Review: Shiseido Anessa whitening uv protector

Shiseido has always been a brand I like and use. I prefer their Asian lines over the ones we get at the high end counters. I'm not saying the products in the counter aren't good. It's just that they are not that suitable for me. 

I've always loved the Anessa UV Protector line from Shiseido. I find them affordable and works great. They are also non-greasy which is something I look for in a sunscreen. I hate the chemical smell from most sunscreen in the market and most of them give you the sticky and oily feeling. 

There are different lines from the Anessa line and I normally use their Perfect UV sunscreen. I received a sample size of the whitening UV protector when I purchased the full size Perfect UV sunscreen. This is a perfect way for me to test out a product. I don't need to buy it and there is enough product for me to truly test out the product. 

  Like the Perfect UV sunscreen, this has a milky lotion texture and it's light enough to be used on both the face and body. Even it's a milky lotion, I find it providing enough moisture to my skin and it doesn't leave my face looking oily. With SPF32, it provides enough protection for daily use. 

After you apply it, it might feel a little sticky for the first two minutes, but once it gets absorbed into the skin, you don't really notice it being there.

This doesn't leave a white cast on your face and like other Anessa sunscreen, it's wet proof and sweat proof. As with all sunscreen I do use a cleansing balm to remove it. As with the whitening effect, I personally don't notice a difference to my skin tone. 

  

But there is something about this sunscreen I don't like or from there's something from their whitening line in general. When I apply it to my face, it doesn't irritate my skin but I can smell the alcohol in the product. I never had this problem before and I've tried using the other sunscreen from Shiseido and none of them gave me this problem. I also tried Shiseido's brightening toner and all I could smell was alcohol so I blame it on their whitening line.

Other than the smell I would say this is a great sunscreen. Perfect to use during the warmer months. It is even suitable for using on your body.

What is your favorite sunscreen?   

facial cotton comparison

This is a comparison for the readily available better quality facial cottons available in the GTA. I've tried a lot of facial cottons and I find the quality of Asian brands being a lot better than the generic cotton pads available in most drug stores.

Let's just say the round generic ones are too rough for your face and they are also too thick and suck up too much product causing you to use more. The quality is so bad I don't even want to use them on my face. They are not entirely cheap. They normally cost around$2.99 for a pack of 100 cotton pads.

The small round ones they are not as rough on the face but it's too small and tend to peel so I don't even bother buying them even for removing nail polish.

There are 5 cotton pad brands I generally use because I use a lot of cotton pads. I use around 6-10 per day and that's just for my face. I personally prefer the Shiseido one but it's too expensive for me to use it. I do not want to spend $10 on facial cotton every month.

These are the cotton pads I've been currently using and there are all readily available in the GTA. The three in the paper boxes are available at T&T a local Asian supermarket. There are several T&T in the GTA including one in downtown and one in Mississauga so you can find them easily. The Shiseido one is available at most Shoppers Drug Mart and Shiseido counters. The prices range from $ 2- $9 (before tax) for the above cotton pads.

Kyowa cotton pads are Japanese facial cotton pads that are made out of 100% cotton. These go on sale quite often and they are $ 2 when it goes on sale. Each box have 80 sheets. They are soft on the face and they don't suck up a lot of products. 

Selena is another Japanese brand. This is also 100% cotton you can tell the texture is different on both sides. On one side is smooth while the other is a little rougher. I use this with my hitachi hada crie as this is soft on the face and doesn't break up easily like the Shiseido when I use it with the hada crie. I think original price is around$ 5.5 but when it's on sale, they are $2.99 for a box of 90 sheets.

Cosmed cotton pads. These come from Taiwan. This is not cotton but paper fiber. Well from the box, it says that it's made out of 100% air-laid non-woven fabric. I would say this is different from other cotton pads I've tried before. These are not the softest on the market but soft enough I will use them on my face. But I still prefer 100% cotton ones over this one. That is the full size of each cotton pad. So it's definitely a lot bigger than other cotton pads on the market. Can be used for doing lotion masks.

Original price should be around $7 but when it's on sale they are $3 for a box of 180 sheets. 

One of the most expensive cotton pads on the market. 100% cotton. They never go on sale. Even if you get them at the warehouse sale they are still expensive. Last time I checked the price at the warehouse sale was only $1-2 dollars cheaper than their normal retail price. Regular price is $9 for 165 pieces. 

These are soft on the face and can be separated into 5 layers for doing lotion masks. 

There are other facial cottons that are soft and can be split into different layers. They are both Japanese brands and available at the beauty store at J-Town at Woodbine and Steeles. One is pink plastic package (forgot the brands) and the other one is the Selena green package. I think the prices are $4.00 and $3.59 respectively. They also have sample packs opened and you can feel them before you buy them. 

Is the Shiseido one a lot softer than the ones mentioned above? Not really. The Shiseido one is softer but not worth the price difference when compared to other Japanese facial cottons out there especially the ones where you can split into different layers. 

Which facial cotton do you use? 

Foundation Brushes

I have a few foundation brushes but I always go back to the same brush. I have always loved my Shiseido 131 foundation brush aka the Shiseido perfect foundation brush that is sold in the international markets. I have this for over a year and I have abandoned my other foundation brushes. This is a small flat top foundation brush that gives you the perfect flawless look. You can use it with liquid, cream or powder foundation. I even use it for applying my blushes as this feels super soft on my skin and doesn't scratch or poke my skin. It's the perfect brush but it's so small so it takes forever to apply the make up so I only use the brush during the weekend. I normally use those Korean auto patting foundation device during weekdays as they are the fastest. They allow me to finish my base make up in 2 minutes. 

I find the Shiseido 131 being the perfect foundation brush for me so when I heard that Kose Esqprique came out with a similar brush I had to get it. When I got it, the only thing I can say is this is even better than the Shiseido brush. 

   

From the comparison pictures you can see that the Kose brush is bigger than the Shiseido one. They are both flat top angled foundation brush. I use circular motions for applying my base with both brushes and they  give me the perfect flawless look. The Kose one is bigger so you can finish your make up in less time. The handle for the Kose brush is also a little longer so this might be preferred by some people. The Kose one even comes with a little plastic pouch for storing the brush. 

Price wise, they are both reasonably priced. The Shiseido 131 cost 1890 yen and the Kose one cost 1260 yen. I picked up the Kose one off ebay at $15. The Shiseido Perfect Foundation brush costs 38 CAD at Shiseido counters in Canada. The only difference between the Shiseido 131 and  Shiseido Perfect Foundation brush is the material used on the brush handle. 131 has a plastic handle and the Perfect foundation brush has a wooden handle. Otherwise it's completely the same. So Shiseido 131 is definitely a better choice between the two Shiseido brushes. 

They are both made from synthetic materials and because the brush is so dense, it takes a longer time to dry. They both take around a day to dry and since the bristles are very dense so it does take time to wash it completely. 

If you are thinking of getting an flat head angled foundation brush, I would recommend getting the Kose one because it's cheaper and the brush is just bigger so it takes less time to apply your foundation.  

Do you own these brushes? What's your favourite foundation brush?

Beauty Haul from T&T

Yes, I actually bought beauty products from T&T. This is unbelievable. T&T is a local Chinese supermarket in Canada. I was supposed to go there and get a pack of ginger and leave. I know they always sell beauty products at T&T. They have a huge selection of My Beauty Diary Masks that they retail at decent price. I still find them overpriced as I get mine from Hong Kong. My sister goes back every year to restock me with basic beauty products. With all the promotions and without the tax. I normally get mine at half the price they sell at T&T so I never go there for my paper masks. Besides I prefer Korean paper masks over the My Beauty Diary Masks. Don't get me wrong, they are great affordable masks but I just like Korean ones better.

I've always wanted to try Naruko Products. I never knew they are readily available at T&T. I prefer to buy local if there isn't a big price difference. I hate waiting for my packages to arrive. I know Naruko products are available through their Canadian distributor and I thought of getting them once I run out of face cream. Naruko paper masks are on sale at T&T so I had to pick them up. After I got home and checked the prices at the Naruko Canada website. I definitely got myself a deal. The prices at T&T are a few bucks cheaper than the online prices!

Left to Right: White Magnolia Brightening and firming mask, Raw Job's Tears Supercritical CO2 Brighting mask.

I love paper masks, they are convenient and non messy. I always pick paper masks over wash off masks. so two boxes of paper masks won't do any harm to my masks collection. I only have enough that will last for 6 months if I use them everyday, That's nothing compared to my friend's collections where they stocked up a year's supply. 

The Magnolia mask is different from the ones I normally use. It is using the ear loop mask design for it's firming effect. I've never tried the ear loop masks before so this is something new to me. I will definitely try them this week. 

The masks normally retail for 29.99 for the Magnolia and 23.99 for the Raw Job's Tear. Right now they are on sale for 22.99 and 18.99 respectively. It is a good price to try out new products. 

I also picked up two packs of Tsubaki shampoo from Shiseido. My friends had been raving about these shampoo for years but I've never tried them. I used to use Shiseido FT shampoo when I used to live in Hong Kong and I loved Japanese shampoo. They just make your hair so soft and manageable. I just haven't tried this line as it seemed too expensive for a bottle of shampoo. As years gone by, I notice their prices getting more affordable at T&T so this time I've finally picked up two sets to try. Each set are on sale at $14.99. The shampoo and conditioner are also on sale at $12.99 compared to the regular  price  of $17.99 

The Tsubaki line is infused with Tsubaki oil or essential oil and they are supposed to make your hair soft and hydrated. I'm trying just to see if they are living up towards the hype. 

gold line comes with a hair mask where you use once a week while the white set comes with the conditioner. There is also a red line but I couldn't find the set at my local T&T.