Gone are the days when we used our fingers to apply cosmetics on our faces. Not only was it uncomfortable, but it was also very messy and led to product wastage. Now, new makeup tools are being invented to make your beauty journey smoother and mess-free. One of these ingenious inventions is the makeup blender sponge.
This magic sponge is small, usually egg-shaped, and has a texture that makes the application of cosmetics easier. Its shape makes it easy to apply products on tricky and delicate parts of the face. Buying the wrong beauty sponge could completely damage your makeup routine. Hence, we have prepared this detailed guide for all you need to know about choosing the right blender sponge for you.
Why Should I Use a Makeup Sponge?
A beauty sponge can be used for both dry and wet applications. However, its best result is seen when damp.
You can run out your sponge through water, squeeze the excess water and apply liquid foundations, concealers, and bb creams to your skin.
Do not drag the blender against your skin as you would a makeup brush; instead dab or pat the product softly into your skin, this will give you a dewy and flawless finish without any streak lines or smudges.
How Do I Choose The Right Beauty Sponge?
Size
When choosing the right beauty sponge for your makeup routine, an important factor to consider is the shape of the product. The shape determines just how well the outcome would turn out.
Ever wondered why most beauty sponges are egg-shaped? This is because the design makes it easier to get that professional airbrushed makeup look.
Blenders shaped like an egg ensure that the larger area is used for better application to the focal areas of your face like the cheeks, forehead, etc. while the narrower end provides accurate precision on angled areas like the nose and under-eye areas.
With this shape, you would have a flawless finish without smudges, and streaks. Several cosmetics can be well-blended into your skin giving it a natural finish.
When choosing the right sponge, different shapes are made for different purposes. Some egg-shaped blenders have edges and these ones are best suited for contouring your face.
Shape
This is another essential factor to consider when choosing the right beauty sponge for you. The size of a beauty sponge determines the speed and application of your makeup routine.
With the numerous sizes available on the market, it is important that you get the best one. Fortunately, there is no complex math for making the right choice. Whatever size you choose depends on your personal preference, size of your palm, and level of experience.
For newbies, a larger blender may be difficult to hold on to during application and it would be just as difficult to achieve accurate precision on angled areas. This could very well give you a flawed makeup finish, and you don’t want to go out with a smudged and streak-filled face.
For beginners, you want to go with a beauty sponge that is compact enough to hold firmly. More experienced professionals have the luxury of choosing to use either small or large, it depends on what look they intend to achieve.
Density
This is probably the most important factor to consider when choosing the best makeup blender sponge for your makeup routine. Why? It determines just how much products would be used on your face and how long your foundations, creams, and powders would last.
The density of a beauty sponge refers to the porosity. This basically means the sponges' ability to absorb products. You do not want a sponge that would eat up your entire cosmetics, yet applies only a little on your face.
You want to go for a blender that is absorbent but does not have any visible holes. Again, the density of the sponge you go for depends on your need for it.
Sponges that are denser are great for applying foundations with full coverage. Sponges with a low density would come in handy for blending medium to light foundation coverage.
Texture
The texture of any high-quality beauty sponge should be soft and it should be comfortable to hold and use. It should also be flexible so that it can be bent at will to evenly distribute products seamlessly around your face.
A good way to know if a beauty sponge has a good texture is by testing the bounce. A bouncy sponge indicates that it is soft yet firm enough to get the job done.
Durability
The durability of a beauty sponge depends on the material used in making it. The best material for beauty sponges is non-latex foam. However, you'll find some made out of silicone and other porous materials. The best blenders should be durable and functional for longer periods.
How Do I Keep My Beauty Sponge Clean?
The facial skin is very sensitive and prone to irritation. Using dirty makeup tools on it is a sure-fire way to develop skin problems.
If you use makeup frequently, then you need to clean out your tools frequently as well to avoid trips to the dermatologist. So how do you clean a beauty sponge?
Easy, you can use a cleaning pad. There are cleansing pads made from silicone with nibs effective at cleaning your beauty sponge. Simply add a little soap and water and rub your sponge against the silicone nibs until all the makeup product stains are gone. Rinse with water until the color of the sponge becomes clear, leave it out to dry.
Another way of cleaning your beauty sponge is by using a liquid soap or cleanser, you can soak your sponge in a mixture of soap and warm water for a few minutes, and you can wash by squeezing and un-squeezing the sponge or scrubbing it against a soap bar until all the stains are really out, rinse with clean water and leave it out to dry.
