The Nudes Collection beauty sponges £2, Primark
Primark is not somewhere I shop often but I'd seen so much in the blogosphere about their latest makeup collection - the Nudes range. This is a bona fide dupe of the KKW cosmetic line, and whilst I'm not in the market for new makeup at the moment, I always like to have a couple of spare beauty blenders in my kit. This is for a couple of reasons; I love the finish that a beauty blender gives, so I would always reach for that over a brush (I have a sum total of 3 brushes in my collection!) the downside being that beauty blenders don't last nearly as long - I end up having to replace mine every few months. They tear, or get so stained that not even the most brutal cleaning sorts them out! I am also pretty conscious that they are usually damp, harbouring a breeding ground for bacteria, so I always wash mine after every use with an antibac liquid soap and then give them a good clean / spin through the microwave once a week to keep them fresh. I don't think this is totally necessary but I hate the idea of using a dirty sponge to put my makeup on with, but I love the finish the sponges give so I am willing to put up with the maintenance!
My current go-to sponge is this one from The Body Shop. It's a great sponge, if a little firm. I'm yet to find the ultimate 'holy grail' sponge and that's probably my own fault - I rarely pay more than £5 for one as I know it won't last very long. Primark is good for them, in that regard - they are around £1 but they can vary in effectiveness! I've had some great ones from there and some that were fit for the bin, but for £2 I thought I'd give this duo a try.
The packaging is lovely, really chic and muted, and the whole collection is very giftable if you are buying for someone who likes makeup! The sponges are very pale, which won't be great for cleaning but they do look very pretty! (until the first use I'm sure!) There are subtle differences between the two, the teardrop shaped sponge is a lot squishier than the angled sponge and in terms of sizing, they are smaller than my Body Shop sponge, which I don't hate because I find it easier to control a sponge this size.
A quick glance at the packaging confirms that they contain natural latex, and I have always found that when this is present in a sponge, they don't change shape when in water. Unlike my Body Shop sponge which pretty much doubles in size, these stay exactly the same wet as dry and the texture of the product doesn't change at all either. However, they are soft sponges without that gritty texture that some have, so this isn't too much of an issue. The other benefit of their composition is that they don't soak up the foundation as you apply it, meaning you need to use less.
I was pretty impressed with the application, I used the angled sponge first as I liked the flat edge. I think as this sponge is tougher, it's probably meant for contouring but I just slapped my base on with it. The teardrop sponge is great for concealer as the pointed end means you can work it around the eyes and nose easily.
Overall, for £2 I recommend these sponges. I don't think I prefer them over others I've tried, but for the price, they are well made and do their job! It will be interesting to see whether they last any longer than other beauty sponges I have used before - I'll make sure to check back in before I chuck them out!
XO Amie
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