A Flake-Free Pout: Comparing French Girl Rose Lip Polish and Olio E Osso Lip Scrub

It’s the first day of winter today here in the northern hemisphere – which means it’s the first day of the season of cracked hands, itchy scalp, and chapped lips.

In preparation for all the excessive moisturizing to come, I recently decided that I should add a lip scrub to my routine, in addition to making every effort to stay hydrated and applying more lip balm than usual. The market is flooded with products at every price range, and my goal when purchasing just about anything is finding the best product at the best price point – or the product I consider the best value. It’s important to note that this doesn’t mean I’m looking for the cheapest product; it means I’m looking for the highest-quality product that best suits my needs without overspending.

This post is not sponsored or affiliated with any of the brands mentioned here, and I purchased the two products I'm reviewing today out of pocket; however, this post does contain commissionable links and I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase (at no additional cost to you).

Easily available products range from this $4 lip exfoliator from e.l.f. to a $120 face + lip scrub from Dior. And of course, if I really wanted to save money, I could also consider making my own. I have enough on my plate at the moment though, so I decided to outsource this beauty purchase.

After far too much scrolling and reading way too many reviews, I finally landed on two mid-price products: the Lip Scrub from Olio E Osso, and the Rose Lip Polish from French Girl. Both are priced at $20 and feature a list of recognizable ingredients, yet the exfoliating ingredient differs. The scrub from Olio E Osso includes ground olive pits and coffee beans as its scrubbing agent, and the polish from French Girl uses sugar instead. They’re even both made in the Pacific Northwest, here in the US. Instead of making an apples-and-oranges decision, I simply purchased both.

To compare the two products, I spent two weeks using just one of the scrubs (following up with my regular lip balm) and then switched to using the other for two weeks. At the end of the four-week period, I allowed myself to rotate between the two to see which one I gravitated toward naturally. Today I’m going to compare the two, touching on the similarities and differences in looks, smell, application, feel, and results. Keep reading to see which one outshines the other in each category, and which I’d choose (if either!) to re-buy.

COMPARING TWO LIP SCRUBS

Looks

Okay, so not the most important metric, but a nice-to-have, especially if you live in a home with little bathroom storage as I do. Most of my toiletries are stored on a shelf for all to see, and I notice I feel a little better when things are tidy and products are packaged nicely. The Olio E Osso Lip Scrub, like the brand’s well-known balms, comes packaged in a plastic tube with a dial at the base that raises or lowers the product when you turn it. The front of the product just features the brand’s logo and the words “lip scrub”, which is helpful if you have any of their other products around, as the color of the scrub is similar to some of their balms. It’s definitely pocket-sized – the tube is only as long as my pinky – and it weighs next to nothing. On the other hand, the Rose Lip Polish from French Girl comes in a glass jar with a lid, along with the brand and product name (and in case you are indeed a French girl – the words Exfoliant Aux Lèvres). The print is starting to fade, however, so it’s good that there’s nothing on my shelf to mix it up with. Winner: French Girl.

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Smell

I almost titled this category “taste” as I usually manage to get some of these lip products in my mouth when applying, but I figured maybe that’s just my own issue and normal people don’t have those problems. In any case, smell is an important attribute of a product that is applied directly below the nose. The Olio E Osso scrub smells predictably like coffee, albeit perhaps a slightly stale cup of joe. It’s not overwhelming, but it definitely makes itself known, and I was almost wary of using the product at night for fear that the scent of coffee would trick my brain into thinking it was time to wake up. Although the French Girl polish clearly states that it is going to smell of rose, it also contains spearmint oil and the mintiness comes through. And since it’s a sugar scrub, it also has a light sweetness to it. The floral notes aren’t sickly ones; to me, this product smells more luxurious. Winner: French Girl.

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Application

Both products include fairly similar instructions for use. From Olio E Osso: “Simply swipe onto lips to activate exfoliants. Work lip scrub into lips with your fingertip and wipe off with a soft rag or tissue. Follow with Olio E Osso Balms, Lip Sheens or Lipsticks for added glow.” And from French Girl: “Massage a pea-sized amount onto lips. Remove with warm wash cloth. May be used daily.”

Since Olio E Osso didn’t specify how frequently the product could be used, I settled for using each product every other day during my testing period. I quickly found that I much preferred to work the product into my lips by rubbing them together rather than using my finger; strangely I felt I had more control that way. This made the Olio E Osso scrub application nearly hands-free – I just swiped the end of the tube over my lips (which already started the exfoliation process, as it takes a few swipes to get enough “grit” onto the skin), pressed them together, and removed with a wash cloth. With the French Girl polish, I had to dip my (clean) finger into the pot to get to the product and often had to use a second finger to swipe a little more. As the product contains a lot of oil, I needed to take even more care than usual in washing my hands to prevent getting things greasy. Winner: Olio E Osso.

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Feel

Scrubbiness-aside, the salve of each product feels quite different. Olio E Osso’s Lip Scrub includes both beeswax and olive oil, skews more waxy-lip-balm in feel, and offers a bit more resistance when exfoliating. The sugar in the French Girl Rose Lip Polish is suspended in a number of butters and oils, including shea butter, cocoa butter, and coconut oil, to name a few. It’s fairly solid in the jar, but once it hits warm skin the oils liquefy, resulting in a slicker, more emollient-rich feel.

As for the exfoliation, the downfall of a sugar scrub is the eventual dissolution of the sugar granules. The ground coffee and olive pits Olio E Osso product don’t dissolve on the lips, and you can scrub until you feel you’ve done your job. With the French Girl product, you may need to add more in order to slough off all those dead skin cells. Winner: Tie.

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The Results

After a fair amount of time using both products, I noticed that my lips felt noticeably less flaky and more receptive to colorful lipsticks. Applying my lip balm after exfoliating felt more effective than usual, with a smooth surface on which to swipe. Frankly, I felt little difference between the two in the overall removal of dead skin cells – provided I used enough product and exfoliated long enough. Both products do what they claim to do, but the difference for me really lies in how moisturized my lips feel after exfoliating. The waxy formula of the Olio E Osso scrub wiped right off, even though it caused a bit of tugging on the tissue. And even though the oily sugar scrub from French Girl wiped off easily, it left a small but welcome layer of moisture on my skin.

So would I purchase either of these products again? Yes, maybe. Out of the two I’m more drawn to the French Girl Rose Lip Polish. It’s vegan and cruelty-free (by contrast, the Olio E Osso Lip Scrub contains beeswax and carmine), and my lips felt both flake-free and nourished after removing. But is it The One? Maybe, maybe not. I’m open to trying new products so long as they don’t break the bank – a tube applicator is still really appealing to me – but I’m fully committed to avoiding unnecessary waste and will be using these products entirely before purchasing a new one. When that time comes – I’ll let you know what I decide!

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How does your skincare routine change in the winter?