Cathy Doll AA Automatic Aura Cream Review

My first encounter with the brand Cathy Doll was during the hype of Thai beauty products here in the Philippines, long before the Korean fad started. It was then that thousands of beauty and skincare products from Thailand are floating on my Instagram feed. The testimonials are really very convincing seeing how Thai women has come about such lovely and flawless skin synonymous to that of a Korean. To think that they also belong to the tropics country of Asia. So when my brother got the chance to visit Thailand, I specifically asked him to buy me a Cathy Doll. In fact I also made a review on one of the products he handed me when he got home. Unfortunately my happiness was cut short when I finished one bottle after the other. You see, though they are abundant on online sites you can’t be so sure that they are legit. Just imagine my happiness when finally after a year Cathy Doll has decided to venture business in the Philippine shores. You won’t be having difficulty anymore of finding your favourite product because they are already available here. Actually I was pretty much overwhelmed when I saw one of their stall in Watson’s. I can’t figure out what to buy! Until I finally decided to have their AA Cream.

What is AA Cream by the way? 

I know you are all confused with the number of letter creams ( BB, CC, DD and ZZ ) coming out in the market nowadays. To what is their use? Benefits and the likes. 

I really wonder what’s AA to be exact.

Automatic Aura is what Cathy Doll’s AA stands for. Usually from the letter itself that you’ll find its use like BB for Blemish Balm or CC for Color Correction. 

This AA cream foundation provides incredibly lightweight texture like the air. This easy-to-blend formula automatically delivers an aura complexion all day long with the Auto Aura, Anti-Acne, and Anti-Aging effects. It provides perfect coverage and naturally smooth appearance to the skin. Moreover, it contains the properties of Tea Tree Oil that helps to control oil and reduces the occurrence of acne; Korean Herb Extract that helps to fade off dark spots caused by acne, while Titanium Dioxide brightens skin tone and protects skin from dullness with the 45x sunscreen protection benefit. This item is well-suited for every skin types including sensitive skin.”

 I suppose from the name Aura it’ll give you that instant glow. I purchased the trial pack only which costs me Php 54.00 at Watson’s. They only have two color variants which is Light Beige and Natural Beige. I chose the latter since it’s leaning closer to my skin color but not exactly.

Here are the following thoughts on my Cathy Doll AA Automatic Aura Cream SPF 45 PA+++ 

• Has a strong tea tree scent upon application but fades eventually
• Turns grayish on skin
• Creamy and thick consistency makes it easy to blend
• Feels lightweight on the skin though it’s a little bit tacky upon application
• Medium coverage
• Good oil control coverage
• Tends to emphasize some dry parts of my face
• Matte finish
• Good spectrum coverage ideal for summer ( SPF 45 PA+++)
• Has a tendency to cake when applied with brush or by using your fingers.

As you can see it has a very thick consistency that I resent applying it using my fingers on first use. 

I’m not sure if you noticed but it looked cakey on me. But surprisingly it held up to my face without the oilyness for 4 hours. Really not bad since the only oily place noticeable is around nose area. 

As oppose to this one wherein I used a beauty blender. I love that it adhere to my skin very well though you might notice that it emphasizes the dry parts in my face ( side of nose and side of  mouth ) The freshness it gives due to its matte finish is very ideal for everyday specially this summer since it already has SPF 45 PA+++ in it.

Though it was never a love at first use I learned to work it’s way out to be a suitable companion this summer. It really pays that you have to try everything possible before you ditch a product. The only downside is the grayish color it gives to your skin making it difficult to find match. And I do hope they would have at least four color variants for the in between. Other than this, everything is workable.

Cathy Doll AA Automatic Aura Cream SPF 45 PA+++ is from the AA Series. Other product included is the Cathy Doll AA Matte Powder Cushion Oil Control SPF 50 PA+++ 

image via Ebay

The Cathy Doll AA Automatic Aura Cream SPF 45 PA+++ is available in tube and trial packs. Both are sold in all Watson’s and 7-11 branches nationwide. 

Cathy Doll is a Korean inspired brand made in Thailand.

My June Hits

Hi All!

Before anything else, let me just say how I missed you all so much!
I wasn’t able keep my word of posting due to time constraint but luckily has sneaked in a few hellos. Could you imagine how much time flew and we are on the seventh month of the year already. You just don’t know how preoccupied I was of the future topics that I want to post while on blogcation. Of how my body is so present in my current state but my thoughts are on my blogs. Oh well! What’s good is now I’m back and full of enthusiasm to share my ideas with you.
To start of, I know come end of June posts such as favorites and empties came around floating everywhere. I think this more of like an obligation to comply. But since I want to compress my favorites and hates under one post, I decided to give it a new name. Instead of favorites, I will now call this my Hits.
June seems to be a long month don’t you think?  I noticed, I have a number of items consumed or maybe just hardly took time using. Because it’s quite a few that I decided to section them. Skincare, Hair, Nail Polish, Fragrance and Bag.

 Skincare

My first hit is Cetaphil moisturizing lotion. This summer marks the most hottest to date as far as I exists. The heat index is really killing me! With this, there are some from my skin regime that’s giving me a love hate relationship and for one it’s wearing lotion. But I just can’t ditch the idea of not using because dryness could just escalate me to an itchy flaky irritation. Good thing my trusty lotion didn’t fail me on this department. It’s lightweight formulation gives ease to every application. No melting on skin or tacky feeling.

Sunblock

Summer is the time of the year wherein we spent most activities outdoors. This just mean exposure to the sun and with that there’s nothing that I could ask for from my Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock (whew! too long) Aside from the good Sun Protection Factor it gives at 50, this also contains Helioplex that protects skin from UVA and UVB rays. I admit that I was less educated when it comes to sunblocks. My notion is that the bigger the SPF, the better. Little did I know is that protection from UVB more so from UVA that matters most. Too much exposure to both UV rays could lead to skin cancer. You also have to take note on labels should contain the PA+ ratings.

PA is a Japanese/Korean rating system in place before the new regulations that was a way to show how much protection you are getting from UVA rays. You will see either PA+, PA++, or PA+++ on the label, with more + signs meaning a higher level of UVA protection.  

Aside from all of these wonderful qualities is that it has an ultra light clean feel and most of all waterproof. Thus making this on top of my hits lists.

For my face I use Dermplus Moisturizing Sunblock with SPF 35. What I like about this product aside from the protection it gives is that it also serves as my make up base. The tint it gives is a big plus for a no-make up person like me specially on warm days like these. All I do is dust it afterwards with finishing veil and I’m good to go.

Feet

It was a hate relationship at first with this product for it isn’t giving good results on my skin. But because I value my money’s worth, I look for something that will best serve it’s purpose. Luckily I succeed! Cathy Doll’s Body Snail Cream from it’s Snail Bright Line has made wonders with my dry dull feet. I used it then after shower bearing in mind the brightening effects that could give but failed. Instead of dumping, i rather used it as a night lotion for my feet. Ever since I’ve used my thong sandals as an official footwear this summer, too much sun exposure leaves my feet on it’s dry, dull state. As a rule of thumb for a girl to own if not nice at least a decent feet, I took everything at heart. Flaunting now my footsies with much confidence because of this product.

Hair

I admit that I’m a total neglect when it comes to taking care of my hair. As a result, I’m most likely to put on a bun. Not until I learned of Verdon Keratin Hair Spa in Coconut Milk. I used this twice a week to give moisture to my color damaged hair. I have a natural hair which means it’s a little wavy in some places, and is also one of the reasons why I shy away from styling them. Using this product gave my hair a straight look which I wished for quite sometime. Now I’m a convert!

Nail Polish

Alongside with wearing sandals are good looking nails to adorn. As I mentioned on previous post, I don’t own a girl structure of feet. So my only consolation is see to it that it’s well groomed and a good nail polish to boost. As much as I want to be very particular on my brands I feel that buying an overly priced nail polish isn’t defensible. Good thing is that I found a local brand that’s a dupe for popular imported nail brands specifically color wise. As of the moment, I’m loving the Chic Nail Polish Kathyrn Bernardo Collection in Chic Celebrity Edition. It’s opaque at two coats and lasts me for a couple of weeks. The big catch for me is the price.

Fragrance

My go to fragrance this summer is something that is light and nice to the senses. For this I go with my Body Shop Madagascar Vanilla Flower Fragrance Mist. The sweet scent reminds me of an ice cream and candies on a summer day. This bottle has been with me for three years now and I pull this one off specifically this time or whenever I want an uplifting feel.

Bag

This Satchel Bag from SM Department Store is a personal favorite because it best reminds me of Philip 3.1, my dream bag. And because of obvious reasons that I find it hard to purchase one, I opted for this version instead. I wore this as a body bag because of its long strap. The color really striked me being a lover of solid tan hues. Plus, I got to put all my summer necessities for it’s roomy interior.

There you have it. Pardon the long list but it just gives me an instant gratification to post and share the things that I Love to all. I hope to see what’s yours too!

Peeling Gel Invasion: My Experience

2nd part of two part post

Hi All!
Before I start off, please accept my wholehearted appreciation and Thank You’s to those who took time to read, visit my page or simply dropped by to say their “hi’s”. You’re simple gestures mean alot.
Moving forward. On the first part, I was able to give you a simple walk through about the current exfoliating craze brought about by the Koreans to the world. Now, my take on this cult following skin care routine thru experience.
My curiosity about peeling gels grew when I learned that it helps in whitening the skin. The first introduction to peeling specifically peeling gel was back in the day when I badly needed my skin to even out it’s color. Being a believer that peeling gels aids in the effectivity of other skin care products. The belief that this is due to the sloughing off dead skin layers making the absorption better. And since I have sensitive skin, I find peeling liquid/gel the most friendly for my skin type. I have with me two exfoliating brands. One from Thailand and the other from Korea.  

 Snail Bright is a peeling snail gel from Cathy Doll. This one was brought by my brother when he came to visit Thailand and a little trivia. Thailand is now fast becoming known for producing a good line of skin treatments. When I say skin treatments, the likes of treating your problem areas which are chicken skin on pits, dark ua, dark groins. The likes. I was just a little confused though. Cathy Doll is a popular brand in Thailand but it is in fact made in Korea. This is how Snail Bright peeling snail gel looked like.   

Snail Bright is a gel type of exfoliator

The texture because it’s main component is from snail saliva is not slimy as oppose to other snail products that I know. It works the same as any peeling gel that I used. Does it brighten my skin. Yes. Though rubbing the product to my skin seems to take forever. I also noticed that even the long process of rubbing have took place, only a small amount of (i believe) dead skin layers have been sloughed off.  

my skin turned a little red from the continuos rubbing

 On my face (oily type) based from my observation, tend to oiled up more than the usual. Sad ending is I had a breakout. I might have continue using this if not only of the tiring process rubbing the product to my whole body. But because I don’t want to put it into waste, I looked for some other way in which I could make it of better use. Then I found out that a good solution to keep your pits from darkening due to layering of deo is to exfoliate. Since it’s just a small portion of my body, once a week I exfoliate my under arm gently just so not to traumatize the skin because this could also add up to the darkening. I also use this to other parts of my body that I think needs an extra care like elbows, knees and nape.  I did this just until I could used it all up. Happily, it’s almost half way done. Because I want to empty this all up that I never gotten myself to purchase another peeling gel. Not until I saw this new product that got my eyes all lighted up. Maybe because I was hit by the keyword. Whitening. 

  

Since my last peeling gel is nearing the bottom I think its time. So I decided to give MUZ a shot since it’s only 66 cents for 10g. The product says it’s 5 Phyto- Chemical Ingredients. Mainly derived from plants and since it’s phyto, it has an anti-oxidant properties. It’s Paraben free, Fragrance free, Alcohol free and no synthetic dyes 

I must say that I’m satisfied with this Korean exfoliator. The amazing thing that got me hooked is that you don’t need to rub your skin with so much force just to be satisfied with the  sight of dry skin that loosens. Only a small amount will suffice. And I also notice that upon spreading of the product,  my skin is already sloughing off the dead layer. That fast.

MUZ is a liquid type of exfoliator

   I know that Koreans are very peculiar to the products that they use/produce. With a mindset of nothing harmful, I believe that the manufacturer of this product put into priority not to traumatized the skin while exfoliating. And because of this action, I also noticed that my face didn’t shed any excess oil as before. Thus no breakouts. This attributes to the peeling gel being alcohol free. I’m not quite sure if this is already available in your Asian make up stores. By far I sould say, this is the best yet but not until I’ll get the chance to own a bottle of Cure then I’ll do the leap.

The Peeling Gel Invasion has given us a chance to do an introspect with the products and routine that we are accustom to. Sometimes our surrounding is one of the big factors why we have to step out of what we are used to and adopt a change that could help us adhere to the needs of our body brought about by the sudden change in our society. What I mean to say ( if you were lost in thought with what I just said 😁 ) Exfoliating let alone using peeling gel is a must and should be incorporated in our daily skin care routine specially now that most of the products we used leaves a heavy residue that causes our other products to plateu. Aside from this, the heavy pollution around us that adds up damage to our skin. Peeling Gels isn’t just a fad. They are here to stay.

The Peeling Gel Invasion

  This is part 1 of my 2 parts post.

The cult following 10 Steps Korean Skin Care Regime has brought about three unrecognized routine that we now (for the most) incorporate in our own. These are: essence, facial masks and exfoliation. Essence often mistaken as toners is the heart of Korea’s skin care routine. Facial Mask not really that new to some but because of developing science comes different varities that targets different skin concerns. Most of this, again, is manufactured in either Korea or Japan wherein the use of organics is the main component. Then comes exfoliation. First that came to mind when I read exfoliate is St. Ives Apricot Scrub. I know most of you know this household brand in terms of exfoliation and Yes! alongside with this is the word scrubbing. As in intense scrubbing, right? That is our mindset of the term exfoliate, scrubbing off dead layers of skin to achieve a softer, more supple looking one. But just like technology, skin care also had evolved and progressed into many innovations. Our then exfoliators which mainly consists of fine grains or micro beads in aid of taking off that dead skin with ease has now elevated into the form of gels. Peeling gel there is. A little trivia on this, I know that most of the peeling gels available in the market right now are brand names from Korea but did you know that the world’s best peeling gel is actually from Japan. Cure Natural Aqua Peeling Gel apparently a bottle is being sold for every second in Japan. That effective huh?! It is said that large percentage of this brand is consists of mainly water making it more gentle than any other peeling gel available. On with peeling gels, this might scared you off because of the word peel. I know, how can this be a major evolution when intense scrubbing is changed with peeling? Don’t fret ladies, for this is now called the fancy new generation of exfoliators. It is made special because now, chemicals (which we often thought of as the way peeling is made) are now replaced by a more gentle, more skin friendly solutions in the form of liquid and gel. Only gentle rubbing is required to achieve a soft and bright complexion. And who wouldn’t want that? I myself decided to join in the boat not because of the fad but because I feel that my skin is in need of the extra care brought about by the different layers of products used. Exfoliating also helps in making your products more effective because they are now more absorbed.

Have any of you tried using peeling gel or included such in your skin care routine? How was it? Let me know your experience.