Sonia Kashuk Launches Bath & Body Collection Exclusively at Target
You’ve gotta love Sonia Kashuk — after all, while so many makeup artists are focusing on releases with flashy packaging and rare, exotic, buzzed-about ingredients that will justify their entry into high-end department stores and specialty boutiques (and, with said entry, steep price points that will place these products in the “aspirational” category for everyday women), Kashuk has been nurturing her long-time relationship with Target, expanding her range of top-notch and remarkably affordable cosmetics, and even delving into new territory by releasing her first-ever bath and body care line. And, whereas some big names in fashion and beauty have collaborated with Target but lowered their quality standards in the process, Kashuk has never committed such a sin. If anything, her offerings can often go toe-to-toe with the most expensive products in the market and emerge the victors — case in point: the Kashuk Tools hair brush, which is as good (if not better) than the much heralded Mason Pearson hair brush, which retails for almost $100 more than the former. Given Kashuk’s devotion to offering her loyal customers superior quality goods at pocket-friendly prices, then, I did a double-take when I was navigating through Target and I stumbled upon a huge display of her Bath & Body collection, which she unveiled right before the holidays.
The collection incorporates body washes, body lotions, body butters, eau de toilettes, hand creams, and body scrubs in four elegant and undeniably feminine scents: Pink Innocencia, a mix of tuberose, amber, and magnolia; Purple Seductia, a blend of pomegranate, rose, and patchouli; Red Promisia, which fuses together jasmine, sandalwood, and vanilla notes; and Yellow Alluriana, which blends grapefruit, verbena, and musk. All of the products in the collection are packaged inside sleek, seductive black tubes, bottles, or jars, each bearing a floral print corresponding to its scent family — pink magnolias for the Pink Inocencia range; flute-like purple tuberoses for the Purple Seductia range; lush red jasmine blossoms for the Red Promisia family; and yellow verbena blossoms for the Yellow Alluriana family.
After picking up every single product in the collection, clutching it in between my hands, admiring its packaging, and fastidiously reading its ingredient list, I finally purchased three products from the Pink Inocencia range, three from the Red Promisia range, and one from the Purple Seductia collection. Specifically, I purchased the Sonia Kashuk Red Promisia Creme Body Wash ($8.99 at Target stores and Target.com), the Sonia Kashuk Red Promisia Body Lotion ($8.99 at Target stores and Target.com), and the Sonia Kashuk Red Promisia Body Butter ($10.99 at Target stores and Target.com), the Sonia Kashuk Pink Inocencia Body Wash ($8.99 at Target stores and Target.com), the Sonia Kashuk Pink Inocencia Body Lotion ($8.99 at Target stores and at Target.com), and the Sonia Kashuk Pink Inocencia Body Butter ($10.99 at Target stores and Target.com) and, finally, the Purple Seductia Body Lotion ($8.99 at Target stores and Target.com). Each of the four fragrance families also includes its own Hand Creme ($6.99 at Target stores and Target.com), Eau de Toilette ($19.99 at Target stores and Target.com), and Body Oil ($10.99 at Target stores and Target.com) but, for the sake of not going bankrupt, I opted not to buy these particular items. That being said, I may still give them a whirl down the line!
So what was my experience with these products? Well, let’s start with the Red Promisia products since I’ve used these for the longest stretch of time. Though the scent is described as a mixture of sandalwood, jasmine, and vanilla, I found the fragrance to be unexpected in that it wasn’t overly floral but instead exhibited a degree of restraint via the indulgent vanilla notes and the seductive sandalwood. In fact, I’d argue that the jasmine note isn’t as potent as the frangipani note included in the formula (which is listed within the ingredients).
The Red Promisia Body Wash is a delight since it has a substantial creamy texture and a pretty pearlescent color but it froths up nicely, creating a rich lather that you can slide all over your body — all without leaving a . The frangipani in the formula is gentle on the skin since the flower has anti-inflammatory properties, working to soothe sensitive skin and calm any inflammations. The body wash also includes white tea extract, which works to boost the skin’s immune system, protecting dermal cells from free radicals and oxidation, and edelweiss, a powerful antioxidant thanks to its polyphenol and flavonoid content. The body wash, then, is gentle on the skin and won’t strip it of its moisture, plus the scent, while potent, softens by the time you dry off and exit the shower, leaving behind a subtle but noticeable scent.
If the Red Promisia Body Wash is pleasant, the accompanying Red Promisia Body Lotion is downright irresistible. This delicious lotion is readily absorbed by skin and leaves no greasy residue behind, instead nourishing it via such ingredients as sweet almond oil, avocado oil, shea butter, and sesame seed oil. The choice of hydrating botanicals is itself genius. Shea butter, known for its rich fatty acid content, melts at body temperature, so that it’s very easy to work into skin and, of course, it has long been considered one of the most effective moisturizers. Avocado oil, similarly, is remarkably high in monounsaturated fatty acids that heal and soften the skin, and it penetrates skin more effectively than many other botanical oils, thereby contributing to the lotion’s non-greasiness. Sweet almond oil, meanwhile, contains linoleic acids and vitamin E that nourish the skin, and sesame seed oil creates an invisible barrier on the skin that locks in moisture, thereby preventing skin from becoming dehydrated and itchy. The lotion not only leaves the skin feeling soft and supple, but its scent has just the right potency. It lingers on the skin for quite some time, but it’s not overpowering. Unlike some scented lotions that can trigger headaches, this one feels subtle without being, well, wimpy.
The same can be said for the Red Promisia Body Butter‘s scent but, of course, this formulation is thicker and meant for drier skin and harsh winter weather. Given the unbearably harsh winter weather we’ve been experiencing, I’ve been keeping the Red Promisia body butter nearby, and it’s done wonders to keep my skin from feeling itchy, scaly, or cracked. This luxurious formula contains shea butter, sweet almond oil, aloe leaf juice, sweet orange flower extract, camellia extract, frangipani extract, edelweiss extract, panthenol, and hydrogynetaded soybean oil, along with other rarer ingredients like Shorea stenoptera seed butter, derived from a species of plant endemic to Borneo.
Moving on to the Pink Inocencia and Purple Seductia products, they perform just as beautifully as all those in the Red Promisia line since their formulations are nearly identical so that the difference lies solely in their fragrances. The Pink Inocencia scent is quite feminine and pretty, but in a very girlish, innocent, charming way. Though it does incorporate a tuberose note, I didn’t find this to be the key player in the aroma since the magnolia note is so sweet and creamy that it makes the whole aroma seem frothy, powdery, and cheerful.
The Purple Seductia, meanwhile, is the fruitiest of the three scents. The pomegranate note is, indeed, the key player here and it’s absolutely mouth-watering and ripe, but the most delightful surprise is the patchouli note in the background which is actually somewhat pine-like, adding a bit of a green quality to the aroma.
Out of all three fragrances, I’ve become most partial to the Purple Seductia scent but I do also adore the Red Promisia. Needless to say, given how much I’ve loved these products, I will most likely be purchasing them again. That being said, do remember that the body wash, body lotion, and body butter all have rather potent fragrances that might be a bit tricky to layer under your favorite perfume, so I’d recommend using these at night time, when you want to pamper yourself before going to bed, or on low-key days when you don’t want to spritz on too much perfume.
