Reportedly used by the likes of Rhianna and Beyonce, the Beautyblender promises an 'airbrushed finish' - a significant claim for what is essentially a make up sponge. But in the name of research I decided I had to give it a go and make up my own mind.
Of course I am a sucker for an offer and Cult Beauty offers the single sponge for £16 or the duo for £24 - a saving of £8. Obviously, it's only really a saving if you like the product enough to buy a second one.
So the question is:
Is the original Beautyblender worth the hype? I set out to find the answer.
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| LEFT: After water saturation RIGHT: Before |
I first used the Beautyblender on Saturday.
I followed the instructions eagerly and held my sponge under tap water, squeezing regularly until it had doubled in size as you can see in the pic.
Once saturated and expanded, I squeezed out excess water and dried the sponge carefully with a towel leaving it slightly damp. So far so good.
I then pumped some foundation onto the back of my hand (Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation in Ivory is my current make up of choice), dipped the wide end of the sponge into the make up and began applying it to my face in a 'bouncing' motion.
Firstly, bouncing is easier said than done and it did take me some time to get a hang of it. Despite the springy and soft texture, I still felt a little like I was hitting my face at first. But after a couple of goes I worked out how to hold the sponge in a way that gave me enough control whilst allowing the sponge to be as springy as possible against my skin. I found holding it about 2/3 down worked well for me. I also used the pointed tip to work the foundation into the nooks and cranies around my eyes, nose, mouth and hairline.
How did it work I hear you cry? Well, my first impression was a little mixed. Let's start with the bad news:
NEGATIVES
1. I am pretty sure I used more product than I usually would. I found myself pumping a little more product onto my hand half way through which is pretty unusual for me.
2. I have combination skin and I was shiny pretty quickly. I felt that the dampness of the sponge meant less coverage (probably hence the reason I felt the need to add more product) and this possibly led to my oily t-zone after just a few hours.
POSITIVES
1. Once you get the hang of it, the Beautyblender is actually really easy to use. You are pressing the product lightly into the skin, similar to using a stipling brush.
2. The finish is impressive - I suffer from open pores and these were visibly minimised. Also I find brushes leave stripes on my face which this blender does not do.
3. I tried again with the Bblender on Sunday and Monday using a primer before adding my foundation and that made a huge difference, keeping my skin matte all day after just a light dusting of translucent powder to set the make up.
Am I sold? Well, it goes without saying that I will continue to use this product as long as I have two of them and the sponge shampoo by the same brand! But seriously, I am pretty impressed. I wouldn't say it is a holy grail item quite yet but, now that I am more used to how to make the product work for my skin, I will definitely continue using it.
My Bblender rules from now on are:
1. I pledge to always use a face primer
2. I pledge to spend time working the foundation into my skin to get the right finish - when you think you have bounced enough, bounce a little more!
3. I pledge to pat under eye concealer on with my warm fingers then use the pointed end of the Bblender to gently work into place
4. I pledge to dust a light layer of translucent power to set my foundation and keep my face looking matte all day long
I will let you know how I get on as I continue using the Beautyblender. I would also be eager to hear all about your experiences and whether you have a holy grail foundation applicator!
Bisous xx
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