Is there a difference between cheap and expensive makeup sponges?

May. 13, 2024

Cheap VS Expensive Makeup Sponge - Is it really a big deal?

There are many takes on these teardrop shaped sponges that are made to make applying your foundation easier and more ‘airbrushed’-like. But, does the price tag really matter? It’s just a sponge!

We won’t be visiting the sponge shapes because each shape serves different purposes. Our main goal is to find out in general whether an expensive makeup sponge is really a makeup staple or not. Now, this topic boils down into four sections: Latex or Non-Latex, Absorption Power, Blendability, Antimicrobial, and Durability.

Latex or Non-Latex?:
Do you know that expensive sponges don't contain any latex? Now what difference does this ingredient actually make? Not having any latex in your makeup sponge is extremely important to create a smoother foundation canvas because it gives more coverage without absorbing too much product.

Absorption Power:
Expensive sponges have higher absorption power in the sense that they retain water better so this minimises liquid foundation absorption so you won’t be wasting too much foundation while blending it onto your skin. Cheaper sponges don’t hold water that well because it’s not as dense as the expensive ones, so yes, a portion of your liquid foundation is wasted getting trapped on the sponge surface rather than onto your skin.

Blendability:
Some cheap sponges have a bad surface where they’re either too spongy or too rough, which will create a blotched or cakey foundation look whereas the expensive ones are denser so they will spread the foundation on your skin evenly, creating a flawless, airbrushed effect. Not only that, but makeup sponges are useful for those with dry and sensitive skin so investing in a decent one is important to ensure that your skin won’t get irritated from the sponge surface.

Antimicrobial:
It’s important to get a makeup sponge that contains antimicrobial foam because you will be dipping this makeup sponge in water before using it every time and bacteria can easily grow on your makeup sponge if it’s not antimicrobial. This is important to avoid skin rashes and breakouts caused by bacterial infection.

Durability:
Cheaper sponges don't last as long as the expensive ones because they are made from gritty materials which makes them easier to disintegrate after a few uses especially when you frequently dip them in water and squeeze the water out of it.

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Which One Is The Winner?
We’re not trying to be classists, but the expensive one is the clear winner here. Simply because it’s better to invest in a pricier makeup sponge that will absorb less foundation and last longer. But if you don’t want to spend RM99 on a sponge, you can definitely opt for the cheaper ones like those from drugstore brands and other beauty brands that you know and like. We don’t recommend getting the generic ones from the dollar store because they disintegrate quite quickly and your makeup base won’t look as smooth. After all, you only need one sponge so it’s better to make an investment on a good sponge!

The Difference Between A $20 Beautyblender And A $5 ...

Blanchi Costela via Getty Images

Since hitting store shelves in 2003, Beautyblender makeup sponges have become a staple in makeup bags everywhere. But they don’t come cheap.

Twenty dollars a pop seems steep, especially when you consider that you’re supposed to replace them every three months. On top of that, you can find much cheaper knockoffs everywhere from Forever 21 to Ulta to CVS and Walgreens. So what exactly sets the original Beautyblender apart from its lower-priced competition?

According to the Beautyblender website, the sponges are made with an “exclusive aqua-activated foam with insanely soft texture for an airbrushed finish” and “flawless coverage every time.” HuffPost reached out to the brand for more information, but they did not immediately respond. Off-brand makeup sponges, whose materials are not always listed on their packaging, are often described as “latex-free foam.”

We wanted to know more about that. So we spoke to professional makeup artists to find out if Beautyblenders are really so different from every other makeup sponge out there.

Some makeup artists swear the Beautyblender creates a more poreless finish.

Ashley Readings, a professional makeup artist based in Toronto, is a devotee of the original Beautyblender. “I feel lost without them,” she said.

In her opinion, the brand name Beautyblenders “are that special and that different from a traditional latex sponge. They are so different that I don’t like doing makeup without them.”

In Readings’ experience, Beautyblenders, which are meant to be used wet, help to create a “poreless finish” on the skin. The off-brand versions, she said, don’t hold water the same way and can leave makeup with a spongey texture. (Readings labeled those old-school triangle makeup sponges as “the worst” in that sense.)

With a wet Beautyblender, she said, a product like liquid foundation, which people commonly apply with sponges, “just kind of sits on top ... and you can just tap it onto skin.”

Allure has pointed out that Beautyblender’s sponge is hydrophilic, which means it’s designed to absorb water. All that water leaves less room for the sponge to absorb your foundation, so theoretically it should reduce product waste.

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Amanda Shackleton, a New York-based bridal makeup artist, is also a fan, although she admitted she was initially “super skeptical about the Beautyblender, with its tag lines ‘revolutionary foam technology’ and ‘airbrushed finish.’”

“Until one fell in my lap, I had no plans to buy one,” she said. But once Shackleton tried it, she liked it. “The more expensive versions are super soft on clients’ skin and less likely to cause irritation. They are consistent in quality and that’s important to me.”

Another factor in the Beautyblender’s favor, Readings said, is that it holds up well to washing. (Just to be clear, you should be washing your applicator sponge after every use.) As a professional, she needs to wash and sanitize her blenders constantly, and in her experience, the cheaper ones aren’t always as resilient.

As with everything else, marketing is involved.

While she agreed that makeup sponges like the Beautyblender can be great for applying liquid foundation and preventing product waste, Shawnelle Prestidge, a New York-based celebrity makeup artist and founder of Prestidge Beauté, suggested that marketing plays a huge role in determining their price tag.

“You can try things that are really inexpensive and get a great quality product. It just so happens their markup or margins might not be as high,” Prestidge said. She also noted that some suppliers may sell the same (or very similar) sponges to be marketed as different brands.

You should be able to tell some differences in material just by feeling the sponge. Readings said Beautyblenders are “a little less dense” than the knockoffs, while Shackleton finds the cheaper ones can be scratchy and hard.

“Everyone with a new product relies heavily on marketing, which adds to the cost of what you’re buying, so marketing does play a part,” Shackleton said. In her opinion, though, the Beautyblender provides good results beyond the hype.

“I’m lucky to be given many different kinds of makeup to try out and that includes sponges as well,” she said. “I’m not a makeup snob so if a cheaper product works better, I stick to it.”

Readings falls somewhere in the middle. “I think they’re that worth it,” she said, “but I think a lot of it is hype and marketing for sure.”

So is the Beautyblender worth its $20 price tag?

The makeup artists we spoke to generally agreed that the average consumer doesn’t necessarily need to spend $20 on a makeup sponge. They also agreed that you can achieve good results with a more budget-friendly option.

“For personal use, I think [cheaper ones] are definitely in the ‘good enough’ realm. Not everything has to be up to my standards all the time,” Readings said. “The average woman, can she buy a sponge at [the drugstore] for $5? Absolutely she can.”

“I would love if they were cheaper so much,” Readings added, before stating that she’ll continue buying Beautyblenders “even though I do think they’re a little overpriced.”

That said, buying sponges at the dollar store wasn’t recommended either. Prestidge said a sponge from Ulta ― where you can buy the e.l.f. Cosmetics version for $4 ― is going to be more trustworthy than something from most 99-cent stores.

Leslie-Ann Thomson, a Montreal-based makeup artist who’s worked with actress Priyanka Chopra and singer Grimes, said the really cheap sponges “will probably disintegrate faster than the Beautyblender.” She recommended more affordable options like Sephora’s dual coverage makeup sponge, which sells for $12, and the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion sponge, which sells for $6.

“It’s a give-and-take situation,” Shackleton said. “In the end, [cheap ones] fall apart and you end up buying more, so in this case I say spend the extra few dollars and know what you are getting.”

Contact us to discuss your requirements of Custom Logo Makeup Sponge. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

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