Drugstore vs High-End: Real Techniques Complexion Sponge and the Beauty Blender

Drugstore vs High-End: Real Techniques Complexion Sponge and the Beauty Blender

Many people love using a sponge to apply their makeup, and I am one of them! Sponges are a great tool to use for a natural finish. In particular, using a sponge is a great way to make your makeup look less powdery. There are many different types of sponges on the market, but two of the more popular sponges are the Real Techniques Complexion Sponge and the Beauty Blender. These sponges are similar, but they do have their differences. Which is worth buying? The drugstore version? Or the high-end version?

Real Techniques Complexion Sponge
Price: $6.00
You can buy this at: Ulta, Kohl's, Walgreens, and realtechniques.com
http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod5960824

The Real Techniques Complexion Sponge is an orange sponge that has a rounded point at one end and a flat edge side on the other end. The sponge can be used wet or dry, but I would recommend using it wet because it gives you a more flawless coverage and appearance. The pointed side of the sponge is great for getting in the creases and edges around the face, as well as blending concealer under the eyes. I like to use the flat egde of the sponge to to apply my foundation and to blend in my contour, blush, and highlighter. When you wet the sponge, it becomes larger and softer which makes it easier to work with and manipulate it to the contours of your face. Also, you can use it dry to apply powder under your eyes to set your concealer or to bake your contour. This is a great sponge and is only around $6 depending on where you buy it.

The Beauty Blender
Price: $20.00
You can buy this at: Sephora, Macy's, and beautyblender.com
http://www.sephora.com/beautyblender-P228913?skuId=1151869&om_mmc=ppc-MSN&mkwid=jmvNOGUB&pcrid=11604382683&pdv=c&site=us_search&country_switch=us&lang=en

Note: Even though this the Beauty Blender is clean, it is permanently stained from foundation.

The Beauty Blender is a hot pink sponge that is completely round on one side and comes to a rounded point on the other end. You can use the Beauty Blender wet or dry, but like the Real Techiques Complexion Sponge I prefer to use it wet because of the finish it gives. I like to use the pointed end of the sponge for concealer under my eyes, as well as covering any blemishes or problem areas. Also, I like to use the rounded end to apply my foundation and to set my makeup with powder. The Beauty Blender comes in many different colors and sizes such as smaller ones that were made to apply concealer and blend makeup in the smaller contours of the face. The Beauty Blender is a great sponge to apply your makeup for a flawless look.

I have used both of these sponges many times and if I had to choose between the two, I would choose the Real Techniques Complexion Sponge. Even though I really do like the Beauty Blender, the Real Techniques Complexion Sponge is a fourth of the price. It does the exact same thing as the Beauty Blender, but works even better. The Real Techniques Complexion Sponge is a bit more dense than the Beauty Blender so I feel like it soaks up less product. Also, I have found that the Real Techniques Complexion Sponge is a lot easier to clean anddoes not stain like the Beauty Blender does.

All in all, I would choose the drugstore option... the Real Techniques Complexion Sponge.

All Photos by Becky Schutten