THE BATTLE OF BLENDERS – Real Techniques vs. Beautyblender

For those of you who remember my post about the Sephora haul from a couple of months ago, you will also probably remember that I got myself a Beautyblender (BB). Now, the BB is apparently the one true original blender and we have quite a few products now on the market trying to give us the same performance for a smaller price. I personally have been using the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge for about a year now and I was really excited to do this comparison and see what the big deal is all about. 

Now, obviously the first thing that pops to mind when we talk about the differences is the price. The Real Techniques sponge for example sells on Licila.si for about 8 € and you can get the Beautyblender on different pages, like the Beautybay for a hefty 20 €. 

When dry, the Beautyblender looks absolutely tiny compared to the RT sponge. 

But as any other sponge, both of these give the best results when they are wet. While the size of the RT sponge doesn’t change much, the Beautyblender actually increases to almost double the size. Also interesting – when completely dry, Beautyblender shrinks to its original size. 

Many of you know that I am a true fan of the Real Techniques tools in general and this blender is no exception. It comes in quite a sturdy packaging which gives you some pointers how to use different sides of the blender and how to take care of it.

The Beautyblender also comes in a packaging which is also meant to hold it at all times you don’t use it. Included in the package are some instructions, similar to the Real Techniques ones. 

Now I’ve been using the Beautyblender for about two weeks and I have quite a firm opinion on it. Compared to the RT, it’s much softer on your skin. It doesn’t soak as much foundation up, even if you use it dry. The difference is not big, but it’s surely something that you’d notice in the long run. 

When applying foundation, I find it much easier to really buff it in with the Beautyblender, since it’s a bit more bouncy (flexible), meaning you can actually tap it on your skin, while you have to use some dragging motions with the Real Techniques sponge. 

Washing the Beautyblender is pretty straightforward – I use a drop of my Makeup Revolution brush wash and just wash it under the sink. After two weeks, it shows no wear and tear, except for a few small spots where the pink color washed out. On the other hand, this is what happens to an old Real Techniques sponge. 

For reference, this sponge is about 7 weeks old and was washed approximately every two days. It’s certainly on its path to the trash, but do you see the holes and the cracks? These will certainly not help you apply your foundation any easier, and it does make it a bit more difficult to wash. 

All in all (considering the price, performance and the time you can use a single sponge until you need to toss it), I’ll give this one to the Beautyblender. Unfortunately, it’s an opinion which is not kind to my wallet. While I can completely see myself continuing to use the Real Techniques sponge, since it’s really still a good dupe, I’ll probably stock up on Beautyblenders next time I’m abroad (where they are considerably cheaper) and just live a long, happy life with them. 

Do you have any other blender in mind you’d like me to compare to the Beautyblender to see if it’s worth your money? Let me know in the comments below!

 

Until next time, stay beautiful!