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| Beautyblender dupe sponges: SOHO Beauty Sponge (Coral), SOHO Petal Pop Beauty Sponges (Turquoise), Miss Adoro Beauty Sponge (Light Purple), Models Own Makeup Blending Sponge (Pink) - all sponges shown dry |
I have rounded up various beauty sponges from different companies which try to duplicate or improve-upon the traditional Beautyblender. Since the Beautyblender can be quite expensive, around $17 for one, I chose more affordable options to show you. The above photo shows the sponges in their natural state, they are not damp.
You can find the SOHO Beauty Sponges (in Coral and Turquoise) at Walgreens or online, the Miss Adoro Beauty Sponge is something I picked up from TJ Maxx (but have also seen them at Marshall's), and Urban Outfitters carries the Models Own Makeup Blending Sponge (it comes in a duo).
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| Beautyblender dupe sponges: SOHO Beauty Sponge (Coral), SOHO Petal Pop Beauty Sponges (Turquoise), Miss Adoro Beauty Sponge (Light Purple), Models Own Makeup Blending Sponge (Pink) - all sponges shown wet |
After running the sponges through warm running water for a few seconds and wringing the excess out, you can see that the SOHO Beauty Sponges (Coral & Turquoise) have increased in size as well as the Miss Adoro Beauty Sponge. However, I see no change in the Models Own sponge's size.
To the touch, the softest sponges are the SOHO Beauty sponges, with the Miss Adoro sponge as a close second, and the Models Own sponge is very dense and hard comparatively.
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| Models Own Makeup Blending Sponge |
Firstly, I have to say that I do not recommend the Models Own Makeup Blending Sponge, it is very dense, doesn't really hold on to moisture (this is reflected in the fact that when it is damp it does not increase in size) and is very difficult to blend anything with. Trying to use this sponge is akin to punching yourself in the face with a stuffed animal... it wasn't a pleasant experience and I have sponges I use to wash dishes which are much softer than this! This sponge sells in a duo pack which retails for $8.00 at Urban Outfitters.
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| Miss Adoro Sponge |
I picked this sponge up at TJ Maxx for the very affordable price of $3.99 and I have been very pleasantly surprised by how useful the shape of it is. The top corner of it is useful for reaching under the eye to pack on concealer and the flatter edge is well-suited for buffing foundation into the skin. The contoured side edges are great for reaching around the nostrils to get foundation or concealer well-concentrated in that area. The sponge is soft, not quite as soft as a Beautyblender, but I found it very pleasant to use and it didn't seem to soak up too much product. This sponge expands when wet to about 33% larger than its original size, making it easier to cover a larger surface.
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| SOHO Beauty Sponge |
The coral-colored SOHO Beauty Sponge (found at Walgreens) is my personal favorite (cost $7.99). The shape is ideal for reaching the inner corner under my eyes, the sides of my nose, and around my eyebrows for precise coverage with concealer and foundation. The sponge grows substantially in size when wet, doesn't seem to waste product (it seems to soak up even less than the Miss Adoro sponge) and is the softest. It has an elongated shape so that you can cover a larger surface area when patting it on the side to buff in foundation, and I found that this saves me time in the morning.
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| SOHO Petal Pop Beauty Sponges - Leftmost petal is pictured damp |
The Turquoise SOHO Petal Pop Beauty Sponges come in a six-pack and retail for $9.99 at Walgreens (that's a pretty great deal for 6 quality sponges!). When wet, you can see that the sponge becomes about 33% larger and they are equally as soft as the Coral SOHO Beauty Sponge. These are my second-favorite of the sponges, since they have a nicely rounded edge for buffing foundation and two different corners. One of the corners has a sharper edge for more precise concealer buffing, I find this specifically useful for when I'm cleaning up the outer corners of my eyeshadow. The outer corner is more rounded, which works very well for blending out concealer in the inner corner under my eye. I really recommend these sponges if you're on a budget and you're looking for an airbrushed look to your foundation/concealer.
