I've long been interested in the iconic pink Beauty Blender but couldn't bring myself to fork up the money for a sponge. One day my sister randomly handed me a lollipop and this little egg from TJ Maxx. She bought it because she found it cute. I have to agree; I do too.
I don't have the Beauty Blender so I can't compare the two, but for my purposes this has been pretty much a game changer and I love it.
This Revive Beauty Pro Makeup Blending Applicator is 1/4 the price of the Beauty Blender, which retails for $19.99 USD at Sephora. It's roughly the same size, but is rounder overall and has a sharper tip.
Look how cute and teeny! Why is this a game changer? It gives a no-makeup finish and cuts down my base prep time by half! The shape is ideal for face makeup. The round bottom allows you to rapidly and evenly spread your base on large areas: cheeks, forehead, neck. Just dab, dab, dab. The pointed tip is perfect for under the eyes and around the nose.
I use it damp -- run it under lukewarm water, have fun watching it swell, then squeeze out the excess. To minimize product wastage, I apply dots of makeup on my face then blend with the sponge, rather than use the sponge to pick up makeup directly.
I also use it dry to mattify my face, as it absorbs oils from face bases, and even to blend out blush!
This is perfect for Benefit Hello Flawless Liquid Foundation, which tends to be patchy and cakey unless I take time to really buff it in with my favorite face brush. Above you can see that the sponge gives a demi-matte but very natural finish, as compared to using fingers alone. For my eyebags in particular, you can see how it gives great coverage while still letting skin peek through. To tame the shine, I apply a bit of my trusty In2It Oil Control Two-Way Powder Foundation.
I do clean this after each use, just because it feels icky to use a visibly dirty sponge with liquid or cream makeup. Unlike a brush, there's no real way to spot-clean this. But a few passes with any soap or detergent lying around and it's good to go. Small price to pay for such a great
The Wrap
Pros
Ergonomic shape that blends liquid, cream, and powder very quickly.Gives an even, very natural finish.
Cheap!
Cons
Needs to be cleaned more often than a brush.The Revive Beauty Pro Makeup Blending Applicator retails for $4.99 USD at TJ Maxx. Digital Traincase has the Beauty Blender at ₱1,050.
