Recently I have realised how much I actually used my original Beauty Blender and felt like it was time to part ways and try something new (and cheaper). That's when I decided to try out some of the makeup sponges that I could find in the drug store and High street stores. In this post, I will be putting the sponges to the test to see who comes out on top!

Introducing the Contenders 

When deciding on what sponges to try out for this test I decided to pick them at a range of prices and also from different shops, for this I went to Boots, Superdrug and Primark to pick out my sponges:


For the purpose of the experiment, I tested these sponges out all with the same foundation so I could see how easily they blend and apply the foundation. The foundation that I used for was my Maybelline Flawless Nude Foundation that I've mentioned in my October Favourites. For this experiment again I tried out these foundations on 4 different days in the same week to make it fair and square and I also wet each sponge before trying them out.

Once the water was applied I tested out how soft or hard the sponge felt when squeezing, the softer and easier it is to squeeze the sponge the better. If the sponge is still pretty stiff or hard when squeezing I find it a bit more difficult to blend the product.



Sponge 1: Real Techniques Miracle Sponge Complexion Sponge 

This sponge I have used on and off for years and have really enjoyed it but recently haven't gotten round to really using it until I thought of this post idea. This sponge is described to be a 3 in 1 blending sponge which features 3 distinctive surfaces to enable you to tailor your makeup application.

Before and After Water


As you can see from the photo that the sponge has grown quite a bit from it being dry, All I did for this was apply water to the sponge and wring it out. For the best makeup application with blending sponges using them wet is the best way.

Testing out how hard or soft this sponge felt while squeezing I realised how nice this sponge actually is. It was so easy to squeeze down and it sprung straight back up which I knew was a very good sign for when I apply my foundation.


Application

For the application of my foundation with this sponge, I applied a few dots of the foundation onto my face to evenly distribute the product then began blending. With sponges, I usually bounce the product into the skin instead of swiping as I feel you can remove more makeup this way.

This sponge really is a Miracle sponge, my foundation was blended into my skin really easily and surprisingly quickly and didn't take too much effort on my part. I found the different edges of this brush really handy, the pointed edge was really great for blending foundation and concealer around my nose and eyes, The curved and flat edge of the sponge was also really great for the larger areas of the face like my cheeks and forehead. My foundation really looked flawless once I finished blending everything in.


Once I had finished using this sponge and made sure the foundation was all blended I took a look at the sponge to see how much product it had absorbed. It didn't look like the sponge absorbed too much foundation but there was a noticeable amount of foundation on the sponge once I was finished.



Sponge 2: B. Blending Makeup Sponge

I have used this sponge before years ago and it didn't really stand out for me but for the purpose of this experiment I went out and purchased a new sponge to make it a fair test. I noticed while in Superdrug that they have actually repackaged all of the B. Makeup range and have done it up a bit and I really like the new branding.


Before and After Water 



This sponge actually got quite a bit bigger with the added water and I didn't need to drench it too much in water, the water soaked in pretty quickly and didn't feel really wet once all wrung out. I would say that this sponge nearly doubled in size which is great.


The sponge felt really bouncy once I added water, this sponge actually reminded me a lot of my actual Beauty Blender and I was pretty surprised about this because I remember the sponge being quite hard when I tried it out a few years ago. The sponge felt really soft and squidgy which reminded me again of my Beauty Blender.



Application 


Once again for this sponge, I applied a few dots of my foundation all over my face and began to blend out my foundation. I did feel that this sponge took slightly longer to blend out that the previous sponge but it still worked really well. When using this sponge it worked really well on the smaller and more difficult to get to areas like around my nose and under my eyes. When using this sponge I realised that I really enjoyed using the flat edge of the previous Real Techniques on the bigger areas of my face.

For this sponge I also checked how much product was soaked in by the sponge but and I'm not sure if its the colour of the sponge but it didn't actually look like there was too much foundation on the sponge which is really great as it means you use a lot less foundation and don't waste any.


My foundation and concealer looked lovely and blended and all the areas around my hairline and jawline were also blended in really well.


Sponge 3 & 4: P.S Beauty Blending Sponge 

Initially, I wasn't going to add these sponges to the experiment but I came across them while having a look through Primark. I've decided to use these sponges together because they are from the same brand the only difference is in the shape of the sponges. I decided to use the two sponges on either the left or right side of my face to test them out at the same time.


Before and After Water


Before applying the water I noticed that the two sponges did feel a lot stiffer and slightly harder which was slightly concerning as the other two sponges I tried out didn't feel like that and were a lot softer.

Once I had applied the water to both of the sponges they did grow quite a bit and became a lot softer but they still weren't as easy to squeeze as the first two sponges that I had tried out were. The more egg-shaped sponge was slightly easier to squeeze but they were both a little hard.


Application

For this application of my foundation with these sponges, I once again applied the foundation all over my face them started blending out the product. The egg-shaped sponge worked pretty well but my hand actually got a bit tired as it did take a lot longer to blend out, I then needed to swipe the product on more which I didn't need to do with the other sponges.

The other sponge (not sure how to describe that shape) was slightly harder to use, the sponge just didn't seem to want to blend my foundation out at all and even after trying to blend it in for a while I still had areas of my face that the foundation wasn't blended in very well. To actually get a blended look I had to go back in with a brush just to finish off the look.



And The Winner Is...

I think it might have to be a tie! I really enjoyed using the Real Techniques and the B. Makeup Sponge. They both worked really well at blending in my foundation and giving me a flawless look. Another reason I have picked both of these sponges is that they worked really quickly and effortlessly.

Pin For Later... 

What blending sponges have you tried before that I need to try?

Aaliyah xo

11 comments:

  1. Not actually seen anyone 'review' beauty blenders before so this is super helpful! The first ever one i tried with the primark one and i hated it until i bought the real technique one and swear by it!

    Ellie // www.thediaryofellie.com

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    1. Thank you! I really didn’t get on with the Primark one before it’s just way too hard, The real techniques one is so good! Xx

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  2. So interesting! I love how detailed this is. Never tried the B sponges before but I like the Real Techniques one. The shape especially! If the original Beauty Blender and the RT one combined it would be my favourite sponge! x

    Sophie
    www.glowsteady.co.uk

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    1. Thank you! That would be such a great idea for them to put the two sponges together as they are the best xx

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  3. I've tried the Real Techniques makeup sponge and I didn't love it tbh, I think I'm more a brush person through and through but this post definitely made me want to try a few different makeup sponges and see which one is the best one for my skin. Thanks for sharing your review and photos!! x

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    1. Yeah I used to be more of a brush person but gradually found my love for sponges, all sponges are different so you might find one that you like xx

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  4. I use the Real Techniques sponge and I love it! It's great for blending my foundation and for contouring as well actually! x

    Lucy | www.lucymary.co.uk

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    1. It’s one of my favourites now! I really love it for blending out my under eye concealer xx

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  5. This is a great post- I’m always looking for more affordable beauty sponges as I just can’t justify spending so much on the beauty blender! I really want to try that second one! ����
    Beaulife.org

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  6. I absolutely love the B Make Up Sponges, they're some of my absolute favourites to use!

    Love, Amie ❤
    The Curvaceous Vegan

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  7. I don't use sponges, I'm not sure if I just wasn't doing it properly when I used it a while back - but I never really got in to using them. My sister loves using them though, and uses the real techniques one. She seems to swear by it though and loves using it. I'll have to tell her about the B. Blending Makeup Sponge!

    Amy,
    https://creativenails.uk

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