The Beauty Blender - Worth the Hype?

The Beauty Blender - Makeup Sponge

     For the longest time I held off on buying the Beauty Blender... I mean c'mon... It's a makeup sponge.  I never thought to use the cheap, white and prism-like ones before anyway.  I thought, "Why would this be any different?"  Since the initial hype of the product, I decided to purchase a cheap one from T.J. Maxx... Worst sponge ever.  I don't know if it was the specific one I had purchased but it did nothing for my foundation.  If anything it made it worse!  It absorbed far too much product and blended horribly.  No bueno.  After that experience I was turned off from cosmetic sponges... But not for long. 

     One day I was watching a YouTube video (hollyannaeree) and she stated that there was a discount code for the makeup website, www.beauty.com.  Of course, being the makeup junkie that I am, I had to see what kind of products the website had to offer and I saw the Beauty Blenders.  I thought, "Why not? Maybe they are worth the hype..."  I went a ahead and purchased the two pack with the cleanser. 

(Image from http://www.beautybay.com/)

     Originally it would have cost me around $39.95 (plus free shipping over $25!), but since I had the 20% off coupon I was able to get it for $31.96!  Well, it's not a significant difference, but hey... I'm a college student, so I'll take all the discounts I can get!  I thought it was a great deal considering the cost of one beauty blender is $19.95 and one bottle of cleanser is $9.95.  I basically got an extra one for free, score! 

     Now, onto the actual product itself... The most important part!  I had to do my research on this product just to make sure I would be using it correctly... I didn't want to ruin a $20 sponge. After watching a few tutorial videos and familiarizing myself with how to use, clean and take care of the Beauty Blender, I finally used it.  And the verdict?

I LOVED IT!

Totally worth all of the hype!

     I use the Beauty Blender for all my liquids (foundation and concealer) because it smooths out the liquids without making it look extremely thick.  When wetting the sponge (very important), the moisture works so well with my liquid foundation; it blends like a dream. 

Left: Wet with Water     Right: Dry

(Both images from http://kimiyajoon.com/2013/04/10/beauty-blender-vs-sonia-kashuk-blender/) 

It gives me a natural look that I couldn't get with any brush and the coverage is fantastic.  Brushes can absorb and waste a lot of product.  With that being said, if you have really sensitive/acne prone skin you will need to clean this after every use.  It can become unsanitary if you go without washing it after multiple uses.  I believe it can lessen the longevity of the Beauty Blender too.  I've had it for a few weeks now and the sponge is still working wonderfully (as I would except a $20 sponge should) and hopefully will continue for many more months.  I will make sure to update you all when I feel like it's time to swap out for a new Beauty Blender sponge.  Hopefully not anytime soon! 

If you have no idea, like I did, on how to use the Beauty Blender Sponge then follow the steps below provided by Sephora.

     What do you all think of the Beauty Blender?  Do you think it's worth the hype?  Let us know below!  We would love to hear your opinion.

           ♥