Sonia Kashuk Pink Innocencia {Perfume Review & Musings}
Pink Innocencia Eau de Toilette by Sonia Kashuk - Perfume Review & Musings
Pink Innocencia launched in 2013 as part of a quatuor of debut scents by American makeup artist Sonia Kashuk, retailing through mass-market chain Target. Since then, the eau de toilette won an "Insider's Choice Beauty Award" from Cosmetic Executive Women in 2014. The reason why we're reviewing it however is just because it was a blind buy which sounded good on paper (not knowing then about the industry prize)...
The brand describes Pink Innocencia as,
« A dance of captivating tuberose, dewy magnolia and dreamy amber creates this delicate, innocent and rosy, almost girly mist. A quietly, yet irresistibly attractive floral scent for the graceful, cheerful and ultra-feminine. »
This composition - as well as the three others - are by French perfumer Jérôme Epinette of Robertet, who has worked for niche label Byredo quite a bit too inviting us to reflect on the versatility of the art of the perfumer and his or her capacity at transcending overly rigid definitions of quality.
The opening of Pink Innocencia is super fresh, fruity - eau de green banana-like - and then surprised, not surprised, the scent veers into decadent floral notes as if huge Southern white blooms were wilting in an unforgiving sun - but not before giving off a last hurray of a powerful fragrance.
Un arbre à soie rose durant l'heure bleue à Paris - A Pink Silk Tree during the Blue Hour in Paris © CHANT WAGNER 2016
This magnolia and tuberose composition is both clean and lush, American-style. It is moody enough not to feel dumbed down by over-simplification while still intent on maintaining a true simplicity of perspective. The scent grabs you by the nostrils first thanks to its vivacious tones seguing next into a tropical territory where magnolias are dressed with fresh banana leaves skirts and tuberoses flirt with the milk of coconuts, while vanilla makes everybody agree it's a fine summer day forever in a postcard sent from a colonial southern town with smiling rows of white wooden houses.
The vanillic, lush, lady-like white blooms hush down becoming gently sensual. The amber note is sweet, understated with a vague, abstract impression of salty caramel and fresh yellow butter - but never food-like.
The perfumer applied a cardinal rule of perfumery to prevent the eau de toilette from coming across as too one-sided and well, too vanilla despite its wish to be clear-cut. In the midst of very pleasing, hedonistic notes runs a a discreet rivulet of antagonism creating a sharp, green effect and thereby re-injecting some bite into naturally langorous beauties. Of course, nothing is as natural as it seems, but magnolias and tuberoses are expected to mollify your senses rather than waking you up with their scent. A citrusy, even grassy counterpoint akin to ivy, lifts up the perfume as well as your perception of it ; Rose and cedar wood shavings add a layer of sophistication. Being an eau de toilette, the perfume keys down leaving a creamy sensation on the skin with a hint of baby powder.
Pink Innocentia can be summed up as a very well balanced, feminine, mid-grade lush white floral just clean enough to wear easily and just dramatic enough to be enjoyed for its sensuality.
