Do you have a skincare brand that you just adore? One that makes so many of your routine staples? For me, Fresh Beauty is one of those brands. Although some may criticize them for their somewhat overly-fragranced formulas and high prices, I’ve personally found these complaints pale in comparison to how the products make my skin feel. They offer a multitude of lines, from the Black Tea and Rose Hydration ranges to the luxurious Creme Ancienne. With so many products, it’s easy to find something to address your skin concerns.
In this blog post I’ll break down all the products from Fresh Beauty that I’ve tried, including all my holy grails (and some I didn’t love so much). Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Cleansers
Soy Face Cleanser
Full disclosure: the first time I tried this product, I was not impressed. I thought it was an overpriced, simple cleanser. But then, a few months later, Fresh released this limited edition packaging and the photographer in me decided to give it another go, if only to capture the pretty aesthetic.
But upon trying it again, I completely changed my tune! For some reason, it grew on me. It is a very simple cleanser, but that’s what makes it so great. It’s non-irritating, lightly lathers, and – most importantly for me – it removes all my eye makeup without giving me blurry vision! It’s gentle enough to use in the morning but I tend to reach for it as a second cleanse at night. Products like soy, cucumber and rose water make it a lightweight yet nourishing cleanser good for sensitive and dry skin. For those worried about fragrance, I find the light scent refreshing.
Sugar Strawberry Exfoliating Face Wash
I know, I know – physical exfoliants are bad! In general, that’s true. Scrubs can cause micro-tears on the skin, which is definitely no bueno.
However, this gentle scrub is made with white sugar crystals that, while small enough to slough off dead skin, are large enough to not be abrasive. The sugar is ensconced in a mixture of fruits and grapeseed oil so as to not irritate your face. You can also control how abrasive the scrub is by adding more or less water as you cleanse.
I love using this once a week mixed in with my morning cleanser to smooth out and brighten my complexion.
Seaberry Skin Nutrition Cleansing Oil
With a blend of oils including camelia, cranberry seed, grape seed and seaberry, Fresh Beauty’s cleansing oil is a solid first cleanser. I tested this on a wide variety of makeup, and it was effective at removing it. Personally, I prefer a balm cleanser for my first cleanse. But if you’re an oil fan, this hydrating & soothing option won’t do you wrong!
Scrub a Dub Dub! Fresh Beauty Physical Exfoliants
Sugar Face Polish Exfoliator
In addition to the Sugar Strawberry Scrub face wash, Fresh has a few other exfoliants. I’ve only tried the sugar face exfoliator and quite honestly, I wouldn’t go for this one. It’s almost the exact same as the sugar strawberry scrub. The only difference is the strawberry version is more nourishing and gentler on your skin. It’s nice enough but when the two products are so similar, you only need one.
My Favorite Part of Fresh Beauty: Their Masks!
Black Tea Instant Perfecting Mask
If I could only have one skincare product for the rest of my life, it would be this one. It is truly incredible. It instantly cools the skin when applied – like a slight tingle, but not a chemical tingle where you feel your skin getting burned off. It’s pleasant, like a minty fresh feeling but over your entire face. When removed (after ten minutes, or however long you want to leave it on), your skin appears smooth and plump. I make each jar stretch because a 3.3oz full size costs $92, but it’s absolutely worth it to me.
Rose Face Mask
With this product Fresh Beauty offers up a hydrating, lightweight gel mask infused with real rose petals. It uses a blend of cucumber, rose & aloe vera to cool and calm your complexion, while teas help to brighten. The rose scent is a plus!
I like this mask, but I don’t LOVE it. It’s a little sticky on the face if left on too long, and the hydrating benefits aren’t long lasting. I view it as a nice treat. But, if you can only pick one mask from Fresh, I’d go with another.
Creme Ancienne Ultimate Nourishing Honey Mask
Let’s make one thing clear. I do not think anyone needs to spend $153 on a wash off product. That’s crazy!
That being said, I do absolutely adore this mask. I am a huge fan of honey in skincare. Its healing and nourishing benefits for the skin are innumerable. When I use this mask, I feel like I’m applying super soft honey (without all the stickiness) to my face. The results are amazing – soft, nourished skin. I only pick this up during a sale, when I have a giftcard, to reduce the price as much as possible. Again, an amazing luxury that I love having in my routine, but not a necessity.
Lotus Youth Preserve Rescue Mask
If you’re too busy for a masking session, this might be the product for you! In just five minutes, this blend of kombu seaweed, red algae, and lotus seed powder gently buffs and refines the skin. It works so quickly and creates a noticeable difference in your skin’s tone and vibrancy.
I love using this either in the morning for a pick me up, or as a quick skin smoother before an event.
Rose Sleeping Mask
This product is the first of its kind that I have ever seen. A two-step sleeping mask, it begins with a lightweight rose essence, followed up with a gel cream that locks in all the hydration. It is wonderful for warm weather. Without weighing down the skin, you wake up with a hydrated, soft complexion. It’s become one of my favorite sleeping masks.
Toners, Mists & Essences
Rose Deep Hydration Toner
This toner delivers on what it promises: it hydrates my skin and helps prep it for the next few steps of my routine. But it has a massive problem: the freaking rose petals! Now, I love some flowers in my routine. But once you get about halfway down the bottle the petals clog up the very small opening for the toner to exit and it’s damn near impossible to get the product out! With how expensive this is, I don’t like wasting that much. For this reason, I prefer my Indie Lee COQ10 toner.
Vitamin Nectar Antioxidant Face Mist
This ultra-fine, ALCOHOL FREE (very important for those of us with dry/dehydrated/combo/sensitive – honestly any type of skin) mist works as a primer, makeup setting spray, or hydrating refresh. Personally I love to use this as a makeup setter because of the lack of alcohol and the glow it gives. It’s not a must have, but it’s very nice.
Black Tea Essence
So, the first thing I noticed about this essence is the nice cooling effect it has. It also has a bunch of fantastic ingredients! The antioxidants in it protect from both indoor and outdoor pollution – great if you live in a city! It also helps guard against blue light damage. The mandarin peel extract and kigelia africana fruit extract help to promote an even complexion and smooth texture.
While I enjoyed using this, after a few bottles I decided not to repurchase. It’s pretty pricey, and I didn’t see a significant difference in my skin. I find that essences aren’t must-haves for me – I’d rather spend money on serums and masks.
Serums
Vitamin Nectar Antioxidant Face Serum
This is the first and only serum I’ve tried from Fresh. I won it in a giveaway, and I’m honestly glad I did because… it didn’t really do anything. It claims to energize and smooth skin, but I didn’t notice any brightening or nourishing effects. It smelled nice! But other than that it just felt like I was putting orange water on my skin.
I’m hoping to try out some of Fresh’s other serums to see if they work better for me!
Eye Serums & Creams
Black Tea Firming Eye Serum and Age-Delay Eye Concentrate
I’m combining this review because I used these two products together while I had them in my stash.
The serum is a lovely eye product – I tend to prefer serums for my eye care because they’re lighter and soak in easier. This really helped firm up my under eye area.
The eye concentrate was a nice plus because I felt like it helped with my dark circles. Going forward, I would probably use both in conjunction, but the eye serum alone is enough to see results.
Lip Care
Sugar Lemon Hydrating Lip Balm
I love lip balms (I have wayyyyy too many) but this one is probably my favorite. It tastes like lemon bars, and makes your lips feel super soft and hydrated. I have a feeling I’m going to be adding a lot more Fresh lip products to my collection. The other flavors are all amazing too, and I just keep adding to my stash!
Final Thoughts
My Fresh Beauty collection is quite extensive, and has been for some time. This demonstrates just how well the brand has worked for my skin. I’ve found so many products I adore from their line that I now consider holy grails.
However, this brand is on the pricier side. As I discuss in this article, luxury skincare isn’t a necessity. There are many brands whose products would offer similar benefits at more accessible prices. While I love Fresh, don’t feel pressured to buy them if other brands are more in line with your budget! The great thing about skincare is it can meet you where you’re at.
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