VT Essence Sun Pact SPF50+ PA+++ Review – Unboxing Beauty

I have been wanting to try this sunscreen from VT Comestics for ages!  Honestly, from the Tiffany blue case to the beautiful blue and white swirls, this is ready for the ‘gram!     I received this product from Jolse Cosmetic, a premier K-Beauty online store, complementary  for review purposes. 

Skin Type/Concerns: Oily, blemish prone, dehydrated pores, aging skin with fine lines/wrinkles, hyper-pigmentation: sun damage & PIH

I received these products complementary to review and was not paid.  All reviews are my own honest opinion and  I never have been asked to write copy for a brand.  This blog post might contain promo codes, affiliate and referral links, which using my links will help generate a small commission that helps support my blog at no extra cost to you.

Why is Sunscreen So Important?

Whenever I do a sunscreen review, I always like to include this in my blog post.  It may seem repetitive if you are familiar with my blog posts, but not everyone reads every review or clicks on resources to find out what I am referring to.  If you already know this information, just skip over. 

We all know what SPF rating means, but what does PA stand for?   I am very familiar with SPF (sun protection factor) and that it ranks based on protection from UVB :: ultraviolet B (shortwave) rays.  But the PA rating is something newish to me and a lot of Western readers, and I really notice it on Asian sunscreens, not so much American brands.    PA is the amount of protection the sunscreen offers from UVA :: ultraviolet A (long-wave) rays.  PA ranks with + signs and the higher the + signs, the more protection you will get from UVA rays. 

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UVB is what causes sunburns and reddened skin and has direct links to cancer.  UVA is what causes us to tan, and age ~ wrinkles and deep lines are caused by UVA exposure.  A really fantastic article about ultraviolet rays and how they affect our skin can be found here at the Skin Cancer website  and I highly recommend reading it.   One thing I have learned is that a broad spectrum sunscreen is the proper choice as it will help deflect the UV rays and not allow them to penetrate into your skin layers.  All of the make p:rem UV Defense Me sunscreens are rated SPF 50+ PA++++

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TL;DR:  You need to wear them.  Don’t skimp on or skip this step.

VT Essence Sun Pact has a rating of SPF50+ PA+++ and contains 6 UVA/UVB blockers, of which 4 are chemical and two are physical

• Chemical: Parsol MCX (UVA/UVB), Octisalate (UVB), Octocrylene (UVA/UVB) , Tinosorb S (UVA/UVB)
• Physical: Zinc Oxide (UVA/UVB), Titanium Dioxide (UVA/UVB)

With the physical blockers, expect to see some type of white cast.  This also has some nice skin-loving ingredients:  soothing and healing centella, sebum controlling and antibacterial powerhouse tea tree, skin brightening, anti-inflammatory licorice along with anti-wrinkle,  anti-aging and anti-inflammatory adenosine.  There is also some vitamin C in here in the derivative form of sodium ascorbyl phosphate to help with evening out skin tone and some anti-aging, skin hydrating peptides that will help aid in collagen production ~ copper tripeptide-1, palmitoyl pentapeptide-4, acetyl hexapeptide-8.  Obviously this has some humectants with hyaluronic acid and glycerin and this does have dimethicones to provide a silky smooth finish. 

Ingredients: Water, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate(Parsol MCX), Zinc Oxide (CI 77947), Ceresin, Octyldodecanol, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Centella Asiatica (Gotu Kola) Extract, Octocrylene,  Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine (Tinosorb S), Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Helichrysum Italicum (Everlasting) Extract, Hydrolyzed Elastin, Copper Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Opuntia Coccinellifera Fruit Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Flower Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Extract, Portulaca Oleracea (Green Purslane) Extract, Carbonated Water, Sea Water, Dimethicone, Aluminum Hydroxide, Mica (CI 77019), Stearic Acid, Hydrogen Dimethicone, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Oil Soluble Licorice (Glycyrrhiza) Extract, Adenosine, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Lecithin, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ultramarines (CI 77007) cosDNA

The packaging is this lovely Tiffany Blue shade cover with a gold rim and black base.  There is the standard puff and the sunscreen is in a solid form.  The swirls of white and blue are so pretty and I really didn’t want to take that first swipe into the product!  According to the brand, the white essence contains the concentrated sunscreen ingredients whereas the blue essence contains the peptide complex.   This is a cream solid, but I do not need to press down hard on the cream with the puff.  This has an intense iridescent look to it which does go away after a few minutes on the skin.  However, that iridescence does still lingers on, leaving my skin looking luminous.

Maybe TOO luminous.  The issue I had with this product as both a functional sunscreen and a glow-y product is that in order to have the appropriate coverage for a sunscreen, my face would look very greasy and layered in this white iridescent cream.  I want to point out this is a very moisturizing cream product as well.  I only patted in a thin layer below and that is all I wanted to have on my skin for that look.  

So, whereas I think this is a nice product to have to layer over your existing sunscreen and foundation as a highlighter, I would not recommend this pact to be your sole sunscreen product.  You will not apply enough on your skin due to the iridescence quality of the product.  This product really reminds me of the  defunct VDL Lumilayer Metal Cushion Primer, which isn’t a sunscreen, but a primer that brightens up the complexion.  It now only provided that luminosity, but also had vitamin C and adenosine, which VL Essesnce Sun Pact has as well.   I really loved this primer and was really sad to see it be discontinued.  However, I think that if you are looking for a product that provides a similar finish as that primer,  VL’s Essence Sun Pact is pretty close to that product, if you use it as a highlighter. It will go on nice and sheer, without being greasy and provide that nice radiance to the skin.   But as a sunscreen?  A big nope from me. 

Where to Purchase

VT Essence Sun Pact is sold at Jolse for $12.80 for 11 grams of product (click here to purchase).  Jolse offers free global shipping plus gives a lot of samples out ~ the more you purchase, the more samples you get! Please note that the prices do fluctuate a little bit due to the WON to USD exchange rates.  Please click on my links to purchase, as I make a small commission at no cost to you! 

All prices are in USD ~   Jolse offers free global shipping plus gives a lot of samples out ~ the more you purchase, the more samples you get! Please note that the prices do fluctuate a little bit due to the WON to USD exchange rates. Make sure to check your coupon zone (click here) for money saving discounts. You need to log into Jolse first, then download the coupons before you use them.  Their coupon savings has recently changed and your savings is now tied into how much you spend there, so make sure to check it  out

[ products received for review purposes.  blog post contains affiliate links ]