Holika Holika UV Magic Shield

Holika Holika UV Magic Shield - Body Spray Sun
SPF 50+ PA+++
Price : 10,000 won ($9.75)

I can't believe I haven't posted about this before!!!! This is an AWESOME can of Sunscreen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am always looking for an alternative to my Anessa sunscreen, since it is so expense(worth it, but at $40-50, it's a lot!)
So I picked up the UV magic shield, thinking it might be ok. It has a high SPF which is my preference.
What it is is the perfect Aerosol can of sunscreen. It applies in light layers. It is easy to apply, and it's easy to apply more or less.  It's white going on, but absorbs super quickly, and doesn't leave a white cast!!!
Best of all is how it feels, It feels like nothing. It's NOT greasy, It's NOT thick, It DOESN'T smell funny!!!!!

So you can see how it applies white.  But that was a super heavy coat! Then it fades to invisible. 

It looks similar- But its NOT!
When I got back to Canada I tried to find a substitute for the Holika Magic Shield. I found the Presidents Choice SPF50 Aerosol. It was More expensive than the Holika(before shipping) an $9.

The president's choice sunscreen is the worst stuff EVER! It sprays out so much that after one quick spray It's running down my arms(ewww). Then  it dries in this gross way, like dried out slime, it get's crusty, and sticky, and feel greasy, all at once! Plus it attracts dirt, so my arms look like they have streaks of dirt.....

Can you see the drips? This is as lightly as I can apply! SO GROSS!!!

In comparison the Holika Magic Shield, applies evenly, lightly, making application super easy. It absorbs into the skin, and feels like I'm not wearing any sunscreen!!!

I LOVE the Holika Holika UV Magic Shield  Body Spray Sun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anessa (Shiseido) – Mild face sunscreen

Anessa (Shiseido) – Mild face sunscreen

SPF 46 PA+++

Price (for full size) 48,000won ($48)

I am madly in love with Anessa sunscreens! They are amazing, and amazingly expensive!
I received a deluxe sample of Anessa mild face sunscreen along with a full size of Anessa Ex.

Surprisingly the Anessa MFS is totally different from the EX or Pearly!!! It’s a runny cream, with a light texture, but it feels nothing like the other Anessa sunscreens! In fact it feels like a regular, chemical sunscreen. So this particular one lacks the qualities that I LOVE in the other Anessa sunscreens.

But on its own, it is lovely. It’s super light, and absorbs into the skin beautifully. It basically just disappears. It does leave my skin soft, but not nearly as soft as the EX.

It doesn’t leave a white cast, and feels very very light, invisible in fact. It also completely lacks a greasy after feeling. Nor does it clog my pores.

It is a really lovely sunscreen, but…. I don’t feel it is worth the price. Most sunscreens are under $20. Even nice expensive ones don’t usually get up to $50, especially considering it only contains only 60ml (for the full size!)
I feel the EX and Pearly are worth it, because they are unlike any other sunscreen I have ever encountered. They are basically in a class of their own. The Mild face sunscreen is lovely, but it’s just an expensive variation on a common theme.

Anessa (Shiseido) – Perfect UV sunscreen EX

Anessa (Shiseido) – Perfect UV sunscreen EX

SPF 50 PA+++

Price 52,000 won ($52)
Size : 60ml

This is the sunscreen I mentioned on my Favorite skincare of 2010. But honestly, this is my favorite sunscreen EVER!!!

I reviewed another Anessa sunscreen – perfect pearly (Which I had bought while living in Japan). EX is similar, it’s just not pearly. I bought it at Olive Young, it’s basically like a Watson’s/Boots/Shoppers, except without the Pharmacy. I’ve only ever seen the stores in Korea, and they sell mostly Japanese (and some foreign items).

It’s my go to place for Japanese things, when I am in Korea (which my boyfriend finds hilarious).

But Olive Young is SO EXPENSIVE! But Anessa was expensive even when I bought it in Japan. *sigh*

Seriously though, if you can afford it, or you have sensitive skin, this sunscreen is worth it.

It is so gentle and lovely. I am certain it’s more like zinc oxide, and physically blocks UV. Rather than the chemical sunscreens you can usually get at the drugstore. I certain that’s why it is so awesome.

Like Anessa's pearly sunscreen, EX comes in a bottle with a small squirt top. There is a bead inside, to mix things up when you shake the bottle. I always shake it before using, but even my old Anessa pearly has never clumped of separated, and it's 3 years old now... (I had a little left and I forgot about it!)

My skin is really sensitive to sunscreen, and sunlight.  Sometimes sunscreen makes me break out in a rash (*euck* I know.) but not Anessa.

 It doesn’t leave a white cast, or clog my pores, or make me sweat(some sunscreens do, it’s really weird).

As you can see from the picture, it is very runny. It's a liquid, not a cream like most sunscreens. It is also super light.
When it dries, it doesn't leave a greasy layer on the skin, like I sometimes find with other products. Instead it dries almost matte. It's odd, because a lot of things that make the skin feel matte are really drying. This isn't. 














It makes the skin feel smooth, and matte, but soft and not at all dry. It reminds me a little of that soft dry feeling of baby powder. But it's not dry or powder.....
The matte finish makes it amazing as a makeup base! It actually helps my makeup last in the hot Korean summer ;D

Best of all makes my skin feel SO soft. Like my skin is brand new. It feels better than after a good exfoliation. It's sooo smooth I find my self stroking my own cheek (*creepy*)
It’s basically magical.

Wonderfully it came in a package with a few freebies! Korean brands are amazing about giving samples, but Japanese brands are hit or miss. If you buy expensive sets, or magazines, sure you get awesome freebies. But I rarely get anything with a single item.

Anessa perfect pearly sunscreen
SPF 50 PA+++

Price: US 15.75 from alphabeautystore

I hate North American brand sunscreen. I am allergic to something in some, but no all sunscreens.
When applied to my face, certain sunscreens with make me blotchy, and purple, and I feel as though I’ve been burned.
It drives me Nuts. I try to wear sunscreen every day. I’m super pale and super paranoid about skin cancer.
But when 90% of sunscreens out there do bad things to you.... It makes it a chore.
So for the past 5 years I’ve tried nearly every sunscreen out there.
And discovered that there are two basic forms of Sunscreen, physical and chemical.
The physical sunscreens, like Zinc oxide don’t bother me.
It’s the chemical ones that make me uncomfortable.
But since walking around with a big slab of zinc oxide on my face... not so practical (Unless Clown was my choice of profession)
so onto chemical sunscreen. I’ve discovered that the thicker the consistency of sunscreen, the more it irritates my skin.
So those thick cream beach sunscreens.
I REFUSE to touch anything of the sort.
So as you might expect, a lot of lower SPF sunscreens work better for me. Like SPF ... useless.
Anyway, eventually I have found a couple of NA brands that work for me, Neutrogena Moisture – SPF 15.
Plus sheer cover mineral make-up has an SPF value...
But while I was in Japan, I ran out of all the safe sunscreen I brought with me.
I then attempted to buy sunscreen there, hoping I wouldn’t have to have stuff flown in (ah drama).
And out of all the brands I tried; only a couple bothered me.
Wait what?
Back home, I can only find a couple that don’t bother me, yet here only a few do...

Japanese sunscreen and NA sunscreens are very different.
In NA, they are generally very thick, very heavy creams; whereas in Japan they are very running liquids.
I think the difference is Sunscreen here is meant mostly as beach ware. Meant to be applied everywhere. And even though lighter facial sunscreens are becoming more and more popular they still maintain their roots.
Whereas the Japanese lines are meant for the face, and designed to apply lightly under make up!

The Anessa sunscreen is a drugstore brand by shisedo. It seems expensive at 15.75US (It’s cheaper in Japan of course...) especially when the size I have is only 25ml. This is tiny. Especially compared to my Neutrogena 120ml. But honestly it applies so well, and you need so little that they both take almost the same amount of time to use up!

So the Anessa perfect pearly sunscreen is a super runny liquid with an SPF of 50 PA+++!
It is lightly pearly but not sparkly. So it applies beautifully under makeup, leaving a soft slightly luminous finish.
It dries almost immediately. Plus it’s not greasy/oily at all. It makes a very good base for apply further make up application.
It doesn’t seem to make further make up slide off, or reduce the lasting time.

So if you have the opportunity, switch to a Japanese sunscreen, do it! They are a little more expensive than the usual drugstore sunscreen, but the quality and lasting power makes it worth it!