TL;DR lovely, but points off for durability
Fresh Sugar Lip Balm Sunscreen SPF 15 in Petal, Poppy, Rosé and Fig
A Deeper Look
Ahhh, Fresh. The OG. The originators of “lip balm is not just for tweens biding their time until they can convince their mothers that they are old enough for lipstick.” Fresh made lip balm cool again. It’s hard to come across a balm convert these days who doesn’t have a soft spot in their hearts for this one. And that includes me.
The Fresh Sugar(RED) was my first big girl lip balm purchase, a $26 splurge for a sweet (read: “sugar”y) lip moisturizing experience that ended too soon. [Side note: I am a complete sucker for anything that peddles a cause.] I loved the balm before even trying it — the shiny painted tube, its magnificent fire-engine coat, the limited edition’s philanthropic cause. I was hooked. Before I knew it, I had purchased three more.
Unfortunately, the balm’s velvety texture and honeyed, though variable, fragrance are undermined by its fragility. The ingredients that make the balm so soft also render it easily crushable (which, for aggressive balm appliers comme moi, hastens its demise considerably). The elements that effectuate its smoothness also cause it to be merely semisolid in structure, leading the sugary concoction to wantonly smear across your lips. This is neither professional nor cute. The trial/travel-sized version solves the durability problem somewhat (less surface area, natch) but not so much the smearing flaw, alas.
Despite its long-lasting nature and tint options for days, this one doesn’t justify the price.
Important: Clean at Sephora, Paraben-Free, Contains SPF
The Perfect Balm 