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I have always been such a simple girl when it comes to makeup. It’s been almost a decade since high school when I abandoned eyeshadow and concealer, so my makeup has always been minimal.

With my simple makeup routine, I have only a select few brushes that I use, and I actually don’t use a foundation brush. I’ve found that with the natural look I like, using my fingers to blot and blend my foundation has always given me excellent results without looking too caked-on. I use my foundation like a concealer and focus on problem spots, then use my powder brush to blend in powder. This method not only shortens my makeup prep time but also helps save loads of money on foundation since none of it is put to waste.

So when I first heard about this silicone sponge trend, I was pretty interested because as cost-efficient as my fingers are, I wanted to see if this silicone sponge would be better. So when I saw this 5-pack of makeup sponges on Elite Deal Club for $1.18, I thought, hell, why not try it?

ORDER SUMMARY

Item(s) Subtotal: $18.95 (price when ordered)
Shipping & Handling: $0.00
Promotion Applied: -$17.81
Total before tax:  $1.14
Estimated tax to be collected: $0.09
Grand Total: $1.23

Elite Deal Club is a free-to-join club where you can snag discount codes for tons of products on Amazon. Brands looking to promote their products share discounts through this exclusive club, and many products are usually offered at $5 or less or even free!

Previously, you were required to write an Amazon product review, but ever since Amazon changed their policy it is no longer required to do this. All you need to do now is snag the deals and enjoy! Customer reviews are totally optional.

Note that all products must be purchased through Amazon to use the qualifying discount codes. If you don’t have an Amazon Prime account, you may have to pay for shipping. No worries though, you can actually try Prime for free for 30 days here.

Review

I have mixed feelings about the silicone sponges. While I really do like the regular blending sponges and the value of this 5-pack as a whole (even without the EDC discounts, $14.95 is a really good deal), I have a few gripes on the silicone ones.

Since I’m switching from using my fingers to this silicone sponge, I truly believe that using my finger was far more efficient in terms of control and hygiene (it’s a lot easier to wash your hands than disinfect a sponge that’s been sitting in your dirty makeup bag). For girls switching from unclean foundation brushes to the silicone sponge, of course you’ll use far less product and the color will apply more opaque. However, not only is your finger control more precise, but your ridges of your fingerprints actually make for better blending compared to the nonexistent texture on the silicone sponge.

I also didn’t like that the silicone sponges ripped easily. After a single use, I noticed that the outer wrap was starting to come undone at the edges. I used another one, and the same thing happened again after the first use. I’m not squeezing the hell out of these sponges, but I think these sponges (and all silicone sponges, not just this brand in particular) could use some redesign in terms of making the seams less pronounced to avoid peeling away.

Most silicone sponge manufacturers if not all are selling the same exact product, so I wouldn’t be surprised if you experienced the same exact product across all brands regardless of price.

The traditional blending sponges, on the other hand, made room for redemption. These sponges truly are comparable to the original Beauty Blender and even my favorite comparable drugstore sponge, the Real Techniques sponges. These sponges may not be as porous as the Beauty Blender, so dry blending may not appear as airbrushed, but you will use a lot less product. Using these sponges wet rather than dry will also help with creating a more airbrushed appearance, but you’ll wind up using a little bit more product as a result.

If I had to pick between the silicone sponges, traditional blending sponges or my fingers… I’d choose finger application. My decision may be a little bit biased just because I prefer the convenience and I’ve been applying foundation and BB creams this way for years, but I find that it is far quicker, more cost-efficient, involves low-maintenance sanitizing and yields the most natural, my-skin-but-better finish.

If you’re looking to take baby steps towards the freedom of finger application or just want a way to reduce product waste, this 5-piece sponge set may definitely be for you!

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