However, I saw it at Guardian pharmacy the other day, and it was really affordable, so I got it.
Now, here's the big question, can it replace the Beauty Blender?
Let's take a look at the two sponges below. On the left is the Beauty Blender, and on the right is RT Sponge.
Shape
They are definitely very different in shape. The Beauty Blender is a tear drop shape, and the RT one is like a blade of leaf, and flat on one side (the side that sits on the table).
I find both shapes equally useful. The flat side on the RT one is useful for pulling foundation along the cheeks/sides of your face, but it isn't essential for me. I do prefer to bounce the foundation when using a sponge (I thought that's the purpose of using sponges?).
The sharp end on both are equally good for the inner corners of the eyes and sides of nose.
Bounce
The bounce of any makeup sponge is definitely my top evaluation criteria. A good makeup sponge should spring right off the face when it is pressed slightly onto the skin. In this aspect, the Beauty Blender wins hands down. The RT sponge has a very normal bounce that is slightly better than the traditional white triangles. This means that the Beauty Blender buffs in foundation more effectively and efficiently than the RT sponge.
Density
This criteria is about how much the sponge soaks water, swells, lets go of water, and soaks up foundation. In this aspects, the Beauty Blender wins again. The Beauty Blender expands just that little bit more YET lets out more water. Whereas, the RT sponge swells lesser, but holds on to a lot of water inside (that I can't squeeze out no matter how I try). Essentially, this means that the Beauty Blender somehow soaks up less foundation product than the RT sponge. The RT sponge always seem to "eat up" all my foundation, so much so that the same dollop of foundation disappears to almost nothing on my face. My face also has a far-too-wet feeling whenever I use the RT sponge.
On the other hand, the Beauty Blender soaks up just the right amount of foundation, such that it is perfect for using with medium-full coverage foundations (e.g. Revlon photo-ready, Bourjois Healthy Mix), especially those liquid-to-powder ones. It just works so well to spread these kind of foundations evenly without streaks.
Both sponges are not so suitable to use with very fluid BB creams/ foundations, such as UD Naked. Those still work better with your own fingers or a synthetic flat top kabuki brush.
~~~~~~
That said, the way the RT sponge soaks up more product makes it extremely good for blending in creamy concealers and creme blushes. I love using the sharp end of the RT sponge to tap-out my Sonia Kashuk Hidden Agenda Concealer, because it ends up removing just the right amount of moisture while blending out, such that the concealer doesn't crease along the day. (A lot of under eye creases are due to excess amount of product, be it excess concealer or excess under eye setting powder. Removing excess under eye product is the No.1 step to preventing creases.)
The hardness and density of the RT sponge also makes it ideal for bouncing, buffing, blending, and tapping out creme blushes. Use the sides of the egg for this. You want to use your finger to pull a streak of creme blush along your cheekbones, then use the side (long "edge") of the RT sponge to tap along the perimeter of the blush streak, going around the perimeter in circular motions. After blending out the perimeter such that the blush streak is no longer a streak, you can tap on the center of the blush (where the colour concentration is highest), to soften the colour by absorbing some of the creme blush. Stop when colour is of your desired intensity.
Price
RT sponge is way more affordable than Beauty Blender.
Rating on RT Sponge: 4/5.
Bought it expecting to use it for foundation, but it does not work as well as I'd like for foundation, so I had to find alternative uses for it. That pulled down the score.
Final Verdict: It is a terribly close call, but I'd have to say Save.
While the rating for RT Sponge is not as good as that for Beauty Blender, I do think the price difference renders it worth the buy. It is a little less good for use with foundations, but it does make up for its own shortcomings by being good for concealer and blush, especially because of its shape.
Comparatively, I actually find the shape of Beauty Blender less suited for blending out creme blushes. (I use the fatter bottom of the Beauty Blender for blush, rather than its long sides.)
If your budget allows, I'd say get both. The way I see it, they actually serve different functions, though you can choose to live with it if you only have one or the other.
Density
This criteria is about how much the sponge soaks water, swells, lets go of water, and soaks up foundation. In this aspects, the Beauty Blender wins again. The Beauty Blender expands just that little bit more YET lets out more water. Whereas, the RT sponge swells lesser, but holds on to a lot of water inside (that I can't squeeze out no matter how I try). Essentially, this means that the Beauty Blender somehow soaks up less foundation product than the RT sponge. The RT sponge always seem to "eat up" all my foundation, so much so that the same dollop of foundation disappears to almost nothing on my face. My face also has a far-too-wet feeling whenever I use the RT sponge.
On the other hand, the Beauty Blender soaks up just the right amount of foundation, such that it is perfect for using with medium-full coverage foundations (e.g. Revlon photo-ready, Bourjois Healthy Mix), especially those liquid-to-powder ones. It just works so well to spread these kind of foundations evenly without streaks.
Both sponges are not so suitable to use with very fluid BB creams/ foundations, such as UD Naked. Those still work better with your own fingers or a synthetic flat top kabuki brush.
 |
| Size of RT sponge with water. |
 |
| Size of Beauty Blender with water. |
~~~~~~
That said, the way the RT sponge soaks up more product makes it extremely good for blending in creamy concealers and creme blushes. I love using the sharp end of the RT sponge to tap-out my Sonia Kashuk Hidden Agenda Concealer, because it ends up removing just the right amount of moisture while blending out, such that the concealer doesn't crease along the day. (A lot of under eye creases are due to excess amount of product, be it excess concealer or excess under eye setting powder. Removing excess under eye product is the No.1 step to preventing creases.)
The hardness and density of the RT sponge also makes it ideal for bouncing, buffing, blending, and tapping out creme blushes. Use the sides of the egg for this. You want to use your finger to pull a streak of creme blush along your cheekbones, then use the side (long "edge") of the RT sponge to tap along the perimeter of the blush streak, going around the perimeter in circular motions. After blending out the perimeter such that the blush streak is no longer a streak, you can tap on the center of the blush (where the colour concentration is highest), to soften the colour by absorbing some of the creme blush. Stop when colour is of your desired intensity.
Price
RT sponge is way more affordable than Beauty Blender.
Rating on RT Sponge: 4/5.
Bought it expecting to use it for foundation, but it does not work as well as I'd like for foundation, so I had to find alternative uses for it. That pulled down the score.
Final Verdict: It is a terribly close call, but I'd have to say Save.
While the rating for RT Sponge is not as good as that for Beauty Blender, I do think the price difference renders it worth the buy. It is a little less good for use with foundations, but it does make up for its own shortcomings by being good for concealer and blush, especially because of its shape.
Comparatively, I actually find the shape of Beauty Blender less suited for blending out creme blushes. (I use the fatter bottom of the Beauty Blender for blush, rather than its long sides.)
If your budget allows, I'd say get both. The way I see it, they actually serve different functions, though you can choose to live with it if you only have one or the other.
0 Yorumlar