Personally I was a little skeptical concerning the silicone beauty sponge. I got one fairly cheaply and decided to give it a try. I must admit the first time didn’t go that well. I had put too much makeup on the sponge plus I was using the wrong side of the sponge. On the second try I used the correct side and cut back on the amount I put on the sponge. I immediately fell in love.
5 advantages of using a silicone make-up blender
Minimal product waste
Many have been concerned that beauty blenders (or make-up sponges if you like) are wasting a ton of their favorite foundation. The blender literally eats it up – and there’s no saving it once it’s inside. I do love the flawless texture that a blender gives – but also I agree that I’ve always been slightly suspicious of the amount of products it soaks up. Is it a marketing trick so that I need to re-purchase that bloody amazing foundation again? A silicone make-up blender on the other hand soaks up zero product. Absolute zilch. In fact it takes a few applications for you to get hang of the amount you’re putting on the blender because it’s way less than what you’re used to dispensing on your sponge or brush.
Silicone is antibacterial
One of the strongest selling points for me is the antibacterial properties of silicone. Have you heard of all the horror stories of people having worms in their beauty blenders? And all the bacteria in dirty make-up brushes causing the worst bouts of acne? The silicone sponge doesn’t have pores so it doesn’t soak up any product and all you need to do is wash it under running water with a little bit of soap. Silicone sponges also don’t deteriorate the way blenders and brushes do which is brilliant.
Coverage
There’s definitely difference in the coverage for me. I find that although I’m using much (much!) less product the coverage is much more opaque than it is with any other application method. Even a tinted moisturizer applies slightly more opaque! I feel like this is because of the way the blender fills in your pores and creates that super flawless finish. It does take some practice to get the hang of using it around your nose and under your eyes – and your skin definitely needs to be moisturized and primed beforehand because any flakes will shine through like a bright diamond (and that ain’t pretty).
Extra use for make-up artists
I can imagine that the silicone blender is a godsend for make-up artists. It allows you to spread the product evenly (no matter what method you’re using for blending) and you can even mix primer and foundation or custom shades of foundation on the sponge instead of using a separate palette. The antibacterial properties mean that you won’t be spreading any bacteria whatsoever.
Price
Silicone make-up blenders are considerably cheaper than any other foundation-blending tools. And considering that you don’t have to replace it as often as you do with your beauty blender that seems like a pretty good deal!
Overall I really do think these are worth giving a go. They are most definitely not for everyone and require a dose of patience but once you get the hang of them they might just be your new favorite thing!