Sparkled Beauty

Gearing myself up for summer (if we ever get one), I grabbed more blotting papers, Sephora Shine Only from Within blotting paper compact this time.

Similar to Elf On the Spot Blot mattifying blotting papers, Sephora Shine Only from Within also comes in a case with a mirror, with an applicator puff with adhesives to grab a single sheet each time.

Sephora made these papers from charcoal bamboo, said to be highly porous, good for moisture and oil absorption without disturbing makeup. That said, I cannot tell the difference between them and the ones from Elf, to be honest. 

Sephora Shine Only from Within has 100 sheets for $10 while Elf On the Spot Blot is $5 with 25 sheets (just a bit longer in size), so Sephora version has the upper hand, price wise.

The sleek black compact is also more sturdy and the lid stays open where you leave it. The outer clear plastic box (shown underneath) is a nice touch.

The purple puff is of slightly better quality as well, but there is only one layer of adhesive sheet on it, which is not enough for the 100 sheets in the compact.

In fact, the stickiness wore off after the first use for me and the puff could not hold on to the sheet the second time I used it. I guess I can use the Elf puff on the Sephora papers but only until I use up the 8 adhesive sheets on it.

Overall, the Sephora blotting papers do the job for a decent price and the compact feels more luxurious, but the puff does not work well which defeats the purpose.