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

7 Reviews

1. 

   betrayedBurritos1

   Reply

   This sunscreen is quite pricey where I am ($50.00 CAD). However, a little goes a long way and the 60 ml bottle lasted me a bit over 5 months. I loved how light and non-greasy it was on my skin. Contrary to another review, I found it retained moisture in my face throughout the day.

2. 

   wakefulDoughnut1

   Reply

   I don’t know if between earlier reviews and my review there has been a change in formula, but my experience isn’t at all what the reviews here are describing. I purchased mine from a reputable ebay seller with manufacture date of March 2014, so expired or fake product is out of the question.

   Pro:
   – Mattifying yet not flat-looking – I didn’t even know I wanted this in a sunscreen, but now it’s gonna be hard for other sunscreens to live up to this one because of this!
   – Holds well under sweats.
   – Doesn’t leave a grey cast or show in photograph.
   – Very good protection!
   – Doesn’t irritate my sensitive skin.
   – Doesn’t leave any unpleasant feeling on my skin after applying. In fact, I forgot I even had this on most of the time.

   Cons:
   – Extremely drying. I could smell the alcohol when I pour it out and when I put it on my face.

   My skin profile: combination with extremely oily T-zone (like 15-minute-after-washing oily)

   With so many pros against cons, it might seem like the perfect sunscreen, and for combination-skin or oily-skin girls, the drying point might actually seem appealing. But let me assure you, it is not at all that. After half a day using this, my cheeks, normally very well-behaved with just moisturizer, are so dry that there are flakes and flakes visible, and if I scratch my cheeks, those flakes will fall down like snow (gross I know, I’m sorry!). The overwhelming alcohol smell should have been my warning, and I’m not even kidding, there’s no other smell to this other than the alcohol smell.

   If you are not familiar with why alcohol is bad, it’s because it’s very drying and the fast track to premature or added wrinkles. It strips all of skin’s natural oils, therefore skin will overproduce oil to compensate, which leads to even oilier skin.

   I desperately want to like this sunscreen, particularly for its mattifying feature, holding power, and excellent protection, but the alcohol is just too much that prolonged use of this will damage my skin more than it protects.

   With the high price (about $30 for 60ml), I don’t think I would repurchase this particular sunscreen again. However, this one is enough to convince me to try other Shiseido sunscreens. Maybe there’s one with less alcohol content? Or maybe I should try the ever-popular Kabo sunscreen? Either way, my quest for the perfect sunscreen continues.

3. 

   amusedApples1

   Reply

   I have used Shiseido sunscreen before and was thrilled with until the usda made them change their rating and their formula for the USA. Sucks if you ask me, then I found this Anessa. It is everything that Shiseido had in their old formula without the greasy sweat sheen. OMG I love it!
   It is the industrial sunscreen my husband loved so very much when I found the blue Shiseido. It goes on matte and stays on even if you sweat how perfect is that?! There is no smell and it’s runny as my old one was, but that’s just the way I like it, this way I know how much I’m putting on my body. It does not feel greasy either, sinks right into the skin like velvet.
   This one also does not make my skin break out with red bumps and pimples. I have very sensitive skin. I have psoriasis. This sunscreen not breaking me out is a serious plus.
   I use the Shiseido facial cleansing oil to remove all traces of this sunscreen, then I use Fresh Soy Facial Wash and I have perfect results every time.
   This sunscreen has been worth the search and wait since the American version has been sullied. All because someone “thinks” we in the USA don’t need the same great sunscreen, let me get away from this soap box. I can’t stand the idea that we would be denied this sunscreen.
   It has less in the bottle than the blue Shiseido sunscreen but that’s ok. I’ll but two so we can make it through the summer months and get another for the winter.
   It is a bit pricey but very much worth it. My only down side to this sunscreen is that I can not read the writing on the back or on the package because it’s Japanese. I’ll get it translated one day, LOL!
   For now I understand enough to know that I need to wait 15 minutes before we go into the sun with this, I’m ok with that.

4. 

   kindFish7

   Reply

   I came across this sunscreen at a store in Narita Airport, while in transit.
   I don’t usually write product reviews, but this sunscreen is just so good that it would be selfish to not write a review! Btw the one I bought was the latest formulation, which is PA++++!

   Most sunscreens bother me so much, as the powerful ones (la roche posay, blue lizard etc) tend to leave a whitish tint on my face, and since i often don’t want to put makeup over it, i just end up looking paler.

   This Anessa sunscreen is not only powerful (i repeat PA++++), but it also almost Disappears into skin, just leaving it slightly more matte. Some people will like the matte look, some won’t, but it’s way better than having a white-cast on your face! So if u don’t apply makeup after putting on this sunscreen, your skin will still look fine.

   It doesn’t cause skin problems at all, even though often I’m so lazy that i don’t wash it off before bed. And I have not gotten the slightest tan or burn over the past week that I’ve used this sunscreen.
   The price is not cheap, but it’s worth it i think.

   I will definitely order this online. And buy it whenever I’m stopping over in Narita airport. =)

5. 

   ardentCaribou5

   Reply

   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.

6. 

   aloofLlama4

   Reply

   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!

7. 

   cynicalCaribou9

   Reply

   Background Information:
   In the spring of 2010, 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 (2010) 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.
   …..
   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.)
   …..
   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.

   Edit:
   Because people tend to delete the ingredients in the tab above, I’m putting it down here. Please be aware, though, that Anessa sunscreen gets reformulated every few years, so this is probably not exactly the same as the ingredients in the most current version.

   Active Ingredients:
   Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate 7.494%
   Zinc Oxide 8.360%
   Octocrylene 3.000%
   Polysilicone-15 3.000%
   Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl hexyl benzoate 1.000%
   Bis-ethylhexyloxyphenol methoxyphenyl triazine 0.500%

   Ingredients:
   Cyclomethicone, water, ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, zinc oxide, alcohol, dimethicone, ethylhexylpalmitate, talc, isododecane, polymethylsilsesquioxane, octocrylene, polysilicone-15, titanium dioxide, polybutylene glycol/PPG-9/1 copolymer, trimethylsiloxysilicate, methyl gluceth-10, diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl hexyl benzoate, nis-ethylhexyloxyphenol methoxyphenyl triazine, C9-15 flouroalcohol phosphate, dipotassium glycyrrhizate, gentiana urnula flower extract, sodium hyaluronate, thymus serpillum extract, potentilla erecta root extract, PEG-9 polydimethylsiloxyethyl dimethicone, cyclopentasiloxane, acrylates/ dimethicone copolymer, isostearic acid, sodium acryloyldimethyltaurate/ methyacrylamindolauric acid copolymer, disteardimonium hectorite, alumina, butylene glycol, triethoxycaprylylsilane, trisodium EDTA, BHT, phenoxyethanol, fragrance