Fresh Sugar Nude Tinted Lip Treatment Sunscreen SPF 15 Review & Swatches

Fresh Sugar Nude Tinted Lip Treatment Sunscreen SPF 15 was an impulse purchase when I was waiting in line at Sephora’s checkout during my recent makeup hauling trip. (The checkout aisle is the most dangerous place in store, I tell ya! All those miniature makeup looking up to you pleading to take them home. I cave pretty much 9 out of 10 times!) I didn’t have time to swatch the tester so I didn’t know what to expect. In my mind, I imagined it to be a sheer peachy brown type of nude that’s probably not going to show up on my pigmented lips but being a collector of Fresh Sugar Tinted Lip Treatments, I still wanted one. Read on to find out how Nude performs and whether I guessed it right color-wise!

Nude comes encased in the iconic Fresh Sugar Tinted Lip Treatment’s matte aluminum tube with a screw-on cap. The packaging is a step more luxury and secure than a typical lip balm’s click lock packaging. It has a signature sweet vanilla-lemon scent that is light and refreshing but it vanishes quickly post application.

Nude appears a really nice medium peachy beige nude color with plenty of gold shimmer in the tube but on my naturally pigmented lips, the peachy tone doesn’t translate well due to the sheer formula. What becomes apparent is the creamy and shimmery effect as my lips turn glowy and slightly frosty after application. I do like the finish. I think it makes my lips appear healthier and more youthful overall.

The peachy tone is amplified when you layer, but only slightly, as the emollient consistency doesn’t really allow the color to become fully opaque. The shimmery effect is, however, very buildable as you can get close to a near frosty-metallic finish with several coats. I normally like to apply only just a few coats, though, since I’m not much into super frosty lips myself. With a few coats, my lip color is adjusted to a slightly nude tone while still allowing my natural lip color to peek through. It sort of gives me a soft nude-ish lip look with subtle golden luminous glow rather than a full-on, one-dimensional nude that usually washes me out. I find Nude a good alternative to a full-on nude paired with a smokey eye. It’s also a nice and easy color to wear on a fresh-faced makeup kind of day.

Formula-wise, Nude is moisturizing, hydrating, and nourishing but not at the same level as other Sugar Tinted Lip Treatments such as Tulip or Rosé. It is drier in comparison and feel, perhaps due to the insane amount of shimmer. It still glides on easily and smoothly, though, but I’d be mindful not to cake it on as it can and will highlight vertical lip lines and dry flakes. I find lip exfoliating necessary for a flawlessly smooth application.

Natural and active ingredients

• Sugar to prevent moisture loss
• A blend of nourishing oils, including meadowfoam and black currant seed oils to moisturize
• Grapeseed oil to smooth, soften and protect lips from damaging free radicals
• SPF 15 protection from Octinoxate (7.49%) and Oxybenzone (2%)

Nude leaves lips feeling soft and smooth without that annoying sticky or greasy feel. I find the luminous sheen to help give my lips an illusion of a fuller and healthier lip as seen below. Wear time is somewhere between 1-2 hours which is short but expected from such color and formula. Reapplication will be needed later on in the day to maintain shine and moisture but at least it’s a foolproof color that you can reapply easily!

I have to say I am pleasantly surprised at how much I like Nude on me. It’s sheer enough to be worn anytime, nourishing enough to still promote healthy lips, and shimmery enough to give lips a believable gorgeous, luminous glow. If you want more color impact and shine, you’re probably better off with other colors in the line-up such as Tulip, Ruby, or Berry. But if you are feeling sheer and glowy, then I highly suggest Nude. :)

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