Kleenex Oil Blotter

As someone with oily skin, I am never without a pack of oil blotting sheets in close reach. I can go through a whole day without touching up my foundation or powder but I can't go more than a few hours with using an oil blotter. For years, I have been a loyal user of Gatsby Oil Clear Sheets, as explained in my earlier post, as they are effective, cheap and a generous size compared to, say, Clean & Clear. Film blotters are also much more absorbent than paper-based versions. However, I think I may have finally found a worthy contender to Gatsby!

I got this sample pack of Kleenex Oil Blotter in a local women's magazine recently and started using it last week. It retails at S$3.65 for 50 sheets (whereas Gatsby is usually S$3.90 for 70 sheets). The innovative feature of the Kleenex Oil Blotter is that one side of it is a cottony floral design that does not turn transparent after soaking up the oil.

The plain side is the oil blotting side. Kleenex claims that its version absorbs twice the amount of oil as other film blotters but I don't actually find it to be that much more oil absorbent than the Gatsby version. Like the Gatsby version, one sheet of the Kleenex Oil Blotter is usually sufficient for me.

After absorbing the oil, the plain side turns a darker shade of purple.

The floral print side only shows a subtle difference. This is definitely much more discreet and elegant than using a conventional film blotter that turns transparent and looks greasy with the oil splotches visible for everyone to see! My younger cousins actually used to watch in morbid fascination when I used the Gatsby blotters.

The Kleenex blotter is just a tiny bit smaller than the Gatsby. The floral print side also feels very soft as it is covered with cotton fibres, which naturally reminds one of Kleenex's super-soft plush tissues. Another advantage is that your fingers don't feel oily after using it.

I'm definitely purchasing this after I've used up the sample pack!

Beauty Essentials: Blotting Sheets

If you ask me which beauty item I need to have with me at all times or which item I have most faithfully/frequently re-purchased, the answer is Gatsby Oil Clear Sheets. Ever since I was a teenager, I have had oily skin which shows no signs of abating even after I hit my 30s. I even tried Roaccutane twice for several months each time but the oiliness returned after I stopped taking the medication. So for me, these blotting sheets are an absolute lifesaver and I always try to have a pack in my bag, another at my work desk and a third in my bedroom. Sometimes I don't even have any makeup in my purse but you will always find a pack of blotting sheets in there. These sheets are excellent for wicking away the oil without removing your makeup.

Gatsby has been my staple for too many years to count. My mother used to buy these by the dozen from People's Park in Chinatown (from those shops selling cheap toiletries). Now, I just purchase them from Watsons where they cost about S$4 for a pack of 70 sheets. What I like about the Gatsby sheets is that they are much more absorbent than paper-based blotting sheets. The generous size also means that I usually need only one sheet, whereas sometimes I need to use up to five sheets of the Body Shop's Tea Tree Blotting Tissues. Gatsby also has paper-based blotting sheets that contain a sprinkling of powder to help mattify the skin but I still prefer the non-powder version.

The Gatsby version is very similar to Clean & Clear in terms of the material but Gatsby is greater value for money because not only are the Gatsby sheets larger, there are also 70 sheets in a Gatsby pack compared to 50 for Clean & Clear.



The Body Shop's Tea Tree Blotting Sheets (S$5.50 for a pack of 65) are infused with organic tea tree oil to help combat blemished skin. While I like the tea tree oil scent, the absorbent power is much less impressive compared to Gatsby. As I need to use a four or five sheets each time, I can go through one Body Shop pack in just a week whereas the Gatsby pack usually lasts me a few weeks.