Fab or flub? Clinique’s new lip duo promises the perfect pout

The start of a new year comes with the promise of lots of new beauty products.

Among the 2016 offerings, Clinique’s Sweet Pot Sugar Scrub and Lip Balm ($19.50, Sephora) caught my eye.

Part of Clinique’s product launch for Spring 2016, this dual-sided lip treatment helps users save space in their makeup bags by combining a lip scrub and tinted lip balm in one easy-to-carry pot.

Whether you struggle with dry, cracked lips or just like to keep your pout looking fresh, this 2-in-1 product promises to keep lips smooth and moisturized year-round.

First impression

One look at Clinique’s Sweet Pot Sugar Scrub and Lip Balm makes it easy to explain why the product appealed to me.

Available in six flattering shades (including Clinique cult-favorite Black Honey), the duo lip product comes in an adorable macaron-shaped pot with lip scrub on one side and lip balm on the other. For this review, I chose a pretty pink shade, Pink Framboise.

Unlike other sugar scrubs I’ve tried, Clinique’s Sweet Pot Sugar Scrub is made with smaller granules and is less abrasive. It did a fine job of removing dead skin as I ran my scrub-covered finger back and forth over my lips.

Once I was finished smoothing out my lips, I removed the lip scrub with a tissue (per the instructions on the product’s box). It turned out to be much easier to remove and less messy than other lip scrubs.

After prepping my lips with the sugar scrub, I moved on to the tinted lip balm.

To apply the balm, users can either use their fingers or (for a more sanitary option) a lip brush. The lip balm is extremely lightweight and does not feel greasy or sticky on the lips.

Despite being tinted, it remains very sheer, and one layer almost looked colorless on my lips. Fortunately, it builds up and, after a few more swipes, the product’s color came through.

Fab or flub?

Fab-ish.

From its eye-catching packaging to the six cheery hues it comes in, Clinique’s Sweet Pot Sugar Scrub and Lip Balm are sure to brighten up even the dreariest makeup bag.

Designed to deliver a 1-2 punch for dry, cracked lips, the product’s lip scrub did a wonderful job of removing dead skin cells from my lips to reveal a smoother, perkier pout.

The lip balm portion of the product was very hydrating, and I liked how it left my lips soft and supple — minus any grease or stickiness.

There is one slight thing about the product that kept it from scoring a home run with me, however. While it comes in six fabulous shades, the lip balm leaves behind little color on the lips. Strangely enough, the lip scrub (which is also tinted) left my pout looking a rosier pink than the lip balm.

Even so, I was pleased with the product’s overall performance and plan on picking up a few shades to send to my mom for Valentine’s Day.

This story was originally published January 15, 2016 at 12:53 PM with the headline "Fab or flub? Clinique’s new lip duo promises the perfect pout."