The best makeup sponges – The beautyblender VS Miracle Complexion Sponge

makeup reviews blog

You need to try an egg-shaped makeup sponge. Really.

I always apply my foundation with a makeup sponge. Yet I’ve never written about beauty sponges here on my blog, even though it’s the ultimate makeup trick.

Okay, sure. I might have mentioned the beauty blender here and there. But since using a makeup sponge for makeup application is the key element in doing my makeup and making my base look beautiful and flawless – I think it needs a bigger spotlight.

So today, I’m gonna convince you to try it. And I have two makeup sponges for you to consider: the original beautyblender and Real Tecniques’ miracle complexion sponge.

egg makeup sponges review

Why should you try a makeup sponge in the first place?

Easy: because it blends the foundation for you. A damp makeup sponge thins out the foundation just a tiny bit, making it spread evenly all over the face. The best way to create a beautiful base is to layer your foundation in thin layers. And with a makeup sponge, you can do just that.

Besides applying foundation and a concealer – you can also use makeup sponge for any cream products: contour, highlight and blush. A contour made with cream color and a makeup sponge looks very natural – and again, blending is very easy with it.

And last, but not least: you can even apply powder with the sponge. It actually makes the powder melt to your foundation, making it everything, but cakey. Just try it once!

An egg-shaped makeup sponge is the perfect shape, because you can use the pointier end under your eyes and for details – and the wider end to distribute foundation quickly all over your face.

Obviously you can also try different ways to use the sponge: if your foundation is very thick, you may want to use a very damp makeup sponge. Or if your foundation is quite sheer, you can dampen your makeup sponge, but squeeze it almost dry. For example: I think Estee Lauder’s Double Wear foundation was made to be applied with a very damp makeup sponge. Then again some lightweight BB-cream requires a not-so damp makeup sponge. Either way, it’s essential to use a makeup sponge – it just makes the base so much better.

What else should you know about makeup sponges?

One makeup sponge lasts roughly for about three months. It’s not as long lasting as makeup brushes, but the fact that I still prefer sponges instead of brushes tells you just how necessarily they are.

In order to keep it in good shape and hygienic, you need to wash it. I recommend washing it after every use. It sounds like a lot of work, but if you wash it after every use, there’s not much to wash, so it’s very quick and will only take you a minute. My worst nightmare is a makeup sponge, that hasn’t been washed in months, and is just laying there, in the makeup bag. Nope! Take it out, wash it, and let it dry somewhere, where it gets some air. And if it’s been in your use for a year already.. honey, it’s time to let it go.

I usually wash my sponges just with a regular marseille soap. But keep in mind, that some brands require their own soap to be used, so that the sponge lasts the time it is supposed to last.

So.. there are a ton of makeup sponges out there. Which one to choose? First of all, I want to say that it does make a difference, which brand you choose. I have tried some horrible ones, usually the cheapest. If your experience is with a cheap egg-shaped makeup sponge and you don’t like it: chances are that it’s just bad. A good makeup sponge should feel soft, quite lightweight and easy to use.

Try either one of these!

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the beauty blender

The original beautyblender

The hype around the original beautyblender is real. I can’t even count how many beauty blenders I have gone through.

It came first, it conquered and it will forever stay as a classic – at least in my books. It is the perfect size, you can get it in different colors (not that it really matters) and it makes applying foundation or concealer so much easier.

Pros
+ Great quality
+ Perfect size for the whole face
+ Feels soft and airy on the skin
+ It’s very lightweight
+ Cute colors
+ It’s the ‘real deal’

Cons
– It’s quite pricey (almost 20€ for one)
– It should be washed with beauty blender’s own soap – if you use some other too harsh soap, it may not last as long

Shop on amazon:

*the beautyblender

real techniques miracle complexion sponge

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge

I can’t hide my excitement with this one – it is currently my favorite makeup sponge. I was a bit skeptical about it at first, especially after using beauty blenders for so long. But now I have to admit it: it’s an awesome option for the beautyblender. It’s slightly bigger than the bb, making it not as convenient for details. It comes in one color: orange. But it makes applying foundation, concealer and other makeup products so much easier and it provides a beautiful base.

Pros
+ Great quality
+ Perfect size for applying foundation
+ Feels soft and nice on the skin
+ Very affordable (~ 5€ for one! That’s fourth of what the bb costs!)
+ You can get it in two or four packs, when it’s even more affordable (~16€ for four!)

Cons
– It’s a bit clumsy for details, such as applying concealer under your eyes
– It’s not as lightweight and airy as the beautyblender

Shop on amazon:
*Miracle Complexion sponge

beauty makeup blog

So there are my two favorite egg-shaped makeup sponges. Have you tried either one of these? Is there something that’s even better? Let me know in the comments!

How to conceal dark circles – Concealer tips

There are two products, that I value more than others and those are the products, that I use to conceal my dark circles under eyes. Those eyebags may come handy on Halloween, but in every day life it’s pretty cool not to look tired. Concealing your dark circles makes the whole face look brighter, younger and healthier.

In this post I will show you how to conceal dark circles and I’ll give you some tips on using concealer on your eyes – hopefully you’ll learn something new here!

Before going to the tutorial – I need to go through some important things. The ABC of concealing dark circles.

The ABC of concealing dark circles

  • A. Don’t forget to add concealer in the area shown in the photo. That is usually a very dark area (if not the darkest!), so make sure to bring your concealer all the way up.
  • B. This is the obvious problem area, that we are concealing. The dark circles. Here is where you apply most of the product. But you already knew this, if you have any problems with eye bags ’cause they create this shape (don’t worry, I know they’re chanel).

  •  C. But! What’s important here, is that you blend the concealer around (like shown in the photo), so that the line between your foundation and concealer isn’t visible. Don’t apply a ton of product to these little dots, but use what you already have (photo 2) and blend the edges. Make sure not to bring it too low – the idea is not to make your cheeks slump, which will happen if you bring the concealer too low in a V-shape (a mistake, that always caughts my eyes).

Then to the actual tutorial – here is how I currently hide my dark circles:


How to hide dark circles tutorial

  1. First I use a darker peachy shade. I make sure to follow my rules and I bring it on my inner corner as well to hide that dark area there. This colour is purely to neutralize the blue and hide that darkness, so it doesn’t need to be blended around. Actually you want to keep this colour right where it belongs and pat it on. In other words – don’t follow the C-rule here.

2. Already looking better, the blue/dark is not that visible anymore. But we need to add more coverage and brighten this up so, let’s keep going.

3. Then I use a lighter concealer shade to give my dark circles even more coverage AND to brighten everything up. Here those ABC -rules come handy.

4. This may be optional, if your skin is dry and you feel like your concealer stays in place, but finally I set my concealer using a powder. I actually like to use a powder, that is also a concealer and offers that extra coverage. Then I’m all done!

Before after photo from when I was a brunette. I wanted to add these here, ’cause I really captured the difference that concealer makes! I think here I only used NARS Vanilla, but I layered it a bit. Nowadays I prefer using something peachy first and then a light concealer.

These are the products, that I use and feel like can’t live without:

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*NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in two shades:
Custard (a darker peachy shade) and Vanilla (a bit lighter than my skintone). This concealer is creamy, easy to blend and it has an amazing coverage.

*the beautyblender
I apply my concealer always with this. I think it’s the best tool for this task. It’s also a winner for foundation and for powder too. Honestly, if you haven’t tried this magical makeup sponge yet, I urge you to.

*Tapered powder brush
I apply the powder under my eyes with a tapered pointy brush like this. It’s just the perfect shape for my eyes and the bristles are soft, so it’s gentle for my eye area.

+ Orange color corrector?

Sometimes, when my dark circles are super dark and super blue, I need a bit of orange there. That’s why some people use orange lipstick, but it can be a bit hard to get right. I recommend just choosing a peachy concealer color, so that it neutralizes the blue. NARS concealer for example in the shades Custard or Cannelle can work for this great.

And there’s that! What’s your favorite concealer?

how to: concealing dark circles

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