Fresh Sugar Plum Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15

Several years ago, Fresh had a very successful lip balm called the Sugar Lip Treatment, it is hydrating and clear while also smelling like homemade cookies.  It is still one of their top selling products as are many of the products in the Sugar line.  Within the past few years, that lip treatment has spawned a series of balms made with the same great formula yet contain a tint in order to match the makeup trends of the seasons.  We have already looked at the first version of the tinted lip balm, the Sugar Rose which contains a sheer rosy red hue.  Today we are looking at the Sugar Plum tint, the one that is most suited to the fall and winter seasons with its deep berry hue.

I have always been a fan of tinted lip balms, my lips get dry very easily throughout the whole year and this is one of the few ways that I'm not trying to deal with the use of two products throughout the day.  If I wear a deep lipstick shade, I have to bring a balm with me in my bag and reapply it delicately throughout the day (over whatever lipstick shade I am wearing) in order to keep my lips hydrated and nice looking.  Tinted lip balms are also a great product to use in the morning when I am running late and don't have the full amount of time to spend getting ready.  A neutral eye shadow and a tinted lip balm are really great ways to quickly create a polished, professional look that can get me to work on time.

"A lip treatment that moisturizes, repairs, and protects the lips while imparting a deep plum tint.  Fresh Sugar Plum Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15 offers sheer coverage or buildable color and is the perfect partner to the best selling Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15.  It's formulated with sugar, a natural humectant that prevents moisture loss, and a superior blend of nourishing oils and protective waxes to soften and smooth dry lips.  Anti-oxidant rich vitamins also work to defend against wrinkle causing free radicals.  It also provides essential year-round protection from damaging UV rays with SPF 15.", states the Sephora website. 

The Sephora website also provides the inspiration for the product, right from the Fresh co-founder, Alina Roytberg.  "'On a recent summer vacation, we spent time on a farm in France where there was a magnificant plum orchard that stretched to the horizaon - plum trees as far as the eye could see.  At first light, the sun would stream through the orchard, warming the irresistable, juicy plums.  Ripe for the picking, I tasted one and was surprised at how at the deep, dark skin of the plum gave way to a translucent burgundy pulp.  Inspired by this unveiling, I created Sugar Plum Lip Treatment SPF 15, a dark bullet that delivers a mysteriously sheer and utterly sensuous tint.'"

I have played with all of these at the Sephora counter and this is the one that I ended up buying the last time that I was there.  It goes on smoothly and keeps my lips hydrated all day.  With one coat, the shade is a soft berry tint but after multiple coats, it can build all the way to a true plum tint.  I usually try to keep it soft but as I reapply it throughout the day, I have built it all the way up without even realizing it.  This shade is the most pigmented of the whole line so this is a best one for a lipstick lover to try first, the others could be a bit disappointing if you prefer more of a tint on your lips.

My least favorite part about this product is that it does need to be reapplied more frequently than many other forms of lip products.  However, that is the nature of a tinted lip balm, they are not long lasting and will need to be reapplied throughout the day.  Personally, I still find a tinted lip balm formula to last longer than many of the lip glosses on the market today. 

Tinted lip balms are a great choice in the fall and winter months when my lips get dry and chapped and adding lipstick or gloss can only make them worse.  This one is one of my favorites since it quite pigmented and can still create a polished professional look without much effort. 

photo courtesy of Sephora