The first step is wetting your sponge. You should never use a makeup sponge dry to apply foundation, especially if it's a beautyblender, says Bartlett. She recommends squishing it under water about eight times until it's fully saturated. Then, wring out the excess water.
“A Beautyblender should always be used damp to ensure it blends seamlessly,” Lottie notes. That's why the golden rule of Beautyblenders is wet, squeeze, bounce. The Beautyblender is hydrophilic, meaning it's actually designed to absorb water. When it's wet, it's too full to absorb your foundation, too.
According to Elasmar, all Beautyblenders should be used damp, and this is essentially a non-negotiable, “Your Beautyblender should always be used wet. You'll know your Beautyblender is in perfect condition when it has expanded to twice its original size,” she adds.
When wet, the sponge absorbs only a small amount of product. "One of the reasons we always say you need to wet your blender is because water causes the sponge to swell and it ensures your makeup won't be absorbed ... which results in less makeup waste," the brand said in a photo caption on Instagram.
Dab, don't rub.
Whether you're using a foundation brush (synthetic bristles are best) or your fingertips, apply foundation in a stippling motion, which means gently tapping it into your skin. Avoid any wiping or rubbing motions because that will only push the foundation around and cause streaks.
Sponges work best, for instance, with lightweight liquid formulas or stick foundations. Creamy, thick foundations would be better served with a brush (so you can buff out the edges for a more natural finish).
Do you wet a beauty blender with warm or cold water? The truth is, you can do either, so it's up to you. But, a great hack it to use cool water in the summer to refresh and invigorate skin, and warm water in the winter as this helps to melt products beautifully into skin and make it more malleable.
A lesser-known makeup hack is to apply a few dots of your face primer on the sponge before going in with your foundation or concealer. You can also add a few coats of your makeup setting spray to dampen the beauty blender while also increasing the longevity of your foundation.
Makeup Sponges
Beauty blenders should be washed regularly and depending on how well you take care of them - they should be replaced every 1-3 months. The reason for such frequent replacement of these products is due to their serious build-up of bacteria.
The proper way to apply the two products is to first smooth on a foundation and then apply your concealer. Foundation will create that even canvas we talked about earlier, and then concealer can be used to spot correct any outstanding areas that need extra coverage.
Applying foundation first creates an even base to reduce overall redness, discoloration and minor blemishes. If you apply your concealer first, you may end up wiping some off when you apply foundation or using a lot more product than necessary, which can create a heavy, cakey look.
Fingers are best for a quick and natural application; sponges are good for achieving a flawless finish; and brushes are ideal for full coverage. And sometimes, a little mixing and matching can go a long way.
Before applying makeup use a sponge to apply the primer. The sponge will soak up less of the primer than your hands. It also pushes the primer into the open pores to give your makeup a flawless finish.
“Your Beautyblender should ideally be washed after every use—it needs a little more love than your regular brushes. For a quick rinse, run it under warm water until the water becomes clear,” says Hughes. You toss it in your makeup bag.
A makeup sponge (or blending sponge) is a tool used to apply and blend various beauty products, including foundation, concealer, BB cream, eyeshadow, serums, highlighter, bronzer, cream blush, and setting powder.
For the best results, make sure there's enough water to entirely submerge the sponge. Let it sit for two to three hours. While you wait, get cracking on that puzzle you've been meaning to start. Once time's up, remove your Beautyblender and lightly rinse and wring it under running water.
Boasting three different sides, the rounded side is great for basic application of foundation and bronzer, the tapered tip for detailing and flat side for contouring.
I like to use brushes for application when I want to focus on a detail area, or when I want to use a sheer finish and give a wash over the skin. If the skin is really dry, I only use damp brushes when applying. Generally speaking, sponges can give more coverage, while brushes can be more sheer.”