the whole world has done this review and comparison, but I had to see it for myself.
only recently the Real Techniques beauty sponge has been available in store in Portugal, and I’ve been a fan of the Beauty Blender ever since I first used it: these new generation beauty sponges gave us new appreciation for this little rubberised tools – they can blend in foundation or any cream product, apply powder gently or for baking, and even blend away any makeup mishaps. must-haves, in my book.
but, for less than half the price, is the Real Techniques version comparable to the original Beauty Blender?
the answer is – as you can see up close and poresonal – YES, in application and finish.
when it comes to wear, I’m not so sure: I’ve had my Beauty Blender for 6 months now, and only now I’m seeing some signs of wear. I’ve had the Real Techniques sponge for only a couple of weeks, and I noticed it starting to scuff after a few washes, when I was being a bit more aggressive. if you’re a bit impatient when washing your sponges (I’m not judging! did you watch the video?), maybe you’ll end up having to repurchase a RT sponge every couple of months — in which case it may be better to invest in a Beauty Blender…
so, all in all, if you’re pondering buying a beauty sponge, maybe go for the RT one. if you notice it wearing out before the 3 month period, maybe you should go for a Beauty Blender and see how long can you use it before it goes meh, and go from there.
the recommended wear time for these sponges is 3 months, but if well taken care of and sanitised, you can make them last a lot longer.
my tips:
saturate the sponge with water and wring out the excess (maybe pat with a towel), leaving it fluffy and damp – use it damp even with powder;
to increase the wear time of your foundation, add a few spritzes of MAC Fix+ to your damp beauty sponge;
instead of applying the product directly to the sponge or dotting it around the face and using the sponge to spread the product and then blend it, try smoothing the foundation or other products with your fingers or a brush on your face, and then just using the sponge to bounce the product in – this will prevent your sponge from getting those harder to wash deep dark stains (forcing you to rub more, and eventually tearing the material), and also will prevent your beauty sponge from drinking up too much product (I see so many people complaining it does that, I never had a problem);
wash your beauty sponge under lukewarm water, with your favourite soap (I use glycerin) and then, once a week, do a last rinse with a few drops of an anti-bacterial hand soap to keep those germs at bay for longer.
the Beauty Blender sells for 20$ at Sephora; the Real Techniques can be found at your local RT retailers and at Feelunique for a little under 8€.
the freevolous 