Who lives in a Pineapple under the Sea?

Miracle Complexion Sponge! Haha, I guess I couldn't resist with that title..even though I wasn't really a big fan of Spongebob Squarepants :P. Anyway! So today I have my review on the latest sponge all star - the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge. This is the first ever sponge I'd tried so I wasn't really sure what to expect but I had heard raves about this particular one, and that it is supposedly the closest to the original, amazing Beauty Blender!

Dry

Dampened

Sidenote: I think this was the first Real Techniques product that Nic was involved in (she's also involved with the new travel brushes). I'd always wondered why it was only Sam and not the both of them from the beginning...but anyway!

The sponge is bright orange to match the other face tools in the Real Techniques collection. Considering I've never used or felt any other sponges, I can't compare its texture to others. It is though very squishy and soft, and quite porous as you can see. It's quite a bit firmer when it's dry, but when dampened it feels so squishy and fun! I basically only use it damp because it's a sponge - and if it's dry it's gonna suck up all your foundation! Hopefully you can see in the photos that when dampened the sponge expands in size quite a bit (by around 50%), and is almost the size of my cheek!

In terms of how it goes in application, it takes a while - longer than it would using a brush. I think there are a few reasons for this. Because the sponge is damp, the foundation is sheered out slightly due to the water so it's best to squeeze out and dry as much of the water as possible. Also, even though it's damp, I still find it sucks up quite a bit of foundation as I notice I need almost twice the amount than I would usually need when using a brush. It does require patience to blend and apply the foundation, but the result is definitely worth it. Where a brush simply buffs the product over the skin, a damp sponge really blends and melds the product into the skin, basically creating a 'one with skin' finish. Also due to it's dampness, the finish of the foundation isn't at all dry, or cakey as it can be with a brush.

The main advantage of this sponge is it's rather unique shape and having three different surfaces - a flat one, the traditional rounded side and a precision tip. These different surfaces make the sponge quite versatile and effective for a few different methods. With the flat edge I find I can blend and apply foundation by patting or swiping the product in. My favourite way to apply foundation with this sponge though is with the rounded side. I bounce - or 'bump' as Tati likes to call it - the product in (just like I've seen in all the tutorials and GRWMs I've watched!) and it seems to blend and meld the foundation in excellently. The tip is great for precise concealing, or getting into the nooks and crannies of the face. You need to use light dabbing motions with the tip though because if you press too hard, it just gets squished in, defeating its purpose.

Overall, I've been loving this for applying my foundation because of the very lovely finish it gives. However, for daily use or if I'm in a hurry, I still prefer something like the Buffing Brush because it's much quicker and provides more coverage. It retails for $6 on iHerb, so much cheaper than the beauty blender!

Have you tried the Miracle Complexion Sponge or any like it?