I Tried Every Makeup Sponge So You Don't Have To
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Every now and again something so revolutionary comes along in the beauty world that makes you rethink your entire getting-ready process. The Beautyblender was one of them. When the makeup sponge hit the scene in 2007, it became instantly iconic for its ability to flawlessly buff and blend in foundation—and replaced the need for owning multiple face brushes.
In the past few years, a whole sea of sponges have hit shelves—bringing with them odd designs and different textures, ranging from drugstore prices to designer. It wasn't until recently when I fell down a rabbit hole of YouTuber reviews that I realized just how many options are out there. A quick Ulta search delivers nearly 150 different sponges. I’ve been so loyal to my Beautyblender I thought it was time to finally see what I was missing. So I dipped, dabbed, and tested my way through dozens of sponges to narrow down the 13 worth your time and money. Scroll on for the best makeup sponges.
Courtesy of Brand1/13Best Drugstore Option: L'Oréal Paris Infallible Blend Artist Foundation Blender, $8, ulta.com
The L’Oréal sponge is similar to the Beautyblender but a little squishier. It's got an almost velvety texture that feels really nice on your skin. The sponge doesn't soak up a lot of product, and gives you an even, flawless finish with medium coverage. The bottom is larger than other sponges, so it covers a lot of area quickly, and the pointer tip is great for nooks and crannies and detail work.
Courtesy of brand2/13Best Designer Sponge: Givenchy Makeup Blender, $20, sephora.com
Sometimes it's not enough to only have perfect foundation, you need to feel fancy while blending it. For those times I suggest reaching for the Givenchy Makeup Blender, which is actually the same price as a Beautyblender but feels so much more luxurious. What makes this one especially nice—outside its preferred medium firmness and ability to give an even application—is the indented center, which lets you hold on to the sponge without getting makeup caked onto your fingertips. The pointed ends are also different sizes, the longer one is good for concealer, and I found the wider end did a beautiful job applying my cream blush.
Courtesy of brand3/13Best for Light Coverage: Revlon 4-in-1 Blending Sponge, $8, ulta.com
The Revlon sponge is long with a pointed tip, and almost feels like an extension of your hand, making it very easy to work with. The sponge has a flat edge, and it works best to press foundation into your skin, not bounce it. This sponge is quite dense, so I was surprised to find that it did absorb a good amount of product and left me with a lighter finish than I usually go for. If superlight coverage is your jam, you might love this one, as it left a really even, pretty layer of foundation behind.
Courtesy of brand4/13Best for Full Coverage and Powder: Juno & Co Microfiber Velvet Sponge, $6, thejuno.co
A new player brought to my attention by NikkieTutorials, who gave it a rave review, The June & Co Sponge is super dense and covered in a fuzzy velvet coating. It’s pretty compact but expands when wet, which is how the brand recommends using it for liquids. It takes some getting used to since it's so dense, but it absorbs next to no product and leaves you with very full coverage. But for me, where this sponge really shines is applying powder products. When buffed into my skin, setting powder, blush, and highlighter looked flawless with zero cake.
Courtesy of brand5/13Best for Concealer: NYX Flawless Finish Blending Sponge, $8, ulta.com
This one took a little bit of finessing to get used to. It’s firmer and not as bouncy as a Beautyblender, and I found that it soaked up a bit more foundation than I prefer. If you wanted a super-sheer look, this would be great, but I personally found it took too long to build up to my desired level of coverage. That being said, this worked to my advantage when blending out my heavy-duty concealer (looking at you Tarte Shape Tape), and left both blemishes and undereyes looking airbrushed in seconds.
Courtesy of brand6/13Best for Highlighter: E.L.F. Cosmetics Highlighting and Blending Sponge, $6, ulta.com
Sure, you can technically use any sponge to put on highlighter, but what makes this one so cool is that it has a firm, pointed edge to precisely apply illuminator, and a fuzzy, flat end to seamlessly blend it out. The sponge can be used dry for powders, which delivered a blinding highlight, or wet with creams and liquids, which gave me a more natural, lit-from-within look.
Courtesy of Brand7/13Best for Correcting: Fenty Beauty Precision Makeup Sponge 100, $16, sephora.com
I personally was not the biggest fan of applying makeup with this one. I found the sponge to be very soft, and didn’t give me as much control as I’m used to. However, it works beautifully to smooth over foundation you have applied with brushes or fingers. After testing a sponge that was possibly one of the worst tools I’ve ever tried, I reached for the Fenty, bounced it over the botched foundation, and was left with the most perfect canvas. It also works well to smooth out any cakeyness or separation midday. It's a good one to keep at your desk.
Courtesy of brand8/13Most Fun to Use: Stans Out Beauty Sponge, $20, amazon.com
I discovered this sponge through Tati Westbrook's channel and immediately had to try it. It's like no other makeup sponge I've ever used. It’s shaped like an oversize diamond and is made of malleable memory foam. It has both gentle curves and flat edges, and can also be modeled into whatever shape you want. With this sponge, you have to roll your foundation with the rounded edge instead of the usual dabbing, and then you can use the tip for under your eyes and flat edge to perfect your contour. I found it really fun to use a new texture, and my base products went on smoothly. Although I only used it wet, the brand also recommends using it dry for powder products and to blot off excess makeup.
9/13The Unlikely Hero: Sigma Beauty 3DHD Blender, $15, dermstore.com
I have to be honest, I didn't expect to like this makeup sponge as much as did. I usually prefer a bouncy sponge, and this one is very tightly packed, to the point where it feels totally smooth rather than porous. I don’t do any heavy sculpting, so I normally don’t reach for a sponge with a sharp edge, but the pointed shape of this blender allowed it to bend and twist freely, and was so easy to maneuver all over my face, especially around my nose and under my eyes. The best method I found is to dab and spread foundation on with the flat side, and use the rounded end to buff it out.
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Courtesy of brand10/13Most Versatile: Elcie Cosmetics The Velvet Sponge, $18, elciecosmetics.com
A favorite of YouTuber Desi Perkins, the Elcie sponge is a tightly packed sponge that gives medium to full coverage depending on how much product you use. The sponge is easy to hold, and what really sets it apart is its, um, suggestive shape. The round bottom is quite large, maybe double the size of a Beautyblender, and covers large areas like your cheeks in a flash (the brand suggests using it for body as well). The pointy tip is amazing for details like concealing around your nose, covering blemishes, and fixing mistakes. No matter which end you use, you’re left with even, velvety coverage.
Courtesy of Brand11/13Best Affordable Sponge: Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge, $5, ulta.com
This is the least expensive sponge out of the bunch, but that has zero effect on the quality. I found the Real Techniques to be the most similar to the Beautyblender; it has the same bouncy but firm texture and delivers the same undetectable finish. The round side is great for allover application, and the slanted edge lends a helping hand to contouring and shaping.
Courtesy of brand12/13Most Convenient: Sephora Collection Total Coverage Sponge, $12, sephora.com
You know you can depend on every Sephora to have a few of these hanging out in the check out aisle. The Total Coverage Sponge is a little smaller and squishier than a Beautyblender, but it delivers pretty similar results—an even smooth base and a poreless finish. For a few bucks less, it's a pretty solid option if you're hoping to save a little for elsewhere at the store.
Courtesy of brand13/13The Game Changer: Beautyblender The Original,$20, sephora.com
And finally, it'd just be wrong not to include the OG in this list. It applies foundation seamlessly, practically blending it for you. I find the Beautyblender hits the perfect medium coverage sweet spot. It doesn't take too long to build up coverage where I need it but lets my skin peek through and never looks cakey.
