Shiseido • Anessa Perfect UV Sunscreen AA SPF 50+ PA+++ • Sunscreen

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isshevital on 5/11/2012 12:16:00 AM more reviews by isshevital

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I have just used this for the first time today and will update at a later date. I bought this because I am going on vacation soon and will be outside a lot. But honestly I will probably start wearing sunscreen daily now that I have found this, assuming it doesn't break me out.

My skin is pretty normal, just a little oily in the T-zone, especially if it's hot out. I applied this VERY generously (1/4 tsp seemed skimpy since the formula is so thin) after moisturizing with a thin layer of mineral oil and it basically disappeared, leaving my skin feeling moisturized and comfortable. It seemed to somehow even out my skin tone and/or make me look radiant and well-rested. It's neither matte nor dewy, just sort of neutral. There was no physical sensation of a "layer" sitting on my face.

I'm a little fair-skinned and a makeup counter lady once suggested that I might have rosacea (I blush somewhat easily, and people often think I'm blushing out of embarrassment just because I'm smiling and my cheeks turn pink). Sometimes getting sunlight through the car window for 15 or 20 minutes will leave my cheeks and nose kind of pink and warm to the touch! I noticed today that I didn't experience the usual flushing/slight sunburn that I get otherwise.

My only complaint is that it really changed the application and end result of my Make Up For Ever Face & Body for the worse. Without this (or any primer) underneath it, the coverage is sheer and dewy. After applying this and giving it 15 minutes to sit, the MUFE goes on with more coverage and looks quite matte. Basically, I looked like I was wearing makeup which is what I try to avoid. I think it's just hard to spread a thin layer on a primed face because the formula tends to "stick" more. It's not worth taking off lippies though, because I think my skin looks great with nothing but this sunscreen. The price ( ~$40) is comparable to other HE sunscreens and is hardly a bargain, but feels worth it for a product that performs like this.
UPDATE: Just as I expected, I am now back from vacation and plan to use this every day. I still fall asleep wearing it at least 1-2x a week and the resulting problems are very minor. I sometimes get small whiteheads on my chin, but they're the kind that go away in 2 days and are minor enough that I don't bother picking them. Mostly it dries me out if I sleep in it 2 or 3 days in a row or if I apply it to skin that's a bit dehydrated. All problems are so minor that I maintain the 5 lippie rating.
I eventually found slightly better results from the F&B after experimenting with the amount I was applying, but I have mostly stopped wearing it. The coverage is quite sheer so it's not like it makes a huge difference, and it's one less layer to have on my face in the hot, humid summer we're currently having.

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sugarandspice101 on 5/6/2012 8:34:00 PM more reviews by sugarandspice101

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

I recently bought this sunscreen after trying many sunscreens which made my skin greasy or shiny. My skin tends to be normal but all SS left me with a thick sheen on my face. Enter Anessa Perfect AA SPF 50, which is your typical runny Japanese SS but it soaks in quickly and doen't leave a film on the skin,My face just feels and looks normal.From the packaging it contains zinc oxide and titanium dioxide for protection.If you need alot of moisturizung this probably not the sunscreen for you.I have also used Peter Thomas Roth's Uber dry SS but I like the Anessa better but PTR was available in many places( Macy's, Ulta,) unlike the Anessa which I ordered from Beautykat.com., I have also tried Clarins UV Plus SPF 40 which I liked very well but a little greasy on me and I have used Neutrogena Ultra Sheer liquid SPF 55, ans it stung around my eyes but the Anessa has not caused any break outs or stinging on my face. I am loving this!

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*TOP REVIEWER* aksaiyo on 6/25/2011 1:44:00 PM more reviews by aksaiyo

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

Background Information:
In the spring of 2011, Shiseido's Japanese counter released a newly reformulated line of sunscreen. Shiseido's Anessa is the most prominent brand for sunscreen in Asia, where I grew up (Taiwan). It's so well known, that if you were to walk on the street, grab any random person and ask them which brand makes great sunscreen, many of them would answer, "Anessa." The Perfect UV Sunscreen has been Anessa's star product for many years. This gold bottled Perfect UV Sunscreen AA (instead of the old EX) is the newest (2011) reformulation. The new line of sunscreen also boasts to be able to be removed easily with soap and water, something I am not sure drug store sunscreens in Asia have been able to do yet (and need to be removed with a cleansing oil like the previous generation of Perfect UV).
It has an SPF of 50+, which would block out at least 98% of the UVB rays. Since many Asian countries have a cap on the SPF at 50, we do not know the exact SPF value other than that it is definitely at least 50. It also has PA of +++, which means it has a PPD of 8+, which in turn means that it should allow a person 8+ times as much UVA exposure as would be without protection. The Japanese system for UVA rating only goes up to PA +++, so it's impossible for consumers to tell what the actually PPD is, other than that it's above 8.
Please check under the "ingredients" tab above to find the active and total ingredients that I've typed up.
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My thoughts:
So far (2 weeks) I really like this sunscreen. No matter how much I apply, it leaves absolutely no white cast. The texture is so thin, that I feel it to be half as thick as the normal Shiseido counter sun protection lotions (Ultimate Protection SPF 60, Ultra Smooth SPF 38). Normally, I would have trouble applying the required amount onto my face at all with the two mentioned above, but I can without too much trouble with the Perfect UV. This makes me absolutely delighted!
At first, when I applied the correct amount of 1/4tsp (1.23mL) on my unmoisturized face, I felt that the sunscreen felt a bit greasy. Not as in over moisturized sticky, thick, and oily greasy, but a weird thinly layered kind of greasy. However, after 15 minuets it dried to a natural looking, semi-matte (maybe satin?) finish. It is definitely no where near as matte as the Biore UV Perfect in the white bottle at all, and it also does not control oil as well. But then again, Biore UV Perfect tends to be way too matte and drying for many people. I only apply Biore to my T-zone, as it would just make the rest of my face peel when I tried to apply it all over. I have no such problem with the Anessa Perfect UV, even though it does not control oil half as well (Biore is HG for that purpose). However, I dare say it is much better than either Ultra Smooth and Ultimate Protection.
The Anessa Perfect UV also has great staying power. Shisedo says that it is water resistant (ie. can stay on in water for up to 80mins). It is also sweat proof (unlike Biore, which leaves a white mark on my upper lip, where I sweat very much in hot an humid Taiwanese summer) and stays on decently through the crazy oil production of my T-zone.
For removal, I'd say it's possible to wash of with soap and water when the soap is massaged on to the skin for a while with care. However, I tend to wear eyeliner on my eyes all the time anyway, so I generally use a makeup remover. (We should also note that this is supposed to have the best staying power of the entire line put out by Shiseido, so one must take care to remove every trace.)
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Although I'm still trying it out, from initial good experience at the Shiseido counter, I have already purchased 2 bottles of it (for the GWP of a mini Perfect UV Sunscreen and a mini Mild Face Sunscreen of 12mL each). I will probably still love my Biore more for hot and humid summers in Taiwan, but when I go back to New York State after the summer, I will probably like to use it more, as I can apply it to my whole face rather than one SS for my T-zone and another for my cheeks.

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