You have been seeing these funny looking sponges around for a few years now and you may be wondering what the big deal is. Well, depending on your current makeup routine and results, you might just want to give these a go.

Beauty sponges are just sponge makeup applicators. They promise a lot and some of them deliver...a lot; others...not so much.

I own two beauty sponges at the moment. One I bought from an online beauty supply store, beautyjoint.com and the other is a Beauty Blender.


I have to be honest, when I got the first one, I had no clue how to use it. The first time,  I basically pat the dry sponge on my foundation or concealer and smudged it. I then struggled to wash the sponge and put it away indefinitely.

In summary, epic fail.

Anyway, I gave it another try  in earnest recently with a Beauty Blender and lots more information. After that, I compared the two because I'm not promoting brands- just what works.

Lucky for you, I have suffered so you don't have to:) Here's what I've learnt:

1. They are not all created equal. Some sponges really are of inferior quality. While you might get a

Foundation with Beauty Blender sponge

really good product for a dollar. sometimes you will get a dollar's worth of quality. Sorry. My first sponge was sort of course and more like rubber than sponge.To choose the best beauty sponge, check for sponge and not latex or rubber.

2. They are best used damp. My makeup smudged because the sponge was dry. Dry sponges will pick up your makeup instead of working with it and waste your precious product. That makes it even harder to clean. I dampen mine with rose water but you can use regular water.

3. Bounce the sponge on the skin to use. No other application method will work.

4. Clean it as often as you can. I have a personal rule that I don't use it if I won't have time to clean it right away. Besides, the possibility of stains setting in, think of the bacteria that you carry from one use to the next.

Beauty sponges are best used for complexion products: Foundation, primers, blush...The best ones work well with liquids, creams and powders.

They are great for both blending products together and making products sheerer although they can be used when building up foundation for a fuller coverage.