SHISEIDO Urban Environment Oil-Free UV Protector for Face SPF 42 PA+++

This is a really good, but not perfect facial sunscreen for sensitive skin. Its best features are probably how gentle it is, and its consistency. However for the cost I'd expect a little more.

The Good

High SPF
Goes on thin and absorbs easily
Non-greasy and no breakouts
Extremely good for sensitive skin!
Water resistant

I actually used this regularly, not only on my face, but also on a fresh tattoo without any hint of irritation. Such a relief from standard sunscreens that actually feel like they're burning my face. It's a very thin, milky consistency that spreads and absorbs easily without feeling oily. Oh and it's water resistant so it sticks around even when you get sweaty. Didn't cause breakouts either. It has a light but pleasant enough smell, with that classic zinc undertone. While it's subtle, I did find the smell lingered.

The Bad

Slightly chalky under makeup
Expensive for the amount you get

It's such a small bottle for the cost, and I went through it very quickly. Even if you only apply it once a day, it won't last you all summer. My other complaint is that I do find it leaves a chalky finish when foundation is applied over it. Only noticeable when you're looking really close, but this combined with the quantity is enough that I'm trying other brands. I'm very pale so I don't notice a colour change, but those with darker skin might find the chalkiness leaves a white cast. Ymmv

Recommend for extra sensitive and fair skin. If you dont mind the cost it's an excellent choice for those who go without foundation on the daily and react badly to most other sunscreens.

Good sunscreen but leaves a white cast. I minimize the chalkiness by applying immediately after moisturizing so my skin is not dry. Contains silicones as well so I will not be repurchasing. With that being said, it does not cause breakouts.

Leaves an intense white cast and makes my face itch. Not a good SPF for me and my rosacea. No fragrance to this and bottle is functional but cumbersome in my arthritic hands.

Goes on lightweight. Leaves a slight white cast. For me this doesn’t suffice as a foundation primer. I don’t seem to break out from this like I do with most sunscreens.

To be fair, I only tried a Sephora sample, but here's my impression. I am a pale person. Like Conan O'Brien pale. This sunscreen somehow made me ever whiter. Normally, physical sunscreens will start me with a white cast, then eventually blend in as I start sweating/living/etc. Not this. I stayed perfectly geisha'd and matte throughout the day.

But I like the higher spf, the mattifying quality (I get a little oily with sunscreen), and the fact that it didn't irritate my uber sensitive skin. So I think I might purchase a full bottle. Will update if I end up hating it long term.

This product reacted very bizarrely with my skin. I have acne-prone and very oily skin. I was previously using the Clarins UV 50 Sunscreen Multi-Protection SPF 50 which I still do looovveeeeee, but it just doesn't have the proper ingredients for full broad spectrum sun protection which is why I turned to this one.

When I first put this on over moisturizer it mattifies my skin a bit, but also makes my makeup go much smoother over my pores which is amazing. My makeup looks much more flawless and air-brushed. The weird part w this product is that it reallyreally messes up my makeup for the rest of the day. My ELDW can last me 6+ hours (including blotting once or twice), but with this that time diminishes to about 3-4 hours. I start to look shiny, and my makeup turns cakey, patchy, and begins to separate. Really unfortunate since I need my sunscreen to work with makeup and I love the ingredients in this sunscreen. But it's just a horrible combination when paired w very oily skin.

I'm allergic to sunlight and have a bad reaction to most sunscreens, but I love swimming and the outdoors. Before I found this sunscreen, I'd just try to suck it up and deal with the burning and redness that other sunscreens caused, and I'd inevitably still wind up with a sunburn somehow (and wind up deathly ill), no matter how much and how carefully I applied. I took this Shiseido with me on a river trip where I was in and out of the water and outside all day, only reapplied once throughout the day, and I did not burn and it did not irritate my skin at all. I'm very pale, and I didn't notice a white cast with this (but I'd deal with the white cast to be able to go outside and enjoy myself). It isn't oily at all. It's just a dream product for me. Non-irritating, non-oily, so protective, waterproof and amazing.

This is my first ever 5 star review because this sunscreen is that good of a product. It dissapears into your skin leaving a slightly tacky but smooth matte finish. The oil control aspect is better than the majority of the product that was marketed as oil control moisturizer/primer. Add a drop of foundation/bronzer if the white cast is bothering you. I use it as my primer as well, or mix it with a pump of foundation in there for a bit coverage. Makes my foundation last all day. Keeps the oil slick looking fresh and matte all day. Doesn't smell like sunscreen!!!!!

May not be great on dehydrated skin as it does cling a bit to dry skin so you gotta moisturize real nice like you should. If you don't need oil control then any other sunscreen is as good. If dry skin but likes matte finish i suggest La Roche Posay's mineral primer spf 50.

I work in cosmetics and have never been so happy with a product. Price is steep but worth every penny.

Super pricey for sunscreen but completely worth it. It's so lightweight, absorbs the excess oil on my face and of course protects my super sensitive skin from the sun. Used alone this is completely perfect but layered with other products like a moisturizer or primer this balls up. What I love to do is mix a cocktail of this, Benefits Porefessional Matte Rescue Primer & Clean & Clear's Advantage Acne Control Hydrating Gel Moisturizer & put it all over my face at once that way everything evenly absorbs & I don't have any balling up or pilling from layering different products. Would totally repurchase again.

So I purchased the large bottle at Ulta, and have since returned. I read great things about it and decided to give it a try as a summer sunscreen that looked more matte than my normal one. The bottle is small, yet sturdy and pretty. I managed to get it for $33 for the large bottle at Ulta, but they have since raised to the $46 Sephora is charging, which does seem like a steep price that I doubt I would pay unless this was perfect in every way for my skin. It shakes well and does not leak that I could tell in the week I had it. It has a light scent, but I actually found it pleasant, and I usually HATE scent in facial products. It was a very liquid product that absorbed almost immediately after applying. There was a slight white cast that faded/blended shortly after application. SPF is high and while I didn't get to actually test it in a full day of sun, seemed good. Where it all went wrong for me is the high alcohol content. It really dried me out and left my skin feeling tight and caused flaking/peeling, which in turn the sunscreen clung to, causing white patches. I don't have an issue with alcohol in skincare if it is further down the list or is not drying (yes, Paula's choice site says alcohol is horrible, but I could not find any real research or sources that back this up, and many dermatologists and doctors saying there's no evidence for this). Anyway, I tried moisturizing before hand and patting it on vs rubbing it, but my nose was still peeling and my other dry patches getting clingy with product, and skin that's is usually not dry feeling tight. I was not able to make it work due to the drying nature. This would be great for oily skin, but for sensitive, combo skin it was no good.