My Honest Fresh Lip Care Review

While Fresh is famous for its skincare formulas that emphasize botanical oils and floral scents, the brand also has a line of lip care products that may nourish your lips, remove dead skin, and add color and shine. The color options are a little limited, but with balms, oils and creams to choose from, it's easy to find your preferred shade and texture. Follow along on my lip care adventures with my honest, non-sponsored Fresh review.

Sugar Lip Polish Exfoliator

Sugar Lip Polish Exfoliator may smooth and exfoliate your lips with a blend of brown sugar, shea butter, grapeseed oil and jojoba oil. For best results, you'll apply this exfoliator and rinse it off no more than 2-3 times a week.

The reddish-brown shade and sweet, earthy fragrance reminded me of raisins, which is unusual but not necessarily bad. When I applied the exfoliator to my lips, the grainy, abrasive texture stung a little. Afterward, my lips felt softer and smoother, but some dead skin still lingered on the surface.

I thought that I hadn't used enough, so I decided to try again. A couple of weeks later, I used more of the product and took extra time scrubbing my lips. Unfortunately, I ended up with the same result: a little temporary smoothness, but no permanent relief. My lips also felt sensitive afterward.

If you're looking to prep your lips in the morning, this exfoliator may smooth and even out the texture before you apply lipstick. Otherwise, I'd reach for a moisturizer before I used this product again. I noticed some minor benefits, but it didn't offer intense hydration.

Sugar Recovery Lip Mask Advanced Therapy

Sugar Recovery Lip Mask Advanced Therapy uses berry wax, shea butter, activated sugar and hyaluronic acid filling spheres to soothe and revitalize your lips. You can apply this mask to your lips before bed or use it during the day when you need extra nourishment.

With a thick, waxy texture and a mildly sweet, fruity fragrance, this mask reminded me of lemon frosting. I decided to leave it on overnight and rinse it off in the morning. When I woke up, my lips felt plump, moist and a little sticky. Unfortunately, it didn't last long: once I'd brushed my teeth and gotten dressed, my lips were dry and flaky again.

The next evening, I decided to apply more of the mask and see what happened. In the morning, my lips felt soft and smooth. This time, the effects lingered throughout the day, so I guess you need to lay it on thick. It wasn't the most hydrated my lips had ever been, but this product offered a much-needed pick-me-up.

Sugar Melt Lip Cream (Watermelon Rind)

Sugar Melt Lip Cream is a liquid balm that adds color and shine to your lips. The formula includes activated sugar, verbena phyto-peptides, cold-pressed jojoba oil and hyaluronic filling spheres, which may smooth and nourish your lips over time.

I decided to start my trials with Watermelon Rind, which had a crisp watermelon scent, a thick, creamy formula and a hot pink hue. The cream felt rich and smooth on my lips, refreshing their appearance and giving them a pink shade with a glossy sheen. Plus, the lightweight formula kept my lips moisturized for the rest of the day, even when the color wore off.

Sugar Melt Lip Cream (Mango Pulp)

The Mango Pulp cream was similar to Watermelon Rind, but with a bright yellow hue and a refreshing mango scent that made me feel like I were smearing mango puree on my lips. While the color didn't stand out much, my lips had a bright, glossy sheen and plenty of hydration for the rest of the day. Rich and fruity, this cream would be perfect for your summer adventures.

Sugar Lip Treatment (Icon)

Sugar Lip Treatment offers a range of ingredients, including vitamins C and E, cranberry seed oil, grapeseed oil and activated sugar sourced from beet root and sugar cane, which may soften and hydrate your lips for up to 24 hours. This balm comes in multiple shades ranging from soft pink to deep maroon.

I love the color red, so I reached for the Icon stick. The balm was so hard and stiff that I felt like I were scraping a crayon across my lips. While the balm gave my lips a pink tint, the texture didn't change, and the color was lighter than I'd expected. My lips didn't feel particularly nourished, either.

After doing some research, I found numerous bad reviews across social media, so it looks like I'm not alone on this one. I think this balm tried to be a lipstick and a chapstick, and it failed on both counts. If you're looking for full coverage, Fresh's lip creams are much more hydrating and easier to apply.

Sugar Treat Lip Oil (Berry)

Sugar Treat Lip Oil includes squalane, activated sugar and fruit oils extracted from plum seed, grapeseed and black currant, which may smooth and hydrate your lips. Currently, this formula comes in three botanical-inspired shades.

Berry glided on like paint, leaving behind a rosy pink color with a light sheen. The overall look was clean and professional, and while the oil wore off after eating and drinking, my lips felt hydrated for the rest of the day. While your color options are limited, this product offers an easy treatment that doesn't take long to apply.

Sugar Treat Lip Oil (Rosé)

Rosé also had a paint-like texture. However, this oil was a little thin and hard to spread, and it didn't offer the best coverage, with the formula gathering around the edges. Still, the reddish-pink hue and bright, glossy sheen were undeniably eye-catching. The oil started to wear off after an hour, so prepare yourself for frequent touch-ups.

Overall Verdict

Fresh's lip creams and oils offered the best color, shine and benefits. The lip balm was hard to apply and didn't add much color, so I'd skip that one. If your lips need a touch-up, you might benefit from Fresh's lip mask and exfoliator, but they won't eliminate advanced dryness.

Are you a Fresh fan? If not, which beauty brands are your favorites? Let me know in the comments.