You may have heard of the Beauty Blender sponge. I had heard such great things and bought 2 sponges and the sponge cleaner when I was at IMATS but didn’t really test drive it until recently.
Avon has also come out with their version and via a twitter conversation between myself, Arianne and Sparkled_Beauty I was asked to do a comparison post on these two sponges.
In case you’re not aware of what the Beauty Blender Sponge or the Avon version do they basically blend your makeup into your skin for the perfect finish! The Beauty Blender is egg shape is what made it unique. The larger areas for blending foundation on your forehead, nose, chin and cheeks and the tip used to get into harder to reach places like under your eyes and around your nose. The tip is great for precise blending of concealer too.
The Avon “Precision Grip Teardrop Blender” (kind of a mouthful) is a different shape (to be honest the Beauty Blender looks more tear shaped to me!) but works in the same way. There is a groove in the middle which does make holding and manoeuvring the sponge easier – I guess that’s where the precision grip part of it comes in.
You can see from the photo that the Avon version is tiny – it’s actually a little bit larger than the Beauty Blender when they are dry.
Right from the start besides the obvious differences in shape and colour (the pictures a little off, the Avon version isn’t as purple – it’s more of a dark bluish pink) is the texture. The Avon sponge is definitely more dense with the Beauty Blender being more porous. The Beauty Blender is also more bouncy when you squeeze it. The price is also the biggest difference. The Beauty Blender can be found at ebeauty for $21.99 while the Avon version is $6.99 (Canadian price).
When they are wet they swell about the same amount. I couldn’t really tell if one held more water than the other but the Avon one remained more dense when wet. In terms of texture the Avon sponge feels more like the material of those disposable triangle sponges you can buy in packs from the drug store. So I would imagine that it absorbs more of the foundation than the Beauty Blender would.
As for how they both worked to be honest I couldn’t tell a huge difference! The Beauty Blender is definitely more bouncy and I have read reviews that it blends better and sheers foundation out better. The Avon one still does a great job of blending but perhaps leaves a slightly less sheer finish. I actually think this great when you need a bit of heavier coverage like I do to cover up acne, scars and dark marks although I guess for a more natural finish you wouldn’t want to have as much coverage. It also does take a bit more effort and a longer time to blend the foundation into the skin with the Avon one vs the Beauty Blender probably due to the lack of bounciness.
I’ve been using the two interchangeably and I’m pretty happy with both! I’m finding that the more I use them the harder they are to clean – does anyone else have this problem? I have to admit I’m very lazy and I don’t wash out the sponges every day like I probably should so maybe this is my issue?
As for how well it holds up I can’t really say right now. I’ve been using my Beauty Blender since March and I’m seeing little tears in it already but I will keep using it until it completely falls apart LOL! The Avon one I only started using a few weeks ago and so far it’s holding up the same although the shape is slightly deformed now.
If I HAD to choose I would still probably pick the Beauty Blender. The bounciness of it just makes it more unique and easier + faster to work with. But the Avon one is a great inexpensive alternative.
Please remember I’m not a makeup artist nor a makeup pro so perhaps this is why I couldn’t see a huge difference in the way the sponges performed. Perhaps for photographer or television the difference in the finish would be more obvious, but for $6.99 CDN I say it’s worth a try!
Have you tried any of these blender sponges out? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
I use the Avon sponge for face painting. I love it. It gives such a smooth finish with Starblend Powders. I wash them after each use (end of day). I don’t use them wet. I think that it would stain more if I do. So far no staining using Red Starblend (meyron). I now have purchased 5 from China and will be a while until they arrive. Only paid 12.00 for 5. so I don’t know if they are the real thing. I will let you know when I get them.
Boo…I know cleaning is the worst part!
Glad I could help 🙂 Let me know what you end up getting!
Hey Naomi! Great to hear from an MUA that you think they work the same too LOL! Yes I do like the grip on the Avon one too – feel more comfortable.
yes I’m starting to see tears in it!
Let me know what you think if you try the Avon one (and you know where to get it if you need it 😉 I think trying the beauty blender first may have ruined you though LOL! The cheaper ones probably won’t live up to expectations!
Oh never thought about mixing it with olive oil! Interesting! Do you like the beauty blender?
LOL I hate washing too! Such a pain!
Oh good advice! I’m going to try that out!
Thank for the comment Tara 🙂 If you try any of these out please let me know what you think!
I tried one sponge from target(forgot the name). It is so hard to clean and I dont feel like using it again.
I haven’t tried them yet but have always been interested! Thanks for the review it helps me with what I wanna get!
btw check out my page for my mini maybelline giveaway open to all Canadians:
http://mimikaayu.blogspot.ca/2012/06/luminato-maybelline-makeup-lounge-100.html
I have both the BB and I just got the Avon sponge. To be honest, they work the same for me. Also, I find them both hard to clean ;I didn’t purchase the BB cleanser so I’ll try out Arianne’s tip about using dish soap the next time that I use it. I liked that with the Avon sponge, that I was able to get a better grip on it due to it’s precision grip plus it’s way easier on my hands. I would purchase another Avon sponge in a heartbeat over the BB one.
Thanks for the review Elaine! I have yet to use my Beauty Blender again – had it for a while. But I remember having issues with cleaning it even with the cleanser. I do also remember the BB crumbling a bit after being cleansed. So if it eventually crumbles to nothing I will check out the Avon one!
Thanks for the comparison! I’m pretty obsessed with my BeautyBlender – I use it to apply my cream blush (summer essential!) and love how bouncy it is. Since I’m pretty lazy with cleaning it, I might end up opting for the cheaper Avon version when this one gives out.
I’ve tried the beauty blender one! And as per cleaning, once a week I would soak it in dishwashing liquid/few drops of olive oil/water mixture over night. Then just rinse it really well in the morning. It would get all the gunk out!
Thanks for the review Elaine I will need to check them out
x
cammi
http://www.cammilicious.com
Appreciate the review lots, Elaine. If these are hard to clean down the road, I’d prob opt for the cheaper ones, so I can just replace. Since last time we talked, I still haven’t got to the $2 ones I got from Hongkong lol I hate washing them, that’s why
Thanks for the comparison, Elaine! I know what you mean about the cleaning part. I felt the same about my Sonia Kashuk sponge from Target (similar in shape to the Avon’s and sounds like similar feel overall). I felt it just gets crusty inside and out because it doesn’t get as bouncy so the water doesn’t get into the little crevices of the sponge…
I’ve used my Beauty Blender a bunch of times and I don’t have problems cleaning it. If you have stubborn stains on yours I find dishwashing detergent usually does the trick.
I’ve never heard of this product, apparently I’ve been missing out! Thanks for the review Elaine 🙂