The Original Beautyblender

I didn't like using the beauty blender, I have seen people use it and it has given them a great finish . However for me I defiantly prefer to use brushes

Oh my goodness, this is probably the most expensive blender I have ever bought. The only reason I bought this is to see what was such the hype. But honestly, I am so disappointed. I mean I paid $30 for one single sponge, thats kind of a rip off. I mean the only difference is the shape of the sponge which has a pointy edge. It does blend easily but I would rather just use an ordinary sponge. I definitely won't be buying another one.

After the foundation sponge was recommended to me I brought one. It’s light weight and easy to hold in your hand, you use a different technique to a brush, sponging. I found the effect was smooth finish to my foundation and makeup up did go on smoothly. I only use occasionally as I prefer powder as an everyday cover.

I think you'd have to have been living under a rock if you haven't heard of a beauty blender before, or maybe just an internet-less shack. This little pink sponge is so raved about in beauty circles and has a million other sponges out there trying to dupe it!

Naturally, I've been wanting to try this for a long time. The higher price has always put me off. I've been using the Real Techniques sponge for the longest time and off iherb you can buy a two pack for around $16NZ whereas this pink sponge is about $35 for just one! Beauty bliss had a boxing day sale so I caved and purchased this sponge that came with a mini solid cleanser for $34. They come in a few different colours now but I decided to stick to the original pink one as that is my fave colour!

This comes nicely packaged in a small tube. The sponge was much smaller than I was expecting. When it's dry, it's about half the size of a dry rt sponge. The material is also incredibly soft and squishy, the rt is very dense and hard compared to it. I feel like the rt sponge is always suggested as the closest dupe to the bb so I'll make a few more comparisons later too!

Once you soak the sponge with water, it expands a huge amount. If you've never used a sponge like this before. Run it under a tap and squeeze it out, I recommend squeezing it out while running it under the tap 10-15 times. Then squeeze it into a towel so it's damp but not soaking. You can then use it to bounce your base all over your face. I find sponges like this are perfect for dry skin. They add some moisture and give a slightly more dewy look than what you would get with a brush.

I find the beauty blender really nice to use, it is super soft on my skin and the point makes it easy to blend around my nose and under my eyes. I do miss the flat edge of the rt sponge though. I feel like it helps blend things quicker.

I like to use a sponge for 3 days and then I clean it. I've been using solid soap which makes cleaning super quick and then I chuck it in the microwave for one minute to kill any bacteria. I do notice pink dye running out when I clean this, I'm not sure if this is a defect or if the lush soap I'm using to clean it is too harsh. A bonus with the texture of this sponge is that it dries overnight. My rt sponge takes a couple of days so it's nice to not actually need two blenders on the go.

This sponge really does make my foundation go on nice but I'm really not seeing any real difference compared to the rt sponge. I'll happily keep using this until it's too gross to use anymore but I can't really see myself purchasing this myself. I would be happy to receive as a gift though. I'm happy that I've finally tried it out but my rt sponge can do everything a bb can!

I was very keen to try the original beauty blender after hearing all the rave reviews. And while I think it is a handy tool I am not convinced it is the be all and end all.

The original beauty blender is a sponge with one rounded and one pointed end.

To use the sponge I find it best to put the sponge under the tap first. While this makes applying the foundation feel a little weird, it means the sponge doesn't absorp the foundation the same and it all comes out a lot easier when cleaning the sponge.

I found the sponge useful, but I also felt it used a lot more product for not that different looking results and that the original beauty blender didn't work a lot better than any of the dupes I've tried.

After a year of owning this much-talked-about hot pink sponge, I am still undecided each morning on whether I want to reach for it, or not. By weighing up my pros and cons it will hopefully paint a picture of whether it suits your own needs. I personally enjoy a full coverage, flawless finish, but am wary of it becoming cakey. I have tried many brushes and have never been pleased with the finish, so I either use the Beautyblender or my fingers. When I use my fingers there is no product wastage and it gives me the smooth, full coverage finish I am looking for.

When using the Beautyblender it run it under the tap before squeezing out any excess water. I then apply foundation either to my face or directly onto the Beautyblender. The sponge and water combo makes for a refreshing application. Using the Beautyblender takes a little more time and care than using my fingers, but the end result is an even, smooth, full coverage but not quite flawless finish. I also use the Beautyblender for applying concealer and it is particularly effective around the eye area. I certainly need to have a close check before putting the Beautyblender down, as it can be easy to miss spots such as the corners of my nose. The finish is lovely - full but not cakey. It is particularly lovely when I have a clear complexion. When I have blemishes, I do find that they are more effectively covered with my finger than the Beautyblender.

The two reasons I don't always reach for the Beautyblender are that it takes a little longer, and uses more product. There is a significant difference between the amount of product I use when I use the Beautyblender, compared to when I use my fingers. I'm not convinced that the difference in finish justifies how quickly I will go through foundation and concealer.

I have found an in between, and will often use my fingers for foundation and the Beautyblender for concealer and cream highlight. Would I repurchase the Beautyblender? No. It really is a product that you have to try for yourself, but I imagine it would be enjoyed more by someone who likes a medium, natural coverage or a dewy finish with lots of cream products.

After trying a lot of sponges, I finally bit the bullet and got one of these bad boys in a kit from Beautylish. To me these are quite expensive so I was hoping I wasn't going to fall in love.

The beauty blender is bright pink in color and the trademark tear shape, pointed at the top and rounded at the bottom. I'm not sure how true it is, but I've heard they sue people for 'stealing' their shape for their own blenders, which in my opinion is pretty pathetic if it is true.

The sponge works best when wet so I got to it. It applies foundation the way I expect it would, but it's not a miracle sponge by any means, it doesn't help the foundation blur my imperfections, and I haven't noticed I use less with the sponge either.

First wash I did the sponge bled out so much color, it was ridiculous. I was standing for 10 minutes pushing as much color as I could out. It dried in a regular amount of time, and shrunk back to the normal size. I will say, after washing it the sponge was softer, but I'm still not sure if its "better". For the price, I think this sponge is a rip, and I do think there are better alternatives out there for a quarter of the cost. I'm not sure what the hype is around these sponges, but I won't be repurchasing.

Im really on the fence about this one, the beauty blender apposed to other brands that I have tried is a super light sponge and because of this I find it doesnt soak up as much product. But the price for this is a little insane for something that you are technically supposed to replace every 3 months. It is great for blending in concealer under the eyes with the pointed tip it is amazing, and when applying powder for baking it does do a pretty good job. But again I'm just not suuuper blown away impressed, I think there are some pretty good more affordable alternatives out there that can do just a good of a job.