Currently loving: Shiseido Anessa Perfect UV sunscreen - SPF 50 PA+++

We're enjoying a glorious -and burning - 31°C/88°F outside today, so on days like this my skin needs less makeup and more protection. Enters a SPF I like a lot: Shiseido Anessa Perfect UV Sunscreen, SPF 50 and PA +++ . Wow, that's a mouthfull. But what does that mean?

Your sunscreen primarily protects your skin from the UVB's, these are the ones that burn your skin. The level of protection is indicated by the SPF factor. This factor doesn't indicate any kind of strength level for the filter, it actually refers to longevity. Say you can stand in the sun without protection for 2 mins before your skin begins to burn, well using a SPF 50 will protect your skin for 2mins x 50 = 100 mins. The higher the factor, the longer your skin is protect without you needing to reapply. 

Next to UVB's, there are also UVA's, and even if they don't burn, they do damage the skin, makes it age faster and contribute to potential melanoma development, so it's important to protect your skin from them too. Sunscreens that protect your skin from UVB's and UVA's are called broad-spectrum, so look for that on the packaging.
One of the method used is called PPD and ranges the level of UVA protection from 1 to 5 stars. Shiseido uses their own system where PA +++ is the highest factor.

So in short, this is an industrial strength sun protection lotion, which I do need because a/ I'm über pale and b/ I have sun allergy also known as sun rash. So protection high is mandatory for me (as it should be for everyone, really).

I ordered this from ichibankao  with the idea to use it on my face, under my makeup. This is in fact designed for outdoor activities and swimming, so I figured it would last pretty well on me. It is supposed to be water resistant, altough it's always advised to reapply SPF after a swim.
(Side note: That means you'll need to use an oil-based cleanser to remove it properly at night)

The product is a very liquidy white milk that applies very easily and feels really lightweight on the skin. It doesn't have a smell, it sinks into the skin quite well, and it creates a perfectly smooth surface for your makeup to be applied on.

Through the day, it doesn't make me look greasy, neither does it make my makeup glide or move around. I have to say, though, that on days where I need to wear this, I generally don't wear a heavy base on top - tinted moisturizer or powder are my bases of choice for hot days.

Shiseido Anessa, like other Japanese sunscreens, can be on the pricier side and need to be ordered online, but I haven't found an equivalent in the brands available here that would provide so much protection with such a lightweight formula that doubles up as a makeup primer. Definitely worth a try in my opinion!

Ingredient list for the geeks: 

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