If you came here expecting an in-depth review, you’re better off backing out now. This is about how I finally took the plunge and welcomed the BeautyBlender into my life. I’m nobody’s beauty guru (not on this anyway) and I’m the furthest thing from an influencer as you can be.
Now that we got the disclaimer out of the way, let’s get going!
I’m part of the millennial group that tweezed their eyebrows till they were thin lines — like this — and anxiously waited to get my hands on a Sidekick. Aim was cool. Nobody cared much about makeup, just the bare essentials. The first thing I reached for beauty wise was eyeliner. Naturally, eyeshadow came next. Nothing was pigmented. Foundation was for working women.
I grew up watching my mom apply her compact foundation with the accompanying round sponge applicator. It wasn’t for me. I learned early on that I hated compacts, powders, and those wedge sponges. Then came brushes.
I basically collected them for years. It wasn’t until I bought a foundation and its accompanying brush — hinthint BareMinerals — that I actually got hooked on both. That’s been my routine for years now. I squeeze a small amount on the brush, or scribble lines on my face, and swirl it all around till I’m fabulous.
There was a brief period with a silicone applicator (silisponge). I personally hated it. The foundation didn’t blend the way I liked, or was used to, at all. But to each their own.
Moving right along . . .
I tried using a BeautyBlender years ago, once. I never touched it again. That all changed, randomly I might add, a month ago. I don’t know what it was that made me push my brushes aside for this black, tear drop shaped sponge, but I did. I walked into Sephora, grabbed that black beauty — it’s the BeautyBlender Pro Applicator — and walked out feeling accomplished.
My first time using it was during a birthday trip. Thankfully, it worked out.
For all Novices
The suggested and proper way to use a BeautyBlender — or a dupe i.e. complexion sponge, beauty sponge, or blending sponge — is to wet it BEFORE use. This is supposed to prevent the sponge from soaking up most of the liquid/cream you’re using. Next, you bounce that blender all over your face till your foundation (or whatever you’re using) is spread the way you like.
I was nervous that first time. Would it make my makeup look cakey? Would I get those dreaded setting lines? Would it last? Maybe it was a combination of great products and luck, but none of that happened. My makeup didn’t fail me. That was a weekend of 18+ hours a day wearing a full face of makeup. I had to go through rain, sweat, wind, and a ball pit. Despite all the world could throw my way, my photos looked great!
I kept wondering, who’s that beauty was with the perfect makeup. Then I’d go, oh yeah, me.
My foundation has always been flawless — to me anyway — but the blender seemed to spread in a way that really seemed like it was where I wanted it to be. The blender also left me with more product on my face than I normally have with my brushes. Meaning, the blender really spreads your makeup like a spatula evenly spreads icing on a cake. No streaks to go over or crevices left unattended. It’s this finely iced cake. And that’s now what my face looks like; a fine piece of work.
Needless to say, I’m a beautyblender addict. It’s so bad that I now own two. I still don’t know a thing about colors, sizes, or shapes — okay, I know a little — but that’s half the fun. I can say that I purposely bought a dupe to see if there’s a legit difference between the original BeautyBlender and all the other beauty sponges we see in stores.
P.S. An actual review of the sponge vs brush vs silisponge is in the works. So stay tuned!
TheT_onSkincare 