I am on the neverending search for sunscreen that protects my skin while also not breaking me out. I was convinced they didn't exist, but finally this search has led me straight to Japanese SS. I bought this product along with a few other kinds of Japanese SS from ichibankao.com (great service!). I liked this one the best of all of them, until I tried the tiny little sample bottle of the plain old gold Anessa that came attached to the package... LOVE. This one, not so much. The reason it's called "essence" is because it's supposed to also act as a base for your makeup, therefore it has a lot more in the way of silicones in it. The reason I like Japanese SS is because of the "barely there" feel, which unfortunately for this particular one was not the case. It's not "heavy" (and therefore doesn't go as far as doing the work of a regular primer, for those who are thinking of using it as that), but using it every day I would be afraid of it breaking me out, especially in the summer heat. If you're not breakout-prone and want a slightly smoother base for your makeup this could be a good product for you. No sunburns with this product at all!

This stuff is the best! I use to have the old formula, in the silver bottle. When I used that all up, I bought this new version and I LOVE it. It's even better than the original formula. It is matte, goes on smooth, and acts as a primer! It also blocks out the sun perfectly! When I use this during the summer, I don't any sort of tan on my face. Which I love. I apply this over my moisturizer and then I apply my mineral makeup. It works better than any of my old primers, I don't even use them anymore.

I'm on my 2nd bottle now and i lovee the product so much. Sheseido never disappoints me. :) The consistency is very thin and it goes on easily. it evens out my skin tone a little too.
However as I've gone through the second half of the bottle i notice the chemical smell. could be due to high alcohol content (but i'm not sure) which makes it so thin. i have a backup (3rd bottle) but will not repurchase this because i want to try another sunscreen from shiseido as well.

I never got a chance to use the old version so cannot compare the two, but this sunscreen is superb. It is also an excellent primer, making it so easy to smooth on my double wear foundation. My skin literally looks flawless and glowing when used under foundation.
It is of a milky white runny consistency and you don't need a lot on your face. There is no smell, in fact, it so not like sunscreen at all!!!
Only gripe is that I find it a bit pricey and I cannot buy it in Australia, but I will always repurchase.
7/03/2011 update. Sadly, I have to stop using this. I think the chemicals in this sunscreen is blocking my pores and causing me to break out. I am now going to use Invisible Zinc, as I think physical sunscreens are much better than chemical sunscreens for my body.

I will never buy Clarins UV Plus again - and I've used that product for over 4 years; going through a bottle every 2 months for FOUR years. *You* do the math. I was going to buy another bottle of UV Plus w/my Sephora $20 VIB Gift Card, but they're OOS, so I did some major SS research & came up with this product, which receives raves on many sites. I bought it on ebay from a seller in the US(!) so it only took a few days to get it. (If you want the Seller's info, get in touch with me & I'll tell you.)
I used it today for the first time & was completely blown away. When I poured it into my palm it was sort of see-through-white, like skim milk; unlike Carins, which is opaque white, like whole milk. Its consistency is exactly like a serum, and when you spread it on your face it glides on like smooth, slippery silk & there is NO trace of white at all! (Clarins leaves a white cast.) Indeed, it spreads on silkily with a super shiny/glossy look, and I was thinking, "Yikes!" But guess what? In 30 seconds the shine is completely gone & you're left with a gorgeous almost-matte finish, as in not quite matte: there's just a hint of a satin look. I've never seen such an elegant finish on any sort of facial product.
I waited 30 minutes, as I always do, just to make sure it's not going anywhere, before BeautyBlendering on my foundation. This sunscreen was a perfect base/primer for foundation & my skin looked magical - in a good way - truly radiant! There was no feel to the ss on my face at all. I was completely unaware of having it on all day long.
I am so happy to have found this. Costs less than Clarins & is a zillion times better! If you're a UV Plus fanatic, I highly recommend trying this sunscreen - I guarantee you'll never buy UV Plus again! continued >>

Unfortunately this does not live up to the standard of the old formula. I am very partial to sunscreens that's made by Shiseido. I ordered one from bobodave.com and found out that they've changed the formula. Although I still can't obtain the ingredient list in English. I am pretty certain that it is not a physical block. It actually feels like the U.S. version of the La Roche Posay sunscreen SPF 60. It dries clear and feels silky but it kind of make me breakout and I feel that it is not as stable as physical block. The previous version always gives me the most flawless look on the skin and I don't even need to wear anything else to maintain the perfect matte finish. Well, one can only hope that they will bring it back or I will just turn to Sofina.

I reordered the Anessa Perfect Smooth sunscreen which comes in a silver bottle and received this, which is in a baby blue bottle. The shipper placed a sticker on it indicated this was just new packaging: However, I believe it is a different product. That being said, I loved the one I had but I like this one even more. It goes on super smooth and there is no white cast. It also is neither drying or greasy. If you spend a lot of time outdoors this sunscreen is amazing. It offers the ultimate in sun protection, PA+++ is the strongest grade of UVA protection now available. It is designed for normal skin under very strong or direct UV radiation. and is actually a great primer under make up. IMO it is quite expensive ($30. for a 2 oz. bottle.) That lasted me 3 moths using daily just on face and neck. I totally think that it is worth it I can not recommend this enough.