by Chrissy Iley
I suffer from lip dehydration. In a big way. They peel, they bubble, and they are not good lips.
Of course I am constantly applying lip balm. I have a different brand of lip balm in every pocket, handbag, gym bag, carry-on, large suitcase. I never want to run out. I can go through a whole tube in about two days. Yet there isn`t a brand that actually works to stop them peeling.
This is probably because I like to wear lip colour. Intense colour, that no matter how creamy it is, accelerates the dehydration. MAC lipstick destroys. Chanel, Dior, YSL, Sue Devitt have all helped kill my lips. Bobbi Brown has a range of creamy lip colours and sheer lip colours that they can just about survive. Tom Ford has a range of intense colour that is also moisturising. Dolce & Gabbana and even my beloved NARS all cause lip pain.
I can do a lip scrub and all that does is make my lips sore. I have also given up wearing lip pencils because of their drying effect.
And here comes the vicious circle. The dryer the lip the less full, so the more I am attracted to volume enhancing lips, like the Moxie range from Bare Minerals. You put it on and you feel it tingle as it plums and half an hour later everything that was plumped before peels. This brings me to Fresh lip products.
I have always quite liked them but the Fresh Sugar Lip Serum Advanced Therapy is quite amazing.
On the box it tells you it nourishes smoothes and defines. It actually does more than that. It plumps and softens. It makes your lips plush.
Its ingredients include avocado, camellia seed, black current seed oil and vitamin E, and most potently Acmella flower. This is often referred to as a natural botox, having a relaxing effect on the muscles thus reducing the appearance of deep wrinkles.
What it does here is plump up because it keeps moisture locked in and also magically smoothes. It is a serum so you use it under moisturiser or lip balm. The look is almost instant. You don’t need to apply very much, it has a slightly translucent texture, it is not sticky or thick, you feel it seeping into your lips but not in the way of a lip plumper that often stings like a venom and tingles and burns so you know your lips being destroyed as they are plumped. This is quite the reverse. You feel them heal.
I am sure if works very nicely with the Fresh Sugar Tinted Lip Balm. I have some of those lurking in pockets and bags but it works just as well with any old balm. It is seriously hydrating.
It could work so well that I might consider revisiting the Mac and the Chanel and the Dolce & Gabbana dark red shades that lurk in my bathroom….. but then I might destroy all the good I have done. It is certainly tempting.
It says that it is age defying. I am sure it is. But I would say it is rather ageless; anyone who has dry lips needs this. Anyone who wants to have plumper, softer lips will find an instant improvement.
It’s currently only available in the states, but if you can put up with the shipping costs, get it here.