first impressions: sugar lip treatment

the little gift box it came in

as my birthday is coming up, sephora gifted me with a mini lip duo from sugar. in this tiny box contained a regular but cult-favorite sugar lip treatment spf 15 and a tinted version of it. they both are 2.2g / 0.08oz, which is not that bad for minis. i think the average chapstick is about 3 - 4g of product anyways.

very very very nice packaging!

the packaging is definitely the nicest lip balm packaging i've ever had... or felt. i'm not really sure what it's made of, but it's very sturdy and isn't a pull-off cap! i found that to feel really... luxurious? not sure what word would describe it, but it just feels really nice quality. what i really like is that the top half doesn't end close to where the balm actually is. i find that most lip balms that do that tend to get hairs, dust, and lint stuck in them, which really makes it gross to use. i usually have to dig it out with my nails which is even more gross!

screw-off cap

truth be told, the scent of the balm reminds me of nestle instant sweet tea. but just watered down. it's not a bad scent, and i actually enjoy it a lot. it doesn't last very long, though. they don't list the ingredients on the box i have, but i'm sure you can see what they are if you check the sugar website or sephora.

the actual product!

the balm itself is really moisturizing when you apply it. it doesn't feel like you're packing on a lot of balm as i find with the eos lip balms. it feels really smooth, like a balm really should, or at least how i prefer mine! it's not exactly slippery, but it's not heavy and tacky either. it's actually how i prefer my balms to be, so this pleases me very much! there isn't a gloss or shine when they're applied, but it does give your lips a small shine / glow. i'm really happy with that! the moisture has lasted me for a couple hours, or at least the product has sat on my lips for that long. i actually just wiped off the product that was sitting on my lips to see how much my lips absorbed... and i can say they feel nicely moisturized. they don't feel super soft or anything, but they definitely feel as though they're hydrated (which they're not... heh).

swatches (top: sugar rose tinted lip treatment spf 15 | bottom: sugar lip treatment spf 15 )

so above are some swatches (duh! haha) of the balms. they appear to have a shimmery cast in my photos, but that's just the balm reflecting off the wrinkles in my hand (what can i say, my hands are active creatures..). as you can see, the tinted lip balm isn't pigmented whatsoever. it has the slightest hair of a tint of rose. it doesn't provide any coverage of your natural lip color, but rather adds a rosey hint to your own lips, which i like. it makes them look a little more perked and, well, glowy.

xo