A'Pieu is apparently a sister brand of Missha and it's one of the cheaper Korean brands. When I was looking to try out one of Korean sunscreens, I found this one as one of the most raved about as well as cheap. It has won beauty awards and had positive reviews which made me want to try it out. Plus it's also not too expensive.
It comes in a simple white plastic tube with orange details. Well lightweight and great to travel with. They have a few creams in their Pure Block range. I chose Natural Sun Cream Daily with SPF 45.
The top is a screw on and it has small enough hole for you to control how much product you want. Because the formula of it is very light and liquid, it can start to look messy around that hole. But that happens to me with most of sunscreens anyway. Just clean it off every once in a while.
The cream comes wrapped with a plastic wrap, so that you know it's unused. But there is no ingredients list on it, well at least not in English. So I found ingredients list here.
It supposedly contains mild ingredients. The three main components are natural aloe vera leaf extract (moisturizing and soothing), berry blossom complex (protects from harmful environment, makes skin clear and bright) and dessert watermelon (calm and protects skin from harmful environment).
I should point out that this is a chemical sunscreen. That is also the reason why the formula is so lightweight and doesn't leave a white cast.
It also has SPF of 45 and PA+++ protection.
It has a light white consistency that is not runny, but is quite thin for something that looks like a regular cream. Once you spread it, it becomes sheer looking, lightweight cream that absorbs into the skin really quickly. It's non sticky and dry to the touch. There is no white cast, even if you apply a thicker layer or reapply it.
The finish that it leaves on the skin is a very slight sheen. It feels sort of velvet, but is not completely matte, because it has a natural sheen. It also feels a bit moisturizing, but in no way dewy or glowy looking. It works good as a makeup base. Even my boyfriend commented how velvet it feels on the skin, like nothing, and he would know, because he absolutely hates face creams.
The cream has strong citrus scent to it, that you smell right after you open it up. I find that the scent vanishes once it's on the skin or maybe I don't notice it anymore. But if you're sensitive to fragrance, keep that in mind.
In the tube is 50 ml of product and I bought it for around 7€ on Ebay from this seller. To me that's a bargain for a sunscreen for the face. You can get A'Pieu in most Korean online stores like Jolse and Rose Rose Shop.
I've been using this daily in the summer months as the last step in my skin care routine. It's so lightweight, has nice velvet sheen, no white cast, is not greasy and in general feels so good on the skin. I also took it with me when I went to the pool and I reapplied it through the day several times and I didn't catch any color or sun burn. Although I would recommend this more as a daily protection, not for swimming on going on holiday, as it's not water resistant or waterproof. They do have a water proof version of this as well.
It also didn't cause me any clogged pores or irritation and I have generally sensitive skin, although it's less irritated in summer months.
If I compare this to usual face sunscreens from drugstore brands and even some other European brands, I'd say that this is the most lightweight and non-greasy sunscreen I've ever had. But then again, I mostly bought physical sunscreens, so I can't really compare properly. If you don't mind a lovely refreshing citrus scent and are not allergic to chemical sunscreen filters than I'm sure you'll love this one. It's simple and wears like nothing, which is all I could ask from a sunscreen.
I will be going to the seaside and am planning on getting a waterproof sunscreen for the face. I am unsure of which one to get. Maybe La Roche-Posay Anthelios, because I've already used it before. If you have any good wateproof suggestions with SPF 50, I'd love to hear about.
