Review: Cosmopolitan Blend Perfection Sponge

As you may have guessed by now, I (like most of womankind) am constantly on a quest to not only find the perfect foundation, but also the best application method to achieve a flawless finish.

Whilst the search for my 'Holy Grail' foundation still continues (I plan on trying Vichy Dermablend next), I believe i've found the perfect tool to assist me on my mission:

Cosmopolitan Beauty Expert Blend Pefection Sponge

After watching Marlena at Makeup Geek's video on the Beauty Blender and Sonia Kashuk Blending Sponge, I considered investing in it, but at around £14.00 and £10.00 respectively for just one egg-shaped piece of (what is essentially) sponge, I sought a cheaper alternative which could work just as well.

Further to reading fabulous reviews from Holly and Fee, I decided to opt for the Cosmopolitan Blend Perfection Sponge, which at an RRP of £4.95 is a more pocket-friendly option than the other blending sponges.

It's also a lot more accessible in terms of where you can buy it: Superdrug, Boots, some Supermarkets and online (Fragrance Direct currently have it on offer for £3.99 here); I got mine on Amazon.

The  fabulous Barbie-pink sponge comes in a kind of foil packaging (it instantly reminded me of astronaut food packaging. Don't ask me why!) which can be resealed at the top (ideal for travel), along with a little plastic 'stand' to sit the sponge in when it's drying. Althought to be honest i'll probably lose it in no time.

The sponge itself is latex-free, hypoallergenic and about the size of an average egg, and is not unlike a stress ball in texture (indeed when squeezed tightly the shape springs back immediately), rather than a traditional 'open pored' sponge (which could be more likely to disintegrate/flake/break off over time), which helps give an airbrushed effect to foundation application.

As you can see from the pics, this easy to hold sponge is rounder at the bottom (ideal for applying foundation to the entire face) and pointed at the top, which makes getting into the 'nooks and crannies' of your face (round the nose, inner corner of the eye, etc) a breeze.

It has been designed mainly for foundation application, but, as with most beauty tools, the sky is the limit in terms of what you might personally want to use it for: I've used mine to 'set' concealer too, and also plan on buying another one to apply cream blush and highlighter with.

Similarly, how you use the sponge technique-wise is down to personal preference - Holly says in her post that she uses the sponge dry as the last step in her foundation routine, whereas I have been dampening mine first (it literally blows up to about twice the size when wet!) to give a dewy finish to my foundation (it also prevents the sponge soaking up too much product).

However you use it, wet or dry, the secret is to bounce, bounce, bounce the sponge across your face; the motion of which means you're not dragging your skin.

Doing it this way means you don't get any harsh lines of colour or uneven application, and allows you to apply your foundation as lightly or intensely as you like.

It washes well (simply wash with soap and leave to dry) and stays lovely and soft.

I'd really recommend it if you're looking for an alternative method of foundation application which gives a beautiful dewy effect, and at under a fiver you can afford to give it a shot!

Have you tried it?

Melanie x