Why You May Need to Switch to a Silicone Sponge Blender

Squeamish? Lazy? Or simply on a budget? The silicone sponge blender may be trending on social media, but it may also be the answer to your germophobic, cost-cutting foundational issues.

_____________________________________________________________________

You may have seen the silicone makeup sponges on social media. They look a bit like a flattened silicone breast implant, to be blunt, but you can’t deny they look very interesting. I had been wanting to try one for a while, but with my current hoard of sponges, blenders, cushions, and brushes, I just couldn’t justify buying one. Luckily, I got one slipped into a W2Beauty order I had placed earlier this month. Now I’m so mad I didn’t get one earlier!

There are two immediately obvious benefits to the silicone sponge blender: One is hygiene and the other is cost effectiveness.

Many people are squicked out by the (un)sanitary condition of beauty blenders and cushions. As wonderful as they are, some people are just too afraid of the potential for bacteria growth, even after cleaning them. They also show their age fairly quickly; staining and nicks in traditional sponges are inevitable.

That’s not going to be a problem with the silicone sponge blender. The smooth surface wipes clean and absorbs absolutely no product. It’s beyond easy to soap it up and run it under the sink immediately after using. If you’d like to take it to the next level of disinfecting, you can easily give it a quick spray of rubbing alcohol with no ill effects on the sponge. I really wish these things had been around when I was doing photo shoots! I always felt bad for the models, who had to share a regular sponge. It’s also great if you have roommates and are afraid of them making off with your blenders and returning them dirty. They also travel extremely well, as they don’t pick up any of the dirt or cast-off product that may collect in your purse or makeup bag.

The next benefit is the one that really blew me away: the savings. You save SO much product with these things. Let me say it again because it’s so amazing. You. Will. Save. So. Much. Product. I know I sound dramatic, but man, I couldn’t believe how much product I had been wasting before once I saw the difference. I put the usual amount I previous used for my beauty blender on the back of my hand and patted my silicone blender into it. It was way, way too much product! Just that one pat would have covered my entire face and then some. I actually had to wipe away the excess on my face, recalculate, and start again. Granted, I do have a bit of a small face, but it was insane! I would say I saved a good 75% of the product I’d normally use in one go with this thing. That’s a pretty awesome return on investment considering these cost only $5. It’ll end up making your $30+ fancy BB creams go a lot farther.

As far as it’s performance as a blender I think it’s lovely. It makes for a very even, very natural look. Building coverage wasn’t too hard, but it was a little difficult for me on the bony area of my nose and getting into the crevices of my eyes. I still ended up following up with one of the small traditional beauty blenders to do that area, but that had more to do with the shape of the sponge than its efficacy. I was still able to save on product as I simply dipped my tiny blender onto the leftovers from my silicone blender.

I don’t think this is suited for very heavy, high coverage looks, as it doesn’t quite push things into the skin as a sponge can, but how often are we going full-faced high coverage these days?

Overall, I was really pleased with this product, and I think it’s a fine addition to anyone’s kit, especially those concerned with hygiene.

Have you tried the silicone sponge blender? What was your experience like?