The Best Makeup Sponges for Blending Foundation and Contouring

Devon Abelman
Updated
The Best Makeup Sponges for Blending Foundation and Contouring

The selection of makeup blending sponges is no longer limited to one pink egg-shaped tool. These days, it runs the gamut. You can save with the $2 throwaways at the drugstore or splurge on the $23 Beautyblender. But which ones do Allure editors, professional makeup artists, and people on the Internet really love? I rounded up five of the best makeup blending sponges you could shop right now.

Coming in at number one is — you guessed it — the Beautyblender. Even though the less-expensive Real Techniques sponge is a great alternative, this one will always remain supreme among beauty novices and pros alike. You can't talk to a makeup artist without a Beautyblender somehow making its way into the conversation. Not only does Patrick Ta, in particular, swear by it for flawlessly blending out foundation, he also dabs it onto lids to clean up eye shadow if he over-blended it.

Anyone on social media will tell you that Real Techniques makes a veritable dupe for the Beautyblender. The $6 Miracle Complexion Sponge is arguably just as beloved, and you can buy almost four for the price of one Beautyblender. The Miracle Complexion Sponge has a flat side, which makes baking and contouring a breeze. However, it also has a pointed tip for squeezing into all the crevices of your face.

If you're into the flat-sided sponge situation, Sigma's 3DHD Blender ($15) has three edges. The flat bottom is key for smooth foundation application while the corner will help you sculpt your face with Mario Dedivanovic-precision. I'm personally a fan because the material is incredibly soft, even when it's dry.

Allure editors also love the coin-sized Beautyblender Micro Mini, which won a Best of Beauty Award in 2017. It's like the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids version of the OG blending sponge. This size helps with dabbing on undereye concealer. Several of us also keep one in our bags at all times to touch up our makeup on-the-go.

A new addition to my personal list of favorite makeup-blending sponges is Elcie's Velvet Sponge, and YouTube-famous makeup artists like Desi Perkins and Shayla Mitchell agree. The sponge is so sought-after that Elcie can't keep it in stock. It has an arrowhead-like shape that allows you to pinch the center and not get the germs from your hand onto the areas of the sponge that touch your face. Genius, right?

More makeup tools you'll love:

Now, watch Tyra Banks try nine things she's never done before:

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Now, watch Tyra Banks try nine things she's never done before:

See the video.