If you haven’t heard of these magical little sponges by now, it’s your lucky day. Beauty blenders, or makeup blenders, or complexion sponges, are a makeup kit must-have to get a seamless and airbrushed look from your liquid, cream, or even powder foundation. They also happen to be amazing multi-taskers and help with highlighting and contouring. Almost every major brand has their own version on the market now, and I have tried a ton of them. Keep reading to see my top picks!
My Top 3 Complexion Sponges
3// The Original Beauty Blender ($25-39)
Though the tiny triangle sponges have been around forever, they are not the same as the new age teardrop style sponges. The first one I ever tried was the Original Beauty Blender, which totally rocked my world.
It comes in at $25 for the classic version, and for some, that’s a lot to spend on a sponge. The pro version is $29 with the main difference being the that it’s black and less likely to stain. Mine was a gift (thank goodness!) and lasted about 6 months with regular cleaning before tearing. They now come in mini sizes for those hard to reach places around your eyes and nose.
2// Shu Uemura Lightbulb Sponge ($26-$45)
Next, I tried the Shu Uemura Lightbulb Foundation and Sponge Set which sells for anywhere from $66 to $100 (cough). The foundation itself is amazing, but I didn’t find the sponge to be any different from the Original Beauty Blender, or enough so that I had to re-buy that one. The sponge can now be purchased on its own.
The pointed side is meant to be a glow controller, and the rounded side to be a glow enhancer. I didn’t really find that to be true because I really think it depends on what you’re using. If you are using a highlighting product, then yes, you will glow. However, some people absolutely swear by this. If you happen to try it out, please let me know what you think!
1// Real Techniques Complexion Sponge ($9-$20)
Then, I found out that Real Techniques made a foundation sponge. Real Techniques is one of my favourite brands for beauty tools, and I have mentioned them a few times before for their brushes. Don’t want to pay $50 for a foundation brush? You don’t have to. These gals made professional brushes at a fraction of the price. I have slowly been replacing all of my brushes with theirs, and it wasn’t a hard sell to pick up their version of the Beauty Blender – the Miracle Complexion Sponge. Best part? It retails for $9.99 for a single on Amazon, or $13 for 2. This is the one I have in my stash and I love it.
The pointed side is for concealing, the rounded side is best for base foundation and coverage, and the flat side for contouring. I even use it to apply my primer. They now have a multipurpose set out that covers all your bases.
I know there are more options, but those are my top 3. If you opt for something cheaper be sure that you check what material they are made from, and if they can handle liquid, cream, and powder formulas. Not sure how to use a complexion sponge? Check out my tutorial here. Don’t be scared, it’s easier than you think 😉
Do you use a complexion sponge? What is your go to? Did I miss one? Let me know in the comments!
*All photos used are from Amazon.ca except the featured image. That’s mine. This post was sponsored by Amazon.ca — Thank you for reading and supporting my family*
