The 4 Best Makeup Sponges, Tested and Reviewed - InStyle

A makeup brush is a handy tool to help face makeup, foundation, and concealer set, but there's nothing like a makeup sponge to make your liquid foundation or setting powder melt into your complexion seamlessly. To find the most effective makeup sponges on the market, we began a rigorous testing process on the 13 best sponges that beauty editors love. To determine the effectiveness of each sponge, we tested each with a variety of makeup types. We analyzed how easy it was to apply, blend, and buff out makeup for the most natural look possible. We also took into account how much product the sponge absorbed, because no one wants to waste their makeup, and how easy each sponge is to clean. Only those that impressed us and delivered on their promises were then recommended in this article.

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Best Overall

Fenty Beauty Precision Makeup Sponge

PHOTO: Sephora

$16 at Ulta

$16 at Sephora

$16 at Kohls.com

What We Love: The unique shape makes applying makeup all over the face easier&#;and smoother&#;than ever.

What We Don't Love: The porous design seems to soak in more product than other firmer sponges.

Beloved by our testers, the Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Precision Makeup Sponge 100 is a flat-sided teardrop makeup sponge that can be used for various applications, including foundation, cream blush, and under-eye concealer. The latex-free sponge is designed to be a "triple threat" for applying liquid, cream, and powder foundations anywhere and everywhere on the face.

When we put this makeup sponge to the test, we loved how light and airy it was, which made blending makeup a breeze. Given that many makeup sponges are round, tear drops, or angular wedges, this three-sides sponge was found to be quite innovative, with a large round side for coverage, a smaller flat side for precise application (like contouring), and an even smaller tip for targeting the under-eye area. "I love the flat shape and narrow edge at the end," one tester says. "It's very unique and makes makeup easy to apply."

Material: Latex-free sponge | Shape: 3-sided teardrop | Foundation Type: Liquid, cream, or powder | Size: Smaller than an egg

• InStyle / Tamara Staples

• InStyle / Tamara Staples

Best Value

Essence Makeup & Baking Sponge

PHOTO: Ulta

$13 at Amazon

View on Essencemakeup.com

View on Caretobeauty.com

What We Love: It's affordable and it gets the job done flawlessly.

What We Don't Love: This is a firmer, denser sponge than some others on our list.

Speaking of affordable makeup sponges, we deemed the Essence Makeup & Baking Sponge to be the very best value. "&#;&#;It's a dome shape with an angled side, and applied my foundation very well and it didn't transfer onto the sponge, nor did it absorb too much&#;all the product made it to my face," our tester shares. And for just $6 that's quite a feat.

Logistically, this pale pink makeup sponge has a classic shape&#;a wide bottom that tapers into a sharp point at the top. "The very wide bottom helped to apply foundation quickly and efficiently on large areas of the face," our tester says. While on the topic, it's worth noting that it gets even wider than it looks in the packaging, for it nearly doubles in size when wet. "It gets huge when damp, it bounces nicely when applying, and the angled size is great for getting smaller areas of your face. Overall, I would use this sponge on the daily."

Material: Dense foam | Shape: Teardrop | Foundation Type: Liquid, cream, or powder | Size: Smaller than an egg

• InStyle / Tamara Staples

• InStyle / Tamara Staples

JWH Product Page

Best for Foundation

L'Oréal Infallible Blend Artist Foundation Blender

PHOTO: Amazon

$8 at Amazon

View on Ibspot.com

View on Kroger.com

What We Love: The size and shape make this blender very user-friendly.

What We Don't Love: It applied the makeup evenly but was difficult to build up the coverage.

Here we have an hourglass shaped hot pink sponge that almost looks like a cinched beauty blender. Made of plush foam, the makeup sponge is lightweight and works well to apply a variety of products. Although it's recommended for liquid and cream makeup, given the slightly tapered tip, we found it can be used to set powder, too. "It's the goldilocks of beauty blenders," one of our testers says.

Unlike a beauty blender, this makeup sponge is designed to be used dry. Still, our tester used it under multiple circumstances. "It's feels slightly rougher when dry but fairly soft when damp," she says, noting that despite the textural differences, it never feels rough on the skin.

Material: Plush foam | Shape: Hourglass teardrop | Foundation Type: Liquid and Cream | Size: Smaller than an egg

• InStyle / Tamara Staples

• InStyle / Tamara Staples

Best for Setting

Beauty Bakerie Organic Eggs Beauty Sponges

PHOTO: Amazon

$16 at Amazon

$18 at Ulta

$20 at Beautybakerie.com

What We Love: The size of the sponge covers a larger surface area and feels soft on the face.

What We Don't Love: While a great value, we do wish you could buy a single blender, instead of a set of six.

Another great value? This set of six makeup sponges from Beauty Bakerie. Designed with the classic beautyblender shape in mind, these sponges are nothing short off a bargain dupe&#;especially since you get multiple for less than the price of one beautyblender. "The shape is very similar to a beautyblender, but the rounded side is a bit more square," our tester says. "It gets really big when dipped in water, which is great for covering a lot of surface area. The other side is great for getting under your eyes and around your nose."

Most importantly, it does what it claims to do. "The foundation applies very smoothly and evenly with this sponge," our tester says. "It covers a lot of surface area, so application is quick and easy. The only downside is that it seems to absorb a ton of product when in use. This is probably because it is much denser than other picks."

Material: Latex-free sponge | Shape: Teardrop/Egg | Foundation Type: Liquid, cream, or powder | Size: Smaller than an egg (when dry)

• InStyle / Tamara Staples

• InStyle / Tamara Staples

Every now and again something so revolutionary comes along in the beauty world that makes you rethink your entire getting-ready process. The Beautyblender was one of them. When the makeup sponge hit the scene in , it became instantly iconic for its ability to flawlessly buff and blend in foundation&#;and replaced the need for owning multiple face brushes.

In the past few years, a whole sea of sponges have hit shelves&#;bringing with them odd designs and different textures, ranging from drugstore prices to designer. It wasn't until recently when I fell down a rabbit hole of YouTuber reviews that I realized just how many options are out there. A quick Ulta search delivers nearly 150 different sponges. I&#;ve been so loyal to my Beautyblender I thought it was time to finally see what I was missing. So I dipped, dabbed, and tested my way through dozens of sponges to narrow down the 13 worth your time and money. Scroll on for the best makeup sponges.

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