The Beauty Blender Meets Its Match

Andrea Tyson
Staff Writer

      If you would include yourself in the makeup-obsessed population of teenage girls and boys (that includes me), then I am sure you have heard of the Beauty Blender. The iconic pink sponge that is loved by celebrity makeup artists and the average users alike. The sponge is widely known to be the best in the business for flawlessly blending liquid, cream, and even powder products.  In recent history however, the sponge we know and love has been under fire after some consumers have found bugs and mold living in their sponges. The Beauty Blender may have met its match. Some are calling this new blending tool “the next Beauty Blender” Who is the Beauty Blender up against in this round? The Silisponge. 

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       For years beauty gurus have searched for the perfect dupe to come close to the blending power of the Beauty Blender, but perhaps instead of searching for the look of the Beauty Blender, an egg shape, porous surface, and bright colors, they should have looked for the same blending power instead. The Silisponge was created by Molly Cosmetics, a small independent brand based out of Hong Kong, China. The sponge is something the beauty community has never seen before. Some are not even calling this new tool a sponge. The sponge is filled with transparent silicone and encased by thermoplastic polyurethane, which is resistant to oil and grease. Because this sponge is completely smooth, none of your product is going to be absorbed by the tool, unlike losing around half of your product when using a traditional brush or sponge. The smooth surface of the product also makes it extremely easy to clean with luke-warm soap and water; pat to dry; and you can instantly store away your Silisponge. Say good-bye to buying brush cleanser and finding a place to dry your sponges and brushes! The brush first hit the market on Nov. 28, 2016 for $9.90 and has since blown up. The sponge has since sold out several times extremely quickly. The ninth restock is said to be shipped out in mid-January.
     Because these sponges are selling out so quickly, many have turned to dupes to try and get a similar finish this sponge gives. When you look at the sponge for the first time, many say it reminds them of one of two things: a chicken cutlet or a bra insert. Taking this idea and running with it, if you log onto YouTube, you are sure to see a video of a bra insert being cut up and blending out foundation and concealer. Fifi Yee, the director of Molly Cosmetics, has a message for those who decide to cut their bras up, saying, "I watched a few of those dupe videos ... some are quite interesting. But we definitely want to remind people that although those bra inserts have similar texture to our SiliSponges, they may not be safe to use as they were not intended or tested directly on bare skin."
      Do you think the Silisponge is worth a try, or is it too much of a fad for you? Would you have ever thought to blend out foundation with a bra insert?