♥ Beauty Blender VS Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge

These two make up sponges are easily the most used out there. On one hand you have the cult classic - the £16 Beauty Blender and the original make up sponge in this battle. Then there's the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge. It boasts a pretty unique shape and costs way less than half the price of a Beauty Blender... Are there any real - life changing - differences with these two sponges though?
The first make up sponges I ever used were the kind you buy in a big bag from Poundland. They come in various different shapes and sizes and I remember popping foundation onto them and smearing product across my face with them. They'd stain an awkward dark brown colour and rip to shreds after a couple of uses. That's probably the reason I stayed away from beauty sponges for so long. I wasn't convinced that a more expensive sponge would be any different to the kind I'd buy from the pound shop when I was fourteen. Boy, was I wrong. Using sponges completely changed the way I apply my make up and I'm so obsessed with them now.

I first tried the Real Techniques sponge. The Beauty Blender seemed a little extravagant given I was so comfortable and happy with how my buffing brushes were making my foundation look. This sponge, now that I've tried a Beauty Blender, feels stiff. This is both a blessing and a curse, I feel. I do think it soaks up a lot of product and I haven't been able to wash foundation out of this sponge as easily as I have done my Beauty Blender, and it I've had to repurchase as trying to wash and rinse these out causes them to crack and break. At £5.99 you can't really complain about this sponge, though, the finish it gives your foundation is really, really nice and the shape of the sponge means you can use it for so many different things. I use the flat surface to apply foundation and powder, and the pointed end for concealing around my nose and eyes. The shape of this one means that it gets into every little crevice of the face - something the Beauty Blender doesn't do.

The Beauty Blender and it's classic teardrop shape is the sponge for me, though. I would definitely argue that it's worth the £16 you spend on it. I was so shocked when I bought my first one as it is tiny when dry and I was amazed to watch it balloon to triple the size when I ran it under water. When you have the two sponges, it's easy to see that they are made out of two completely different materials. The beauty blender is much bouncier and lighter than the RT alternative and the sponge lets in so much water, it's obvious that not as much product will be soaked into the sponge. The original beauty blender is super bouncy and soft on the skin and the only real qualm I have with it isn't even the price tag - it's the way the colour bleeds and runs every time you use it. I think the next one I purchase will be the nude coloured one so that I don't get all the dye coming out!

Ultimately, I'd say to go for the Beauty Blender if the price doesn't scare you too much. They do last a rather long time if you wash and care for them properly, and the finish and resistance to soaking up product is a massive benefit of using it, also the finish you get with this one is just that touch more flawless and easy to build upon, but the finish on the RT offering doesn't differ completely. The Real Techniques one isn't at all bad, honestly. I've purchased a new one and would do time and again just because it's a great tool to have and it still is a really nice sponge to apply foundation and powder with, the Beauty Blender just does a little bit better, I suppose.

If there's another sponge you think is just as good as the above, let me know in the comments below! Are the 99p dupes on eBay any good?

Em x

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