A.T. Antao: Beautifying BB Cushion (Pearl)

With everyone getting into the mood for the Christmas season, we at The Amazing Blog knows how important it is to keep up appearances.  Remember when we were all applying our makeup daily? I know that for many of us, it may seem like a distant memory (except for the odd zoom call!) but it’s time to brush up (excuse the pun) and put our face back on! Today we’re reviewing Beautifying BB Cushion (Pearl) from A.T. Antao which has been a welcome addition to our makeup bag. It’s a foundation type that has proved popular our friends in the Far East for a quite while now, as it offers a light, flawless and super long-lasting coverage.

After living in London and working in the beauty industry for more than a decade, the brand founder Teniya Tao decided to develop skincare and makeup with A.T. Antao in 2014. A.T. Antao is considered a luxury brand with a loyal following throughout Asia and is now here in Europe. With their partnerships with top European labs, they provide the brand with premium quality ingredients. The brand has a range of twenty-five products from skincare to cosmetics, and Tao and A.T. want to empower women by helping them realise their potential. We like the brand motto which translates as: “Be your own queen”.

The Beautifying BB Cushion (Pearl) is in a sleek, elegant gold and black casing. We found it quick and convenient to use and a compact to feel proud of when pulling out of our bag for touch-ups.  The definition of a cushion foundation is a liquid formula in a sponge-like cushion housed in a compact. The cushion is sealed with a lid and on top is the black puff for easy application.  It’s a light formulation that offers an even semi-matte coverage, which is buildable depending on the desired effect wanted. A.T. Antao has two different types, Natural (which launched in 2018 and comes with a free refill) and  Pearl which we found to be slightly more hydrating and longer-lasting than Natural. Plus Pearl also offered more of a flawless finish on the skin. Both are suitable for all skin types; however, they only come in one shade which is good for most skin tones except for darker complexions, where the user may find these too pale. A.T Antao site YSL Fusion Cushion as a benchmark to their BB Cushion products, with its similar formula and compact. Although the YSL’s version comes with an SPF 18, eleven different shades and costs twice the price! We applied the BB Cushion onto moisturised skin pressing the black puff into the moist foundation sponge, then gently patting it directly onto the face and neck. We noticed a good even coverage minimising the pores and giving us a more radiant and brighter glow. This is our favourite product so far from the brand (and we’ve reviewed a few, see here) this BB Cushion couldn’t be more timely with winter now fast approaching, where our complexions are in need of further protection and hydration. To purchase your Beautifying BB Cushion (Pearl) visit the A.T. here for the 12g  for only £22.90.

A.T. Antao - Aqua Fresh Cleanser

We’ve featured this international skincare brand A.T Antao a few times before here on The Amazing Blog. They very kindly sent us more of their products, two of which were nominated at the CEW Beauty Awards 2019, the first of which we’re reviewing today with their Aqua Fresh Cleanser.

A.T. Antao was founded in 2014 by successful entrepreneur and skincare expert Teniya Tao who has made it her mission, to share the power of her Chinese ancestral ingredients, with women across the globe. Teniya also wants to empower women, “to realise their own potential. Self-belief, confidence, competence, and independence are achievable and realistic goals for all, under the dynamic leadership of Teniya and in partnership with her brand A.T.“ She actively encourages women to be in charge of their own destiny, which in Chinese, translates rather charmingly as: "Be your own Queen’.

The Aqua Fresh Cleanser is a light and non-greasy cleanser (good for combination or oily skins) it acts as a 2-in-1, as it not only cleanses but also hydrates. It feels smooth and balm-like when applied to the face. However, when it makes contact with water, the balm transforms into creamy lotion, melting away any stubborn makeup residue. Thanks to its numerous oils, like olive, rose, grape seed and sea buckthorn; it leaves the pores free from impurities and daily grime, with skin velvet-soft to the touch fragranced with rose. As a formula, they have created this to work in tandem with the pH balance of the skin. It efficiently cleanses without drying, making it ideal for winter. It comes in a stylish pearlised pink tub with the palest pink translucent balm, that when you open the jar, you’re greeted with a delicate aroma that is unmistakably rose.  Much as we loved the texture, fragrance and performance of this cleanser, there were a few things on the ingredients list that we must point out. It was disappointing to see a few of our no-nos here with their use of the preservative methylparaben. Sadly, as we read further down the list, we realised that this is not a natural formula, as it also contains microcrystalline wax, ethylhexyl palmitate, polyethylene, cocopoly-7, cocoyl and aminopropyl betaine. Our hope is that the brand might one day think about reformulating this with more natural ingredients for the future? To use, apply to the face with the provided spatula, add water, and massage in gently. Finally, rinse off and gently dry your skin.  You can purchase this rose-scented Aqua Fresh cleanser for £18.90 here.