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Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Review: Sonia Kashuk Dissolve Gel-to-Oil Makeup Removing Cleanser


When the Sonia Kashuk skincare line was first spotted at Target stores last fall, I knew there was one product in particular that I had to buy. It took me practically a year to buy it but hey, better late than never! I've been using this cleanser off and on for over a month now, so today I'd like to share my thoughts with you.

Sonia Kashuk Dissolve Gel-to-Oil Makeup Removing Cleanser
(retail: $14.99, 4.2 oz.)

You can purchase this product, and the rest of the Sonia Kashuk skincare line, exclusively at Target (in-store and online).

From the Target website:

The ground-breaking formula applies to skin as a gel and transforms into a weightless oil to melt away makeup, debris and impurities. Skin is left clean without being stripped of its natural oils and radiance. Vegetable glycerin and coconut oil naturally cleanse the skin, while camellia oil purifies. Abyssinica seed oil nourishes and protects against moisture loss. The paraben-free formula is suitable for all skin types.


Made in USA


Standard flip-top lid



This cleanser is a clear gel--no coloring/dyes added. 

So let's start with the good. I love the packaging (I think that gray-to-gold ombre is so elegant) and I love the scent of this product. There is definitely a fragrance here, but I don't see "fragrance" listed in the ingredients so perhaps the scent is coming from some of the natural ingredients? To me, this product smells very fresh, clean and watery, but with a beautiful floral note in the background. It very much reminds me of Thymes Aqua Coralline (previously called "Naia") and I'm willing to bet that if you love that Thymes fragrance, you will love the scent of this cleanser as well. Another thing I like is that this product does rinse cleanly, without leaving any oily film or residue behind.

Now on to the not-so-good. Although this does come out of the tube as a slightly thick gel (think hair gel), it does break down to an oil when it reacts with the heat of your skin. It feels thick for just a moment, and then it feels like a standard cleansing oil. Once you get your hands wet, it does turn somewhat "milky" as described, but I find that the moment this product reacts with water, it starts to really thin out and I feel like I have to go back to the tube for more before I've finished working this onto my face. 

Another thing I didn't care for was that this product managed to both not remove all of my makeup, but also leave my skin feeling dry and tight. It's often one or the other with cleansers, right? I was surprised because after patting my skin dry and allowing it to rest for a bit before applying my serums and moisturizers, my skin (which is naturally very oily, by the way) felt dry and tight. Not painfully so, but enough for me to notice. But then when I looked in the mirror, I could still see very obvious traces of mascara and eyeliner underneath my eyes. So I did the toner test, and womp womp. Lots of lingering foundation on my cotton pad.

This isn't my first time at the rodeo when it comes to oil-based cleansers. I've tried many, and I've tested/reviewed dozens and dozens of facial cleansers here over the years. The first time I had not-so-great results, I figured it might be due to user error. So I tried again, and again. Every time, I still had lingering traces of makeup (especially mascara, and I do not use waterproof mascara) and my skin consistently felt dry and tight after rinsing. 

FINAL VERDICT: your results may vary, and I'm sure some of you probably enjoy this cleanser quite a bit. But for me, it was a lackluster. I couldn't get it to remove my washable mascara, so I'm guessing that waterproof mascara would be a no-go as well. Which is sad because that's the whole reason I love oil-based cleansers. They usually remove EVERYTHING all in one pass. I'm thinking that this might be a good product if you enjoy double-cleansing, but I really can't use it for that (not like I enjoy double-cleansing in the first place since I'm lazy) because it leaves my skin feeling dry. So I can't imagine using another cleanser after using this one. By the way, I also tried to salvage this product by using it to clean my makeup brushes and my beautyblender, but it wasn't effective for that either. I still had tons of foundation left in my beautyblender after cleaning it with this product, and the same goes for my brushes. Not effective for brush cleaning (at least for me). Sadly, I will not be repurchasing.

Have you tried any Sonia Kashuk skincare products? If so, are there any you'd recommend? 

The products featured in this post were purchased with personal funds. For more information, click here.
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19 comments

  1. Methyl dihydrojasmonate is a fragrance compound and is probably that floral scent your smelling since it's supposed to smell lile jasmine. I think for that ingredient and this review, I'd give it a pass since it's pretty inflammatory. I'm surprised that all the silicones and oils didn't break anything down but that may be because they emulsified with the water

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    1. Aaaah, that makes sense! Thank you. :) Now that I think of it, I do detect a faint jasmine note here!

      I was surprised about it not breaking down all of my makeup, too. Adding just a tiny bit of water REALLY seems to thin it out, so I feel like the product washes away before it has time to take the makeup with it. Does that make sense?

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  2. Yikes! The first ingredient (cyclopentasiloxane) is something my skin cannot tolerate. I'll pass.

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    1. Aaah Liz, it must be challenging for you to find primers that work with your skin, huh? I know from doing so many reviews over the years that cyclopentasiloxane is like the first or second ingredient in 99.999% of face primers out there. I was surprised to see it as the first ingredient in this cleanser, only because I associate it so closely with primers.

      Delete
    2. You are so right... I also associate that ingredient with primers. It's also in a LOT (read: most) leave-in conditioners, hair serums, and hair oil products that aren't 100% oils. Sigh.

      Delete
  3. As a lover of waterproof mascara, but a hater of the raccoon look it leaves behind, what's the best cleanser you've tried? I'm assuming it's another oil-based cleanser? Love these reviews, G. Thanks!

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    Replies
    1. Check this out, Rachel:

      http://nouveaucheap.blogspot.com/2016/06/review-palmers-cocoa-butter-formula.html

      LOVE that one.

      Delete
    2. THANK YOU, G! I knew there was one that you loved, but couldn't for the life of remember which. And I've got one of those killer BB&Bs in town -- complete with wine and beer. I know where I'm going tomorrow!

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    3. You're so welcome, girlie! You NEED it. Seriously. It rocks my world. Also, not sure if you use sponges/beautyblenders, but it cleans my beautyblender quicker and more completely than anything else I've ever tried!

      Delete
  4. this isn't a sonia kashuk product but my HG makeup remover is Lancome's cleansing oil (I think they just repackaged it, I hope it's the same formula! http://www.sephora.com/product/productDetail.jsp?productId=P409977) Have you used this one? I'd love to find a similar product at a lower price :)

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    Replies
    1. I haven't tried the Lancome, Mari. Sorry! But this is my very favorite right now:

      http://nouveaucheap.blogspot.com/2016/06/review-palmers-cocoa-butter-formula.html

      It ROCKS.

      Delete
  5. Oh G., that sucks!! Since I'm still looking for HG cleansing oil, I was excited to read this. Sounds like I won't like it either. I'm a one and done girl and must have all my makeup removed in one shot. Thanks for the great review G and for saving me from the bother!

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    Replies
    1. You're so welcome, R.! Have you tried the Palmer's yet? I've been holding my breath and crossing my fingers since June! Lol! ;)

      Delete
  6. Lol! I have not! I need to get closer to the bottom of my bottle of Neutogena cleansing oil first. I will keep you updated in a few weeks!

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    Replies
    1. Lol OK, well you know I need an update if/when you get it! ;)

      Delete
  7. Also, did you notice that on the back label it says avoid contact with eyes? Hello? It's a makeup remover! How are you supposed to take off your eye makeup then? Plus, for $14.99 that is pretty pricey. Thanks for the review. I think we can all agree this is a pass. I'm not into cleansing twice either. Oils are great because they get rid of every trace of makeup but this sounds horrible.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Here's my eye makeup remover of choice: Lumene Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover. I buy it at CVS, but ULTA also carries it online. http://www.ulta.com/waterproof-eye-makeup-remover?productId=xlsImpprod810010

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  9. Darn another cleansing oil pass! I tried the Neutrogena and it burned my eyes (I'm thinking it's the mineral oil) so I'm am on the hunt again! I'm thinking Garnier micellar water is next on my list

    ReplyDelete
  10. I feel like after reading this review, I have more respect for you. You are not afraid to say your true feelings about the product and it is soo helpful when bloggers are able to speak their mind! Thank you for your honesty!

    ReplyDelete

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