong lemony scent, though with my ongoing cold I haven't really noticed it much, and it seems to fade pretty quickly. The balm, however, lasts a good long while, and I personally find it to be nicely moisturizing. I've been applying it before bed and waking up with nice soft lips, but what I really love it for is pre-lipstick prep; I apply it before I get started on my makeup, let it settle in for the ~20 minutes it takes me to get dressed and ready and blot the remaining off, and it gives a really nice smooth surface for my lip product of the day.
 |
| Rosé swatched, one swipe, on back of hand |
Rosé is a very,
very subtly pink-tinted balm in the same formula. I honestly can't tell the difference between wearing it and the original on my lips, as Rosé provides basically no color on my somewhat-pigmented lips, but like the original it has a nice texture, is moisturizing and pretty long-lasting (~2 hours, though my lips feel nice and soft for another hour after it's worn off), and has the same lemon scent.
The packaging on these is
great. The brushed metal tube looks sleek and classy and never gets fingerprinty or scratched up, and the screw-on lid is ingenious––no risk of it coming apart in a purse! The only problem I have with the packaging is that, at least for these little minis, the product has a tendency to wiggle from its center position, so I have to be sure not to rotate it up any higher than absolutely necessary lest I squish it against the side of the tube. I don't know if that's a problem for the full sizes, as the stick of product is roughly twice as large in those, but it's something to be aware of.
Bottom line? I like them. I don't want to pay $22.50 for them, at least not in these colors, but I will gladly use them both up!
$22.50 for 0.15 oz, available from Sephora
Disclaimer: I received these as the free Beauty Insider birthday gift from Sephora, as can you if you tell them your birthday! Whee.
