When you can chart your history with a brand over a decade, then I think it’s fair enough to say it’s made an impact. That’s where I am with Fresh. Founded in 1991 by Lev Glazman and Alina Roytberg in Boston, it’s the perfect combination of beauty products for pleasure and results. I’ve been on a bit of Fresh Refresh to meet some new products and reacquaint myself with favourites.
My first real connection with Fresh was in the 1990s when Naomi Campbell was reported to be buying Fresh Brown Sugar Body Polish by the bucket load – true or not, we can’t say that she doesn’t have gleaming pins and I was very keen to get in on that! So, my first Fresh product delivered so luxuriously and beautifully that I’ve never lost my love for the brand. I won’t say I got super model legs, but oh, if you ever want the most deliciously sloughed and buffed shins that feel like silk with a gorgeous gleam to them, you won’t be disappointed. Brown sugar is a good example of the natural ingredients Lev and Alina were amongst the first to pioneer – before this product, it was like, “Sugar? On my body?”.
Today, I’m running through my Fresh favourites – new and old – with a BBB exclusive offer at the bottom of the post in case you feel tempted.
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First up, Fresh Soy Face Cleanser. This gentle cleanser has a texture that feels almost like a gel, but the more you massage it around your skin, the richer it starts to feel. It has the freshest smell of cucumber and leaves skin feeling clean and bright without any dryness. The name gives away that soy proteins form a part of this cleanser, but rosewater and Borage seed oil contribute to the overall effect. Because I’m mad for a double cleanse at the moment, I’ve partnered this with Rose Cleansing Foam which is a very soft, rosewater infused foam with a gentle lather that, again, doesn’t strip the skin. I use a Konjac for removal, but a face cloth is fine and if you do a morning cleanse, Rose Cleansing Foam is ideal for that fresh but non-stripping skin pep.
If you prefer an oil based cleanse, Seaberry Skin Nutrition Cleansing Oil is one of the best I’ve tried in a very long time – light on the skin, removes all make up gently and leaves the complexion supple and perfectly clean.
After the success of the body polish, a more refined version for the face was a natural fit. Fresh Sugar Face Polish smells lemony-happy and uses the natural smoothing quality of fine sugar, combined with strawberry seeds and emollient meadowfoam seed oil and to leave skin silky smooth. A little goes a long way, so don’t be tempted to be over-generous. To use the sugar polish, which is a paste in texture, leave it on the skin for a good five minutes before massaging away with warm water. That way, you’ll get both an enzymatic exfoliation as well as a physical one. It’s a good one for an instant glow-getter, particularly post-winter. There’s a whole sugar based lip routine which I’ll cover in a separate post, but Sugar Lip Treatment is the entry point for many people discovering the Fresh brand – it’s one of their best sellers.
The Black Tea Instant Perfecting Mask is fairly new to me, but it’s a keeper. The texture is whippy as a cloud with a brisk, cucumber scent, and it’s laden with antioxidants thanks to the Black Tea. In fact, there are natural ingredients in the Instant Perfecting Mask that I haven’t found elsewhere yet – even the black tea is a fermented version (Kombucha) and sits alongside lychee seed extract, hyaluronic acid and polysaccharides. You truly will notice a difference in skin suppleness and lustre – with less roughness and all day hydration. Again, don’t be over generous – you need a film to get the benefits and not a thick layer. It’s no surprise at all that this mask is a make-up artist favourite for getting pre-shoot skin glowing.
Many of the Fresh products are age-inclusive but Lotus Youth Preserve Cream, as you might guess is targeted at mature or very dry skin. In general, the Fresh philosophy is to speak to the skin, not the age, and much as I’m not that keen on the name, I can’t deny that it’s a super hydrating, complexion softening treat. If you are looking to significantly up the moisture levels of your skin, you will. I have used this for two nights consecutively and haven’t needed a moisturiser in the morning. It’s one of the few face hydrators I’ve come across that claims 24 hour moisture and actually delivers it. Lotus Cream contains the Fresh Super 7 Complex. Yes, before you wonder further, I’m going to list that seven! Lotus flower extract, blue-green algae extract, hibiscus fruit extract, fig fruit extract, vitamins C and E and vegetable glycerol.
And finally, Fresh Sake Bath. I think this was my second Fresh product from all those years ago. It became notorious for its sake fumes and a very happy bath time for anyone who dipped into the 50% sake mix. It’s foaming and hydrating with an indisputable sweet sake scent to it with a dash of peach and is a good example of Lev and Alina’s ability to take global influences and lock them into a luxury product. I noticed that when I topped up the hot water, the fragrance got a second life, too. This is all of the pleasures! Use a shot glass amount in hot water (this is no time to be tepid). Sake is said to be detoxifying and skin softening but ten minutes steeping in this, you really won’t care 🙂 .
Use Code FRESHBBB to receive a (generous) sample size of Soy Face Cleanser with any purchase and free P&P – this offer is good until Midnight 17th February GMT. Fresh is HERE.
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