Fresh Icon Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15 Review & Swatches
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Fresh Icon Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15 ($24.00 for 0.15 oz.) is a muted, medium red with warm undertones and a soft sheen. It had semi-sheer, buildable coverage (up to medium) that delivered a noticeable tint to my natural lip color. The texture was emollient with a true balm-like feel that melted slightly as the product warmed up against my lips during application. The tint applied evenly without emphasizing my lip lines, and the product itself was very lightweight and not overly emollient/slippery.
The light shine lasted for two hours or so, while the tint lasted closer to three hours before fading noticeably, but it faded evenly and was easy to re-apply without a mirror (as one might want from a tinted lip balm). It was lightly hydrating over the longer haul but felt more nourishing when it was on. The formula runs softer and is more prone to melting, so I’d be careful about placing it in high heat and just being aware during application so as not to over-apply (and then finishing the product unnecessarily quickly!).
Top Dupes
- NARS Start Your Engines (P, $26.00) is more shimmery, lighter, more pigmented (85% similar).
- ColourPop City of Stars (P, $7.00) is lighter, more pigmented (85% similar).
- Tom Ford Beauty Anne (LE, $36.00) is more shimmery, more pigmented (85% similar).
- MAC Understanding (LE, $19.00) is more shimmery, more pigmented, warmer (85% similar).
- Dior Diorosphere (649) (P, $37.00) is more shimmery, more pigmented, glossier (85% similar).
- Cle de Peau Camellia (P, $65.00) is more shimmery, more pigmented, warmer (85% similar).
- NARS Niagara (P, $26.00) is lighter, more pigmented (85% similar).
- Smashbox LA Sunset (P, $21.00) is more shimmery, brighter, more pigmented (85% similar).
- YSL Orange Crepe (82) (P, $38.00) is darker, more pigmented (80% similar).
- NARS Living Doll (P, $26.00) is more shimmery, lighter, more pigmented (80% similar).
Ingredients
Until now, I didn’t realize that these packed some serious pigment. I had just assumed that they would be super sheer and I imagined quite shiny. Wrong on both of my assumptions! This looks quite nice.
There seems to be a range of tint level (I think the ones that have “Tinted” in the same are a bit sheerer), but I haven’t tried many (this might be my first or second…) of the tinted ones in awhile!
There are definitely varying degrees of opaque in some of the Fresh Sugar lip treatments. The original Rose is very sheer, as are most of the colors. I can say the Petal (a warm pink), the Honey, and the Nude are thicker and more opaque than the others I have tried. I didn’t care for those shades as much, leaning towards fair with pink undertones myself.
My favorites are Berry, a pretty purple, and Cherry, a blue toned red. In the past year, Fresh has discontinued many cool toned colors in their lip treatments and added warm tones. Cherry, Ruby (a deep blue-red with gold shimmer), and Fig (a cool purplish brown) appear to be gone from the lineup, but Coral, Spice, and Icon were added, all warm shades. Plum, the second color introduced after Rose, was eliminated, but Fresh added Blackberry, a limited edition color which is similar.
I think this would be very useful all year round to protect your lips from whatever weather is out there, especially if you work outdoors. A very decent amount of pigment too in the lip balm. I guess I would like the SPF factor to be higher.
Fresh is definitely in my rear view mirror. They started here in Boston with a great boutique on Newbury St., in the 90s. Loved the l/s, eyeshadows, and their few blushes. They had a wide range of their own scents. Now, it’s s/c and lip balms. Their use of Octinoxate (ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate) leaves me out completely. It’s my perfect example of how ‘organic‘ does not mean better. I hope everyone who has to use titanium/zinc (physical) sunscreen is aware that all Fresh lip products use chemical sunscreen.
Mmmmmf. I’ve been finding my taste in lip products has shifted from slapping on matte liquid lipstick that lasts all day through meals and what not, not caring if my lips are chapped, to wanting more moisturizing products and not caring if I need to reapply. It may be due in part to quitting smoking (yay) or winter (dry). SPF is an extra bonus I hadn’t considered. I may need this in my life…
Hi Christine, I’ve been wanting to ask you a question, but don’t know where so I’ll ask here: what highlight/blush are you wearing in the section ‘ABOUT THE REVIEWER’?
Sorry, I don’t remember!
Because I am down with a virus and have nothing better to do, I went ahead and found it for you: The picture is from her review of the Dose of Colors iluvsarahii collection. The cheek combo is “Sol Mate” with “Bathe” on top. Unfortunately they were limited edition and sold in the summer of 2018, but now you know where to start if you want to find something similar in the dupe list.
Wow, thank you!!!