Blender Battle

Beauty blenders from Primark and The Body Shop

I wanted to talk a little today about a topic I've touched on before - the beauty blender. This isn't a new product, and I have to confess, I've never actually bought an authentic Beauty Blender before - I've used a LOT of dupes, though, ranging in price and quality, and I like to talk about them on the blog because I find it interesting to compare the cheaper versions you can pick up on the high street. My last review, of the sponges I have just replaced with these two, can be read here.

The 'real' Beauty Blender can cost anything from £10 - £17 depending on where you buy it and the type that you choose. You can get these little sponges in a variation of densities for differing makeup looks and specific methods of application. The cheaper sponge shown here on the left is a Primark 'unicorn horn' sponge which retailed at £1.50, and on the right is The Body Shop's version, which costs £5.

The sponges feel very different when dry and also when dampened. Used damp, they are a great tool for makeup application to give an airbrushed finish. Easy to use and ergonomic, I really like the way they apply makeup, much more so than a brush, however they don't have the longevity that brushes have - you might only need to replace your brushes maybe yearly, depending on how much you use them, but after a couple of months, you're going to want to replace that beauty sponge for sure.

The Body Shop sponge feels very dense when dry - not easy to squash - where as the Primark one is super soft and very squashy. When wet, they both expand considerably from the size they are when dry - the image shows both sponges damp - and you can see that The Body Shop one is much more defined in shape than the Primark version. It's also more ergonomic and easier to hold. It softens up when wet, but not a huge amount and definitely no where near as much as the Primark version. The Primark version is very much of the moment - the lilac sponge is meant to resemble a unicorn horn and even has glitter in it!

There are pros and cons to product application with both. The Body Shop sponge is quite hard, which is great for using the pointed tip to apply concealer under the eyes and around the nose, however the base, which can be used to apply foundation over the face, is fairly unforgiving and can even start to remove your makeup if you go over it too many times (not good.) The Primark version applies the product beautifully, but is much more porous and soaks up the foundation quickly. The unicorn 'horn' is a bit of a misnomer because it's so squishy, you can't easily apply foundation with it as it bends back on itself. 

Price wise, I think both of these sponges represent good value. I like the density of The Body Shop one, and the colour, which means that foundation won't stain it! I can imagine this sponge will last longer than the average. The Primark one is so soft, I don't see how it can last long at all before it begins to perish. However, for the price, this is still a great, latex-free sponge option.

XO Amie