Beauty Blender Dupe?
If I had to toss out all of my foundation and concealer brushes I probably wouldn’t be too hurt. Why? Because my Beauty Blender has been flawlessly blending my foundation and concealer to airbrushed perfection for years. I may shed a little tear for my lost brush homies but the Beauty Blender has been so good to me that I couldn’t imagine my life without it. Even if it costs me 20 bucks a pop.
Which, in theory, isn’t all that bad considering they’re reusable and hold up for months. However, things can get real bad and real expensive real quick when you’re a makeup junkie and rely on your Beauty Blender sponge for everything from foundation to concealer to powder to highlighters. Throughout the years, I’ve been through a handful of Beauty Blenders which has started to add up and make me search for dupes.
At first, the search was daunting as every alternative I tried just couldn’t compare. With the biggest problem being that they’re all too hard. The Beauty Blender is the epitome of softness and fluffiness so it’s a really tough act to follow.
But by golly, Batman, I think I’ve finally found a dupe! Now keep in mind, it isn’t exactly as great as the original Beauty Blender but it’s damn good enough to keep me from buying another one. The dupe is Icing’s Blending Sponge and it’s a dead ringer for the Beauty Blender coming in two shades: a bright mint and a hot pink. The Blending Sponge is the same size and width as the Beauty Blender and even shares the same precise pointed tip I’ve grown to know and love.
The biggest difference between the two is the material. Naturally, the Beauty Blender is much softer and more pliable–giving it a more plush feel. But the Blending Sponge is no brick either. It’s still rather soft but it isn’t as plush and “mushy” feeling as the Beauty Blender. Which I actually like because I find that it soaks up less product making the Blending Sponge a hell of a lot easier to clean than the Beauty Blender.
The only drawback to the Blending Sponge is that it doesn’t perform all that well wet. The Beauty Blender can be immersed in water to double its size (softness too) and help seamlessly blend makeup in half the time. I tried wetting the Blending Sponge and it seemed to actually absorb some of the water which made my concealer look patchy and uneven when I tried using it to blend.
I’m glad I didn’t give up on the Blending Sponge though because it ended up performing just as well as a damp Beauty Blender when it’s bone dry. And it works even better when I lightly spritz it with water or my Pixi makeup sprays. I’ve been using the Blending Sponge exclusively for foundation, concealer and powder for months and I’m completely blown away by the quality. It applies makeup just as well as the Beauty Blender and it seems to last just as long too.
The Icing Blending Sponge is actually an incredible alternative to the Beauty Blender. Especially for the price. It’s regularly $8 but Icing currently has them on sale for $3. You can’t beat that! Before they sold out online, I was able to snag 8 of them for $24. Which is pretty much the price of a single Beauty Blender once you include taxes. I’m a little sad the full sized Blending Sponges are no longer available online but you can grab a set of the minis for $5 or run to your local Icing and snatch them up before they disappear!
I hadn’t heard of these, I have been in love with the Real Techniques Sponge. I especially love the shape, it’s great for under eye concealer and powder. Do you prefer the Blending Sponge over the Real Techniques Sponge. I am not sure if there is an Icing in my area, but I will definitely look around. I know what you mean about the 20 bucks for the Beauty Blender, I have not bought one since I fell in love with the Real Techniques Sponge.