There Are Plenty of $5 Makeup Sponges at the Drugstore. This Is Why We Stand By the Original $20 Beautyblender.

New York Times

09-05-2025

Hannah Frye/NYT Wirecutter
The sponge is made from a latex-free polyurethane foam, which gives it that flexible, comfortable feel when it hits the skin. To use a Beautyblender, you dampen the sponge, squeeze out excess water, then, as the brand suggests, 'bounce' the sponge across your foundation, concealer, powder, or any other complexion product (though not eyeshadow or lip products). That bounce is one of the features we loved most.
Other sponges we tested, such as the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge, have densely packed foam that hits the skin. But the Beautyblender is airy and light when it's wet, touching the skin like a soft cushion, even on sensitive areas like the undereyes.
When dampened, the foam expands enough to cover a few inches of skin at a time, speeding up the application process, but it doesn't grow to the size of a monster sponge. Others we tested got so large we couldn't fit the tip into all the nooks and crannies of the face.
Beyond the nitty-gritty of shape and feel, the sponge outperformed its look-alikes for everyday makeup wear. In our guide to the best makeup brushes, a tester said this sponge 'finishes a makeup look flawlessly,' compared with others she's tried that often left behind streaks and unblended patches.
It also checks the box as the only sponge you need because, unlike many others, it can hold all kinds of makeup products, including liquid, cream, and powder. Some sponges drop super-fine powders while others soak it up before it reaches your skin, but the Beautyblender has a nice balance — it picks up the powder and puts it onto your face with ease.
The same is true for liquid formulas like foundation and concealer. In our guide, one tester said she used 'a lot less' of her favorite liquid foundation with the Beautyblender compared with other sponges.
But just know, this is only true if the sponge is damp. 'Moistening the Beautyblender sponge creates a barrier that keeps makeup from sinking in and wasting product,' author Elizabeth Denton said in the guide.
Hannah Frye/NYT Wirecutter
You should wash your makeup sponge after every use. It may seem like a lot of work, but truly great makeup sponges are easy to clean — the Beautyblender included.
All you need to do is place dirty sponges in a bowl of lukewarm-to-warm water mixed with a few drops of liquid soap, and use your hands to work the soapy water into the sponge for about 15 seconds, senior staff writer Nancy Redd said in this step-by-step guide. Then, rinse the sponge and squeeze it. You'll know the sponge is clean when the water runs clear, so consider colored water a sign to repeat the wash process.
Beautyblender sells branded sponge cleaner (as do other sponge brands), but you don't need to buy it — liquid soap works just fine. Nancy tested Dial liquid soap and Dr. Bronner's unscented liquid castile soap, both of which got the job done.
Start sparingly with the soap, though. Apply just a small dollop to the water to start and add more as needed, because excess soap residue can be difficult to remove from a makeup sponge, Nancy said.
We washed all of the sponges we tested and considered the Beautyblender to perform the best in this area, too. Some makeup sponges hold onto makeup like velcro, but this sponge rinsed clean without too much huff and puff.
Arguably more important, it held up over multiple washes without any damage. This isn't a small feat — many sponges age like milk, losing structure and little chunks of foam with every wash. But the Beautyblender bounces back to life without peeling apart, a feature that extends its longevity (and at $20 a piece, that's pretty important). Store your Beautyblender in any place with ample airflow and light — for example, in a special holder like this. Hannah Frye/NYT Wirecutter
To keep your sponge as nice as possible for as long as possible, the brand suggests storing it in a clean space with ample airflow and light. Storing the sponge in a dark place with no airflow may promote bacteria and mold growth.
Even if you're traveling, it's worth finding a to-go container with some kind of airflow. Otherwise, you might arrive at your destination with a musty sponge.
Still, even if you do everything right, clean it after every use, and store it like a trophy, the Beautyblender won't last forever. The brand suggests the sponges 'typically last' three to six months. This is a pretty big window, but the brand says how long it lasts depends on how well you care for it.
Anecdotally, I've used the Beautyblender sponge in my personal makeup routine on and off for years, and mine typically caps out around the four-month mark with regular use (except for the one time my cat stole it a week post-purchase, a criminal offense given the price). However, plenty of Reddit users claim their sponges lived beyond a year — not necessarily recommended.
So although $20 may get you half a year of good use, not everyone will find the Beautyblender's longevity and wash-well capabilities to be worthwhile. For professional makeup artists, Elizabeth told me, cheaper options might make more sense, as they often need new sponges for every client. But for everyday personal use, these features make a big difference in the experience over time.
The Beautyblender sponge wowed us with its quality, performance, and durability, sweeping the competition. If it didn't, we wouldn't have crowned it the best. While the testing panel went in skeptical, suspecting the steep price wouldn't be justified but, alas, it was.
We didn't take color into account as it's a basis of personal preference, but for those who are particular, you'll be glad to know Beautyblender has a vast array of options to choose from — pink, denim blue, black, green, nude, and beyond. Oh, and they even have itty-bitty blenders, too, if you have a love for the smaller things in life.
Some people will still prefer the plentiful, cheap dupes out there, and that's fair. But we stand by the fact that, for now, you can't get the same Beautyblender performance or durability elsewhere for less. Sometimes, the original just hits better — or shall I say, bounces.
Elizabeth Denton contributed reporting. This article was edited by Hannah Rimm and Maxine Builder.
What I Cover
Hannah Frye is a staff writer reporting on beauty and style for Wirecutter. She was previously an editor at Mindbodygreen. She has been using skin-care items since she was 11 (which, she says, is a fact, not a recommendation). When she isn't making new Pinterest boards or shopping for vintage clothes on eBay, she's testing vegan recipes in her Brooklyn apartment.