Gold-flecked sheets encased in textured paper cases, these handmade blotting papers from Tatcha are a beauty conversation-starter.
Made of gold flakes and 100% Abaca leaf (durable fibres of the highest grade, according to the brand), the all-natural sheets originate from the paper that gold craftsmen used ‘to protect the precious metals they hammered into whisper-thin leafing to enrobe the majestic pavilions of Imperial Japan’. Artisan alchemy translated into beauty function when geishas somehow discovered these soft yet resilient sheets and relied on them to keep them skin fresh, well into the night – a professional necessity, surely!
True to their promise, these fragrance-free absorbent leaflets remove excess facial oil without disturbing my makeup. They have a wisp of a waxy feel but nothing rubbery like the black Gatsby blotting papers. They aren’t exceptional but fulfill their function adequately whilst looking delicate and artistic. The minuscule gold bits aren’t copiously scattered; in fact, they look like an incidental random inclusion. If you have reservations about them flaking off, no worries; they don’t come off the blotters.
Here’s a worthy tip from No More Dirty Looks, a beauty website that quotes Tatcha founder Vicky Tsai:
‘(M)akeup artists use this by the boxload—because it sets makeup beautifully. “Most makeup is made up of pigment and a carrier oil,” says Tatcha’s Vicky Tsai. “All you want is the pigment—but it’s the oil that gets it onto your skin evenly.” So one trick you can try? Apply your makeup with a sponge, and 10 seconds after you apply, blot with their papers. That will remove the excess oil but not the pigment, making it last longer on your face!’
The original with 30 sheets is a thoughtful gift from my beauty pal Sara, while the more compact black one with 40 sheets can be found in Singapore at Pure Tincture, where it retails at S$19.90. Do let me know what you think of them!
