Fresh Beauty

A Belarusian immigrant and his American wife opened a small shop in Boston in 1991, selling artisan soaps wrapped in wax paper. LVMH now owns the brand and sells its sugar lip treatment at the rate of one tube every ten seconds globally. Lev Glazmann arrived in the US from Minsk as a refugee with no savings and a background in perfumery and herbal medicine. He and his wife, Alina Roitberg, opened the first fresh store in Boston in 1991, hand-cutting soaps centred with honey, brown sugar and orange blossom. The first hero product, sugar lip treatment, emerged from research into how sugar crystals draw moisture into skin. LVMH acquired a majority stake in 2000 for an undisclosed sum. Fresher's positioning rested on a single counterintuitive choice.