Despite being a beauty addict, I was dubious of the whole sponge fiasco that surrounded the beautyblender (£16.00) and also the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge (£5.99). However two of my friends urge me a few weeks ago to buy the RT one and I folded. I just wanted to see why everyone was transfixed with this method of applying make-up. So if you are on the fence, hopefully this post will help you out since I will be guiding you through the pro's and cons!
I have to admit, I didn't like using the RT sponge at first. I completely soaked it in water, squeezed it, and then applied my Nars All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation and was left with a patchy, sheer and wet looking face. However I learned quickly and the next day I slightly dampened my sponge, making sure that all the excess water was gone, and then applied my foundation. This time it went better, I feel like the first side of my face that I work on still ends up being the slightly worse side because the sponge is damp and so eats up more of the foundation. However, by the time I reach the other side, it applies perfectly. Once the foundation has dried I go over any areas that need more coverage.
What I find remarkable about the sponge is that it pushes the foundation into your skin. I feel like this enables it to mesh nicely and as a result, the foundation last slightly longer on the skin. The end effect is different than when I use brushes: the foundation sits better and also doesn't look like I have put two pumps of foundation on. For this effect alone, I can see why people rave about this product.
Additionally, if you have drier skin, dampening the sponge allows the foundation not to cling to dry patches, as the water from the sponge helps to lessen the appearance of dry and flaky skin and just makes the whole situation look a lot nicer. Another unique selling point for using a sponge is that it cleans a lot easier and quicker as you don't have to wait for it to dry. I hate it when I clean my brushes the night before and they are still slightly damp in the morning. Most likely, you are going to use the sponge damp so it doesn't matter!
In terms of what the RT sponge has to offer that the Beauty Blender does not, is that the RT sponge has a flat side. The flat side is what I mostly use - it really can get into all the crevices of your face and I know that if I do buy the beautyblender, I'll be slightly disappointed because it doesn't offer that. In regards to other downfalls of these sponges, I have to say the application time does take slightly longer, because you want to make sure everything is nice and even. Also if you dampen the sponge then it takes a tad longer for the foundation to dry, so I would keep that in mind. Additionally, like I said in the beginning, sponges eat up a lot more foundation than brushes. I find that I have to use more product to get the same coverage I would with a brush, and the ironic thing is that my skin looks more natural even when using more foundation with this sponge. There are ways to solve this, such as applying your foundation with a brush and then going over it with a damp RT sponge to make things look a bit more natural - I especially like to do this when I feel more lazy/trying to conserve my foundation!
In the end is the RT sponge worth the hype? Definitely! It has changed my make-up game and for the price I think this should be a staple in everyone make-up bag. I know I'm totally late on this bandwagon but it's better late than never eh...
I would love to know if you use this sponge or the beautyblender and how you find them?
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