Follow Vogue Arabia

Why Everyone Is So Obsessed With the Beautyblender Original Makeup Sponge

This latex-free makeup sponge is shaped like an egg and gives your makeup a gorgeous, airbrushed finish.

Rea Ann Silva didn’t set out to create magic makeup. But 10 years ago, when the makeup artist started cutting the corners off of her makeup sponges during a special effects makeup class, a lightbulb went off. “I was totally enraptured and I thought, Oh, this could be it,” she said. And in that moment of enlightenment, the Beautyblender was born.

Fast-forward to the present, and the revolutionary makeup sponge has taken home more than a handful of Best of Beauty Awards since its launch in 2007 and can be found in the kits of makeup artists, celebrities, and Instagram stars alike. And it’s all for good reason: It works really well.

How To Use The BeautyBlender Sponge

The latex-free makeup sponge — which is hot pink and the shape and size of a small egg — is designed to be used wet (yes, you’re supposed to dampen the sponge before every use). Once the proprietary foam soaks up the water, there’s no room left to absorb makeup. The idea is that foundation (or tinted moisturizer, BB cream, what have you) sits atop the sponge and gets pressed onto the skin instead of getting absorbed by the sponge. This ensures you waste less makeup and get an even, flawless finish. “I wanted a tool that gave you an airbrushed look without having to actually use an airbrush machine,” Silva said. Genius, really.

Even its cone-shaped tip was well thought out. “I wanted the sponge to be edgeless so that it would fit the contours of the face — like the eyes and nose — and have a soft, suede-like texture,” she explains. The top of the teardrop is versatile enough to reach into every nook and cranny — under eyes, around the nose, etc. — to create streak-free makeup application.

 The BeautyBlender Sponge Isn’t Just For Foundation

Contrary to popular belief, the Beautyblender can be used to apply all types of makeup — not just foundation — as the sponge can be also used with cream blushes, bronzers, and highlighters. Surprisingly, the palm-size orb works wonders with powder formulas, too. “With pressed powder, brushes are like little brooms,” explained Silva, who says brushes tend to sweep product around rather than depositing it to control oil. When powder is applied with a Beautyblender, you can “focus on the areas where you want to wipe out shine.” Just remember to wring out your sponge to remove excess water before dipping it into your powder pan. (This eliminates the likelihood of water seeping into the pan and ultimately ruining your favorite powder makeup.)

It’s good for touch-ups, too. Although the Beautyblender’s Blotterazzi, a spin-off of the OG sponge, is best known for its oil-absorbing powers, the namesake sponge is also great for midday shine control — without any added mess. Instead of layering on extra powder or foundation, simply buff the Beautyblender over your skin to reblend the morning’s makeup. After a few sweeps, you’ll discover your a.m. application looks as good as new — no extra product required.

It’s Easy To Clean

Perhaps the best thing about the Beautyblender, is the lack of cleanup associated with the innovative sponge. Turns out, the typical lifespan of a Beautyblender far surpasses that of a traditional makeup sponge, says Ava Shamban, a Beverly Hills-based dermatologist. “For blenders and sponges, you should wash regularly and replace every three months,” she says. “If they’re really wet and smelly, they can be placed in the washing machine.”

See? It really is magic.

Read Next: 5 of This Season’s Best Beauty Advent Calendars

Originally published on Allure.com

Suggestions
Articles
View All
Vogue Collection
Topics