Wednesday 23 October 2013

Sponge Worthy? The Original Beautyblender - Hype or a Game-changer?


I am not a true believer when it comes to the "necessity" of investing in expensive makeup tools. As much as I respect brands such as MAC, Chanel or NARS I am yet to be convinced of the superiority of their pricy makeup brush collections. That being said I do own a few expensive, highly recommended pieces myself however the ones I reach for are usually from the reasonably priced, high quality brands such as EcoTools or Sigma
Based on experiences such as that one and the fact that I have fallen for the beauty hype numerous times before I was very hesitant when it came to acquiring the cult beauty sponge by Beautyblender. My determination to avoid another purchase mistake held up for a lot longer than I expected and its actually only recently that my curiosity got the better of me and I finally caved. 

The price for us Canadians is a high $26.00 for one or $33.00 for two and the kit that includes the special cleansing agent is a whopping $50.00, making this to be a significantly high end purchase, especially when you realize that what you are getting is basically just a cool shaped, pink sponge. 
I will admit that once my Sephora order came in and I had a chance to examine this must-have makeup tool, my initial reaction was that of disappointment with just a touch of underwhelming amusement. To say I felt let-down is an understatement! 

However true to form I am now "eating my words" and I can honestly say that I judged this little wonder a little too harshly and a little too quickly. After taking a chance to experiment with proper application handling and having tried some "knock-offs" of the original Beautyblender, I can confirm what most of you already know - the pink egg sponge is a definite keeper!

Official Description;
The original beautyblender® is a revolutionary makeup sponge applicator with 360 degrees of usable surface for creating absolute complexion perfection. This five-time Allure Best of Beauty Award-winner is ergonomically designed to meet your makeup needs. beautyblender® is the first high definition, neon pink sponge application tool that gives you everything from amazingly sheer coverage to a buildable full coverage.

I have used makeup brushes, puffs and simple sponges to apply my foundation or tinted moisturizer before but my preferred method is almost always blending everything in using just my fingers. Sure it might be messy but on my skin that technique seems to translate itself into the most natural real-skin finish. 

The Beautyblender sponge comes very close to that kind of result and once I mastered the right "tapping - sweeping" motions the final look resembled very fine air-brushing. I never knew that was even a possibility! The bonus when it comes to using this sponge is that its able to finish and polish not just your base but can even be utilized with concealers, primers and even liquid or cream blush. Girls with prominent pores will be the ones to appreciate this little tool the most because not only does it seem to disguise them but also prevents caking and uneven blotchiness that can only make them look even bigger.   

I have had my Beautyblender sponge now for a little over a year and through trial and error I've developed my own little tricks when it comes to maximizing its performance. 


The first thing you need to do is wet the sponge itself until it about doubles in size. Once that happens, squeeze the excess water from it and blot in a few layers of paper towel until it feels damp. Avoid using your thumb to poke it because it might create a hole that way and damage the sponge interior - instead focus on a gentle whole hand pressure! Once you are satisfied that the sponge is not soaked anymore dip its edges into the liquid makeup base and start sweeping, patting and blending the medium on the desired area (face!). 

Everybody has their own unique ways to use anything so I have added the official Beautyblender training video that will give you the basic recommendations directly from their own genius! 



As much as I resisted this purchase at first I am now happy that I succumbed to my own curiosity. The price might be a little higher than I'd like but since this turned out to be a product I use a lot with excellent results, the investment for me was more than worth it. 

There may be significantly cheaper "knock-offs" on the market today but I haven't seen one that works quite as good as the original. Sometimes the real-thing is worth the extra expense and that is certainly true when it comes to the lovely Beautyblender
Plus it allows me to keep my fingers clean :-)

Have you tried the Beautyblender sponge? Or any of the other versions? 

Thank you for reading!

XOXO 

ANJA

14 comments:

  1. I have never tried the actual "Beauty Blender". I agree with it does NOT have to have a name brand to be good, but I have tried some inexpensive dupes and mid range dupes that stunk. I think you have to find the one that works for you. The one that I use is not because of the Name or Price. It is because of it's unique shape (nothing like the BB) and it works so well for me. Great Post!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for checking this out and supporting my posts :-) I really appreciate it and it means so much when you share my posts :))) makes my day especially since I LOVE your posts! I wish my stuff was as good as yours but at least you inspire me to be better!
      I agree with you on the branding - I am not one to buy things based on brand name alone but with this sponge, the knock-offs were just bad! Sometimes the name matters but definitively not always :-)
      Thank you again
      Xxoo
      ANJA

      Delete
  2. Great post! So glad we just stumbled across your blog! We too love the BB!!! We're going to follow your blog now and hope u will check out our's too sometime!

    www.twentythirtyglam.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for checking me out and commenting :-) Happy Dance!!!!
      BB sponge is pretty great - i really should have caved and got it earlier lol
      Off to check out your blog :)))) I hope to see you back again :-)
      XOXO
      ANJA

      Delete
  3. I will never pay that much for a sponge ever! (: I got my "knock-off" from bornprettystore and it works just fine for me (: great post!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for the comment and blog visit :-) I know exactly what you mean about the price - I cringed too! The knock-offs I tried just didn't work for me or maybe I didn't use them the right way! Which sponge worked for you ?
      Thank you again :-) HAPPY DANCE!
      XOXO
      ANJA

      Delete
  4. I was going to buy a sponge in the same shape of the original beauty blender for $5 do you know if the ones that are not the original one are also good?
    excellent post btw!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Lucy,
      Thank you so much for visiting and taking the time to comment :-) It makes me so happy whenever I see that someone read my humble beauty musings.
      I had tried the BB dupes a few times and they were simply not good - it confused me big time because a lot of them were identical in shape and yet the results were not up to par at all. I have heard that the Sonia Kashuk had a pretty good one - selling at Target i believe? One of my friends is using a BB dupe from Winners that she got for about $5 and she seems happy with it. I messaged her so she can give me the brand name and as soon I hear back from her I will message you right away :-)
      I am a big believer in cutting cost when it comes to beauty products, after all there are excellent dupes of almost anything now days. The trick is finding the right one :-(
      I completely get what you are saying - I was like HOW MUCH? $26.00 in Canada for one! Just thinking about that makes me feel guilty lol
      I will be in touch with some brand names that might be a good fit
      Have a great weekend
      XOXO
      Anja

      Delete
  5. I m planning to get the RT miracle sponge. Looks similar & a lot cheaper too. I could never put on with regular make-up sponges.

    Primed with Prettiness

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for the lovely comment :-)
      What is the RT Miracle sponge? I don't think I know about it yet
      Let me know if you like it - if I can get the same results as the BB then I am all over it
      Have a great day
      Xoxo
      Anja

      Delete
  6. The product's quality and versatility make it an indispensable tool for achieving a flawless finish. Security Tips Cybersecurity An iconic beauty essential that lives up to its reputation.

    ReplyDelete