Beauty Blender Make-Up Sponge Applicator Review

The BeautyBlender Sponge Applicator has been a hot topic amongst bloggers in the last two years and finally shot straight into many makeup junkies' makeup pouches after being widely distributed into  several retail channels. Plus, BeautyBlender topped a number of magazine "must-haves" of 2013.

I received my BeautyBlender as a gift this past summer and have used it for over 4 months since so I'd like to finally review the little miracle. 

This is BeautyBlender right out of the package. It's tear-drop shaped and made of high qualify materials that make the product light, durable, long-lasting and easy to clean. The sponge can be used with any liquid or cream products and is primiarily meant to be used as foundation and concealer applicator.

Before I continue. I want to point out contrary to popular belief, you only need the same amount as you would use on yourself if you were to use a brush or your finger. As for losing product cause the sponge absorbs it - what does that matter if you're using the same amount foundation as you've been using and getting the same but more even coverage. If you're using a brush and there's excess product on the brush after use, you won't be squeezing it back into the tube. The same applies for the sponge.

The item on the right hand side is BeautyBlender's very portable solid soap meant for traveling. You soap the sponge, circle it on the soap and rinse under water.

How to Use

• Place the sponge under warm tap water. When it's soaked through, get rid of excess water on a towel until the sponge is just thoroughly dampen.
• Apply foundation either on your face or your hand and use the rounded bottom part of the sponge to dip into the product and lightly bounce while pressing sponge against your face. This motion is important because the foundation will adhere better. You will also notice that the product goes evenly without much effort on your part. Just be sure to follow any regular good foundation application tips.
• For more coverage on an area, sponge over it again. It might not look or feel like it because the product (mixed with the water in the damp soft) feels very light but you're essentially adding more layers.
• Use the tip of the sponge to apply foundation on hard to reach areas like the lower corners of your eyes or the sides at the base of your nose. 
• I also like to use the tip to even out concealer, liquid andcream highlights.
• Clean sponge after use with gentle soap or Beauty Blender's cleanser. The frequency of cleaning depends what your skin can tolerate. I wash mine after every use but I've also used it for 3-4 times before cleaning without problems.

I call BeautyBlender a little miracle because of the fantastic results you get from using it as a foundation applicator. Using the sponge properly, you can achieve a very even and long-lasting foundation finish on your skin. The results really do rival that of airbrush makeup.

Good Stuff (the Pros)

•  No streaks, just even foundation. Your foundation could easily end up uneven when you use a foundation brush, cheap sponge or your fingers.
• Get airbush foundation finish results at a fraction of the price. Airbrush systems on average costs over $100. A BeautyBlender sponge is about $20 USD.
• Contrary to popular belief, you don't need more foundation because you're using a sponge. See above for full details.
• As mentioned above. The sponge is made of high-quality materials that will last from a few months up to 1-2 years depending on how well it's maintained.
• Good on any liquid or cream make-up products including concealer and cream blushes.
• Easy to clean. Any gentle soap will work!
• Easy to maintain. Wash and let try after cleaning.
• Reasonable to replace when sponge "falls apart".
• A warm soft sponge feels really nice on your face!

The sponge (right) does retain coloring with use no matter how well you clean it. I discovered a tear in my sponge (left) after a month of using it. It has slowly widened throughout the last couple of months. The tear doesn't affect application so I'll keep using it until it literally falls apart.

Things To Be Aware Of (including Cons)

•  $20 USD for a sponge is not exactly cheap. If you're curious about the product but unwilling to take the plunge, try one of the many BeautyBlender "inspired" sponges out there by other companies at about $4-5 a piece. I highly recommend this if you've never used a sponge to apply foundation.
• I've used Revive's Makeup Blending applicator. It's the same shape as BeautyBlender's but made from different material. I can't tell the difference in the foundation finish between Revive and BeautyBlender but BeautyBlender's sponge was a lot softer and faster to clean while Revive's was more dense and it took longer to get all the product out of it.
• However while BeautyBlender is easy to clean, it still takes a few minutes of running it under tap water to get all the soap residue out. 
• If you use BeautyBlender's cleanser, it's much faster but I prefer paraben and phthalate-free cleaning if I can help it so I've opted using gentle soap most of the time.
• Your sponge could start to tear if you clean too vigorously or even through regular use. It's a sponge afterall and it doesn't have quite the longevity as a well-made brush or airbrush gun.

After 4 months of use, I've carefully weighted the pros outweigh the cons. In the end, I still love my Beauty Blender and have added it into my Perfect 10! list which you can view here. I'd happily give these as gifts to friends or recommend them for anyone interested. Again, if you're curious but don't want to pay the full price, go for decent alternative brands.


Retails for $19.95USD
Where to buy: Beautyblender online or check on site for a list of local and online retailers.