The Beauty Blender is pretty small when you first open it, in fact I don’t even think it’s bigger than a tube of lipstick.  However, with that being said, you have to wet the sponge to use it properly, and once wet, it actually expands to double its size.

The above photo is me with absolutely no makeup on.  I thought I would do a before and after photo, in addition to my thoughts.

So you use the product but wetting the sponge first then squeezing the excess water out.  Then, I usually just put some foundation on my hand and dab the sponge over the foundation then pat it on my face.  Apparently you aren’t supposed to swipe the makeup over you face, instead apply it using a patting motion.  The reason you wet the sponge is so it doesn’t absorb the product, instead it applies all the product to your face, not wasting any drop of foundation unlike a normal foundation brush or sponge.

I use the bottom of the sponge to cover most of my face; however, it is tear-shaped for a reason.  You use the pointed top part for hard-to-reach and smaller areas, like under the eyes and around the sides of your nose.

Once finished, the end result is supposed to be an “airbrush” finish.

Here’s my “after” photo.  As you can see I have an even coverage and my foundation looks smooth and natural (for the record, I used Laura Mercier’s Silk Creme Foundation in Bamboo Beige and It Cosmetic Bye Bye Undereye concealer for under my eyes).

Now is this product any different than a foundation brush?  Some people claim that they use less foundation with the sponge, so far I would say I use about the same amount, however, I do believe that more product wouldn’t be wasted with the sponge because it doesn’t absorb it.  The biggest difference between the Beauty Blender and my foundation brush I have found is that the product settles on my skin better than when I use a brush.  You know when you apply foundation and it looks all wet and dewy?  With the Beauty Blender my foundation is set; it’s almost as if my skin soaks up the product more, and as a result, it does leave a more natural-looking finish to the face compared to a foundation brush.  I didn’t even really have to set my makeup once it was applied.  The product also blends the makeup more (hence the name) and doesn’t leave you with brush strokes or uneven coverage.

So would I recommend the Beauty Blender?  I am glad I tried it, but it’s not a necessity.  If you love how your foundation looks with a brush, then I would say stick with the brush. If you are a makeup artist then I would probably pick it up.  I have seen reviews from people who say that they love using it on other people; I haven’t yet tried that so I couldn’t tell you my thoughts on using it on other people, only on myself.  It is a bit pricey for a sponge and there are a lot of different dupes out there (most people recommend Sonia Kashuk’s version from Target), so if you don’t want to fork over the major cash for it, maybe try one of those.  Also, keep in mind that the sponge isn’t going to last forever, because of bacteria and break down from use, the sponge will probably have to be replaced anywhere from six months to a year’s time.

Speaking on bacteria, the company behind the Beauty Blender highly recommends their own cleanser to clean the product.  I clean my brushes with just whatever shampoo I have (I’m bad, but I have had my brushes for a while and nothing bad has seem to come of this), but I didn’t want to take the chance of getting the sponge wrecked, so I also picked up the cleanser.

Also a product that is not cheap (C$15), my local Sephora only had the Beauty Cleanser Solid which is essentially like a soap bar (perfect for travelling) that you swirl your Beauty Blender in, suds it up, then rinse clean.  This is the first time I have seen the bar version of their cleanser, whenever I have done research on the product in the past it was always the liquid cleanser.  I would imagine that a bar version of this product would last longer though.

Apparently their cleansers have a special pH balance perfect for the sponge, plus this cleanser is good for cleaning makeup brushes, so I didn’t mind picking this up.

All in all, when you factor in picking up the cleanser in addition to the Beauty Blender, it can get quite expensive.  If you are really interested in picking this product up, I would look for a combo set (check out Sephora.com or the Beauty Blender website).  Like I said, it’s not a necessity, but it does provide a bit more of a natural coverage than your typical foundation brush.  Perhaps, if you don’t own a foundation brush, I would recommend checking this product out.

Do you own a Beauty Blender?  If so, what are your thoughts?

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