Part Two
In this economy we all want to shine at work – but not because our face is a greasy mess.
I’m a fan of blotting paper. I have some friends that swear by the high end ones by Shiseido, and others that will only use shreds from toilet seat covers. I wouldn’t recommend either. While I’m a fan of many high end products from brands like Shiseido, you don’t need to spend your hard earned money on blots. At the same time, bathrooms are full of germs, and considering that toilet seat covers are kept less than two feet from toilets – where fecal micro particles and other bacteria can easily reach them – I would never use those on my face either. And before your mind can say “but I get one from the back, not the one in the front!” let me tell you – GERMS travel. You shouldn’t be putting ANYTHING from a public bathroom on your face.
My favorite blots are the ones featuring a Geisha lady on the front, found in low-rent beauty supplies, which are abundant here in Southern California. These usually have a translucent powder, so the papers not only remove oil immediately, but the powder absorbs oil throughout the day so skin remains matte longer.
Understandably, a lot of people—guys especially—will not want anything with powder near their face. There are quite a few inexpensive powder and fragrance free options. My favorite is the blotting sheets by E.L.F. because not only are they free of artificial fragrance, dyes, talc, etc., but they’re also dirt-cheap: $1 for a pack of 50. The downside is they’re easiest to buy online, so unless you’re buying a bunch it is just easier and cheaper to buy the Clean and Clear brand sheets (also fragrance/dye/powder free) at your local drugstore. So at these prices kids, stop using toilet seat covers on your face. They belong on your ass.
The other thing I recommend to fellow greasers is Peter Thomas Roth Max Anti-Shine Mattifying Gel for the t-zone area, especially the nose, and also the scalp for guys with shaved heads. This is where you spending money on a high-end brand makes sense because this is one of the better mattiffying products I have tried. The product is almost entirely silicones. They smooth out skin, absorb oil throughout the day. At $35, it is pricey, but lasts a long time. My big complaint with this product is the packaging makes it a little hard to get the entire product out when it’s almost used up. When the product seems empty, take off the bottle cap and use a clean q-tip to get at the rest of the product.
For the ladies with oily skin, this product also makes an excellent primer.
Peter Thomas Roth
Max Anti-Shine Mattifying Gel
$35.00 / 1 oz
