Nanshy make-up blending sponges

A few weeks ago a colleague of mine recommended something called a 'beauty blender', telling me that it gave an airbrushed finish to foundation coverage - after Googling beauty blenders and reading a plethora of raving-reviews I decided to make the purchase! 

Now, the 'real' Beauty Blender is a patent-pending make-up applicator that starts at £23 for one sponge, so I took the advice of my colleague and had a look on Amazon where I found a ton of almost identical items for a fraction of the price, some of them starting at 99p! I've always believed in the age-old saying "if it's too good to be true, then it probably is" though, so opted for this set of Nanshy make-up blending sponges at £9.95 for 2 (you can buy them seperately for £5.95 each also). Under a tenner, for me, is wonderful compared to the price of the original Beauty Blender.

I'll start by telling you this - they are just sponges, don't get caught up in the hype and believe that these are little tear-drop shaped miracles. I've read countless reviews where people have complained that "they stain" or "the make-up doesn't wash out". Believe me when I tell you that this is the case with pretty much every sponge on the market; you could buy a top-of-the-range sponge from an expensive company and it will still hold make-up stains after it's been washed, this does not, I repeat does not mean that the sponge is still harboring dirt or bacteria. If you wash it correctly then you really needn't worry about the discoloration, because that's all it is.  

So, how do these sponges work? When you take them from the packaging they're relatively small and you might find yourself thinking "huh? Surely they've gotta be bigger?" yes, they do and they will be. The way these sponges work is by expanding when wet, so before you use them you're expected to run them under cold water and then squeeze out all the excess, leaving a slightly damp sponge that has doubled in size. Making the sponge wet also aids in the application process, because the make-up goes on a hell of a lot smoother than when you use the sponges dry. 

Because of the rounded shape these sponges are designed for effortless and flawless application of make-up, the absence of corners mean you won't end up with streaks or harsh lines when you've finished applying your foundation. Does it work? Yeah, it does, my make-up was seamless but I don't find this to be anything to write home about because I've always ensured that I've blended my make-up to perfection regardless of the tool I'm using to apply it. 

Unlike conventional sponges, these make-up blenders are intended for 'stippling' which is essentially just bouncing the sponge across your face - don't smooth them across your face as you would with a brush or other sponges. The stippling method is renowned for giving an airbrush finish as this also minimises the risk of streaks or lines. 

The innovative tear-drop shape of this sponge enables you to reach into otherwise hard to reach areas such as under the eyes and around the nose with ease, reserving the bulbous end for cheeks, forehead and chin. 

While I really like the idea of this sponge and think it performs well, it's not half as easy or quick as I find a foundation brush to be. I've read that beauty blenders can cut your make-up application time in half, for me, it doesn't and I still prefer my foundation brush. This isn't to say that I don't think these are worth buying, they perform perfectly adequately and leave a nice enough finish, but personally, they'll never replace my Holy Grail Cosmo foundation brush!