Beautyblender Pure

See what came into my mail today? 

Voila, it's the beautyblender pure!


At a first glance, this set retails for $49.95 (plus tax if you are getting from Sephora) and a dual pink beautyblender with shampoo set costs only $39.95. It seems like the pure set is not really a great deal... but why did decide to haul this pure set? The white color beautyblender is quite a hassle to clean (I am pretty sure it will look ugly over usage with foundations, just like many of my old sponge), but it's the convenience of the solid soap and the tiny pink beautyblender sponge that does the trick for me!


A while ago, cherryculture had a 20% off sitewide sale, so I just jump in and ordered a set :)


What is in this set?

Kit contains 3 items:
1. Beautyblender pure edition (white)
2. Solid Blendercleanser
3. Air mesh pouch (with a cute mini beautyblender charm)

Solid Blendercleanser:

It is definitely a convenient invention for carry on where bringing on 1oz liquids is a nightmare at airport security. Now, all I need is more trips.... lol!


A comparison between the pure beautyblender (left) and the original beautyblender (right):

Both have the same teardrop shape. I would imagine the hot fuchsia pink is able to disguise foundation stain overtime better than the pure white one. I also notice that fuchsia one is softer and bouncier, while the white one is a little more stiff? Maybe the dyes does make a difference?


Pure beautyblender and its charm on the air mesh pouch. How cute!

But I think the charm matches better with the original beautyblender in fuchsia, just like mother and daughter:

Both the solid blendercleanser and beautyblender fit nicely into the air mesh pouch, and the mesh design helps with air flow so if you put in a slightly dampened beautyblender during travels your beautyblender won't go stale or smell moldy over time. What a considerate design!

But I think I like to match it with the original beuatyblender:

Yes, I know I have this thing about matching things up.... lol!

Beautyblender - The Ultimate Make Up Sponge Applicator

One of the items I have acquired from my Sephora Friends and Family mini haul was the infamous Beautyblender makeup sponge applicator.

I used to use latex sponge wedges for my liquid foundation makeup and then move on with a foundation brush to apply foundation, thinking it's better. But no, so I return back to square one on sponge wedges. Then while blog strolling, I discovered a lot of beauty bloggers raved about this Beautyblender. At the same time, Sonia Kashuk has a similar latex sponge application with a funny "poop" like shape for $9.99 at my local Target.

Well, I maybe a little to imaginative to think it looks like a little piece of blue colored poop.

But at almost half the price of Beautyblender, it seems like a deal. Beautyblender retail for $19.95 for a single one and $25.95 for a two pack one.

I am all about beauty on budget. So my first move is to get the Sonia Kashuk sponge and try it out. The tip actually makes application around hard to reach areas, like nooks and crannies around the nose area, easier. But to my disappointment, the cleaning part is hard. No matter what kind of cleaning agent I used,  shampoo, cleansing oil, eye makeup remover, you name it, the stains from the make up didn't really go away. And no matter how many time I squeeze water off the sponge from rinsing, there is still milky water coming out... And I interpret this as there is still "something" trapped inside the sponge, aka, a lala land for bacteria!

So after countless squeezing, the tip is starting break off! And it's just the first time using and cleaning it! Ok, I just have to return it because it just doesn't work.

So Sephora's Friends and Family event came along and I decided to give Beautyblender a shot.

See how the size of the sponge increases before and after the first soak?

But a minor drawback. Pink dyes keep coming out from the sponge as I soak it for the first time. Pink residue water from the sponge:

And that's after the second soak too! It took me 5 soaks before the residue water comes out completely clear!

Now moving to the application part.

Applicator used from left to right, common sponge wedge > MAC 190SE foundation brush > Beautyblender:

I dabbed 3 tiny spots of my Bobbi Brown skin foundation SPF 15 on my arm and used the 3 applicators to spread the foundation out:

Results:

It's quite hard to see the results on my arms and in the picture actually. But the difference is more obvious  when applying to the face.

Sponge wedges: The good thing is they usually comes inexpensive and you can dispose them after each use without breaking the wallet (but not too environmentally friendly tho!!) The tip is great for applying foundation around the nose area as well. However the main problem I have is this kind of sponge soak up too much foundation even I apply it wet. Not that money saving afterall, given that foundation costs a lot more than a bag of cheap sponge wedges, right?

MAC 190SE foundation brush: Well, this is sort of a disappointment for me. Not only does the foundation seems to be sitting on my face without blending it in. And another big draw back is the horrible streak lines the brush leaves behind when applying. A definite NONONO for me!!

Beautyblender: This is my new found love. Foundation blends on smoothly and coverage is excellent. It does a great job concealing my pores and making my foundation flawless. None of issues I had with the sponge wedge or MAC 190SE foundation brush. It doesn't soak up as much foundation liquid as the sponge wedge. And cleaning is rather easy too, with the use of my cleansing oil. 

The final verdict: I love the Beautyblender. Bye bye sponge wedges, bye bye MAC 190SE!