TATCHA BLOTTING PAPERS

It's what you won't find in Tatcha Blotting Papers that we find to be refreshing. You won't find papers made of pulp that will eventually scratch your skin. You won't find built in fragrances that have the potential to cause skin irritations and inflamations. You won't find sheets of blotting papers coated with talc or powders that will "ghost out" your complexion. And, you won't find any mineral oil, or petroleum for that matter.

We won't take your time explaining why geishas were devotees of blotting papers, or how the abaca leaf is pounded so perfectly thin that it becomes greater in strength and absorbency. We won't throw around statistics stating that 75% of Japanese High School girls keep blotting papers in their school bags proving that blotting papers are useful for all age groups. We won't explain that all the money in the world can't control the shine on your face quite like a great blotting paper, or how easy it is to periodically 'blot' instead of a complete redo. We won't harp on the fact that one good blotting paper can be your best friend when it comes to to keeping your makeup fresh throughout the day. And, we certainly won't tell you to use the blotting papers that toilet seat covers are made of!

What we will tell you is that Tatcha Blotting Papers honor a 300 year old beauty secret, proving the theory that sometimes wonderful things do come in small packages. Tatcha offers 30 sheets of small, translucent squares (3.75") of surprisingly thin blotting paper neatly packaged in a clever folded paper pouch. They are a handmade, all natural, biodegradable, beautifying treat. Lovely.

Blotting Papers - Face It . . .

Face it . . . a shine is not fine. No matter how you look at it, a shiny face is not a good thing. Dewy, yes. Shiny, no! Shiny screams oily. Shiny never looks fresh and clean. Shiny accentuates lines and facial flaws making mature faces appear older. Ugh! Makeup divas use powder to reduce the shine and the constant need for time consuming touch ups. Great, but powder doesn't do any favors for dry, mature skin. Trust us, we have pretty much tried them all. Powder has a bad habit of settling into all of the the lines and wrinkles we work hard (and pay a lot of money) to minimize.

How can the shine be lifted before applying makeup to reveal healthy, vibrant looking skin? How can oil be removed during the day and leave the makeup intact so we don't have to start all over again . . . I mean, seriously, who has the time? The answer is blotting papers. Blotting papers have been around for generations and are now finding their way back into our makeup bags. Yes, blotting papers are a smart and simple solution for a perfect finish.

As with all good things, there are a few troubling downsides to the practice of blotting. Most blotting papers do not discern between oil and moisture and set out to absorb both. Not good! Blotting papers are recommended for normal to oily skin types, but what about dry, mature skin? And, as a type of beauty double jeopardy, most blotting papers 'soak up' all the goodies loaded into our daily moisturizing creams. Who would have thought the simple act of blotting would be so complicated? We did, and so we set out to find a blotting paper that takes care of all of these very annoying problems. Which one can we recommend? Come back on Monday and we will tell you. Stay tuned!