40 Days and 40 Nights of Beauty Brands

Day 13, Fresh

Storybookheroine: Everyday I use something from Fresh. Sugar Deodorant, Sake Hair Cream, Creme Ancienne, even my daily SPF for the face. I wear their perfumes, use their bubble baths and soap, burn their candles. It’s amazing the variety of products that Fresh has to offer. Using the concept of mixing old world ingredients with todays technology, Fresh was founded in 1991 by husband and wife, Lev Glazman and Alina Roytberg, and has something for everyone. Their products perform well, smell amazing (even the SPF), and are beautifully and creatively packaged and named. Eye shadow palettes look like watercolor trays and smell of green tea, bubble bathes come in beautiful clear blown glass bottles fit to display in any bathroom and the perfumes look like an apothecary would use them for remedies. Until now I did not realize how much Fresh plays a roll in my daily life and it a nicer, better smelling one for it!

I have a long standing palette fetish that extends from cosmetics to watercolors and Fresh six pans satisfy both obsessions. Palettes come in varying of colors, each one sporting a different themed design. Inside is a very large mirror, six coordinated shadows made with Polynesian crushed pearl and antioxidant rich green tea, a small but high quality brush and a tiny water well to apply shadows wet (just like watercolors!). The colors are well matched, super versatile and have the most unique glowing shimmer. The shimmer does not make your eyes look crinkly or wrinkled as some shimmery shadows do, instead they glow and have a sheen that is light and eye catching. No matter what combination I try, it works. They melt together for a seamlessly blended, glowing, polished look.

The palettes themselves tell a story through their colors and well thought out names: Stage Door, the anticipation and sophisticated glamor of opening night at the theater; Roman Holiday visits a romantic jet set to the Italian seaside in 50’s Rome, soaking in the sun and exploring the sea and small towns; Victorie tells the story of a torrid romance set in Victorian times and Winter Picnic reminds me of warm woolen blankets, european winter, snow falling lightly on flowers and the smell of fresh earth. I wish I could discuss all of these in detail (and other products) but this is a review, not my personal Fresh manifesto, so I will narrow it down to my favorite two of the four palettes.

The colors in Stage Door are varied, beautiful and so basic. No matter what combinations I apply they all work. It is possible to use all six at once without looking overdone or silly. The colors are: Night Orchid (shimmering champagne ivory), Russet Curtain (gorgeous shimmering russet), Evening Cloak (blue grey with gold shimmer, fantastic color for sexy smokey eyes), Swamp Lily (soft pearly green with shimmer), Doll’s Wardrobe (light rosy pink with a hint of peach) and Stage Door (nude shimmering mauve). What I like best about these colors is you put them together and you get the prettiest subtle shimmering eye that glows. So many looks are possible, from a nude eye to a dramatic smokey one, it is one of my most basic and beautiful palettes. I love to wear this with Fresh Ivory Dust blush or NARS Oasis and NARS Tamango lipstick.

Roman holiday, a light blue palette decorated with a trio of orange umbrellas, contains beautiful sun drenched hues of Italian ruins by the sea. It’s so pretty. Every time I open it I feel whisked away to Italy in the 40’s or 50’s large brimmed hat in hand. I think of worn steps leading to the sand, the sun shinning down on the sea. I know it sounds silly but I feel it captures the feeling of a roman holiday so well. The colors are: Barefoot Contessa (creamy ivory shimmer), Campari in the Piazza (soft golden bronze), Solare (butter yellow with gold), Mare (teal with a prismatic shimmer effect), Spanish Steps (deep brown bronzy shimmer) and Dolce (barely-there taupe shimmer that is so soft and beautiful on). With Roman Holiday, I can go from a very nude to basic neutral eye all the way to a bronze or teal smokey eye. Again the amazing thing about these shadows is the colors are so sheer and shimmery you can wear blue or yellow and not feel like you over did it. I love to pair this with Fresh’s Here Comes the Sun palette and a gloss like Fresh Gloss Absolute in Bellini.

I want to leave you with a quick list of must tries----

Here Comes the Sun Bronzing Palette- contains two face lustres, a gold and a bronze, and a coral blush, Here Comes the Sun. This takes all the guess work out of bronzers and leaves you sun kissed and glowing. A must have for summer

Gloss Absolute- cutest little round flowered compacts a with mirror tucked inside. Super hydrating and glossy, comes in 4 sheer colors

Creme Ancienne moisturizing cream- expensive but a little goes a long way. Heaven sent for dry or mature skin and smells fabulous (buy this during a GWP to make it less painful)

Soy Face Wash- non drying and safe for washing away eye makeup

Sugar Face Polish- a scrub and hydrating mask in one

Sake Bath- luxurious bubble bath made with 50% Sake

Sake Hair Cream- smoothes hair without being heavy and the smell is to die for

Cannabis Santal Eau De Parfum- unisex, warm and comforting

I hope you enjoy Fresh as much as I do!

Cavewoman: When I was checking my cosmetics storage and vanity table to see what I wanted to write about for the Fresh review, I was surprised to see how many things I have from this line. I know very little about Fresh, other than the fact that the pressed powder products (shadows, blushes, and finishing powders) are made in Canada, and the fragrances, foundation, primer, concealer, and other skincare items are made in France. Then there is the Creme Ancienne, which comes from a monastery in the Czech Republic. I wonder if the monks take a vow of silence as they stir vats of this cream!
My favorite Fresh product is the most versatile little pot of pressed powder. Fresh calls it a Blush Powder, but to me, Ivory Dust is a multi-purpose cosmetic that adds light and luminosity, and I have used it not just as a blush, but as an overall finishing powder, a highlighter, and an eyeshadow as well. The color is a pale, cool beige with pink-and golden iridescence, not so evident in the pot, but definitely glowy when applied. Any time a product is described as 'luminous' or 'glowy' I am right there with my wallet. My favorite way of using Ivory Dust is to apply it over another blush. It gives a very natural -- fresh -- look and also lightens and brightens any blush worn under it. I like that the pot is small, because it requires the use of a smaller brush, and that means better control over where the product is applied. The compacts for the blushes and pressed powders are silver, with a screw-off lid that hides a mirror inside. Not the most convenient container for touch-ups during the day if you're away from home, but sturdy and easy to clean.
Fresh Cosmetics are not readily available in my area. I can find the skincare items and some of the fragrance products at our Cleveland Sephora, but I have only seen Fresh color cosmetic counters at Barney's in New York, and Sephora Times Square. These two counters are always on my list of stops when I'm planning a New York day. Occasionally, if I'm lucky, I'll see Fresh eyeshadow palettes at Anthropologie. Wherever you're able to find Fresh, take a look, it's all very lovely.

Annieytown: I think my friends are going to be able to guess which Fresh product I am going to write about.

It is infamous in our circle.

It is hard to say who it was that picked up that glorious gloss tube. Was it Chattykathy or Andrea? My memory is fuzzy after all these years.

Whoever it was... sparked the great gloss lemming of 2003.

Fresh's Satine is a cool toned raspberry color that manages to look lovely on various skin tones. It looks amazing on red heads, Bergdorf blondes and raven beauties. It gives a lovely flush to the lips that is both flattering and easy to wear. The gloss formula has exceptional shine, pigment and staying power.

Available at Beauty.com for $20

http://www.fresh.com/html/new/whatsnew.shtml

What are your favorite Fresh products? Let us know in the comments!

All photos from Storybookheroine

Disclosure: All products in the review were purchased by the reviewers.