How to Use a Makeup Sponge: A Step-By-Step Guide

It’s no secret that the Beautyblender changed makeup forever. The hashtag #beautyblender has been used more than 1,000,000 times (yes–that’s 1 million) since its inception. How did we ever live without it?! 

If you’re like us, you probably use your Beautyblender every day and incorporate it into your full makeup routine. But there’s a lot more to the Beautyblender than meets the eye. There are helpful best practices to follow, along with tips and tricks you may never have thought of. Here’s everything you need to know about how to use a Beautyblender for all its worth.

How to Use a Makeup Sponge

The Beautyblender is a versatile makeup sponge that can be used for practically anything in your makeup bag: foundations, bb cream, concealer, you name it. But in order to really get the most out of your makeup sponge, follow our 3-step process: wet, squeeze, and bounce.

Wet

Many people are surprised to find that the Beautyblender makeup sponge is meant to be used when wet. Before each use, run it under your faucet until it’s fully soaked. You’ll notice that your Beautyblender will almost double in size. This is supposed to happen! The special aqua-activated™ foam material in the blender absorbs the water instead of absorbing your product–leaving more of it on your skin without getting soaked up by your sponge.

Squeeze

Once your Beautyblender makeup sponge is fully saturated, it’s time to squeeze it out. The goal is to apply your makeup with a damp blender, so you’ll want to wring out all of the excess water. Your Beautyblender should then be at the ideal size and dampness to start dipping into your product. You can rest assured knowing that you’re not wasting product since it’s simply bouncing off of your sponge without getting soaked into it.

Bounce

Now for the fun part: the bounce. Bounce powder or liquid foundation, bb cream, or concealer across your skin for a flawless finish. Pro tip: we don’t recommend dragging the blender across your face.

Swiping a Beautyblender makeup sponge over your skin is just moving product around instead of properly laying it on. Bouncing creates a uniform, seamless coverage without streaks and lines.

How to Clean Your Makeup Sponge

Keeping your makeup sponge clean will not only make it last longer, but help keep your skin clean. To avoid buildup of dirt and grime, it’s best to wash your blender after each use. Our Liquid Blendercleanser solution is a highly effective yet gentle formula you can use every day on your blender, as well as standard makeup brushes. Simply wet your blender with the solution and work it into a gentle lather. Use it with our Keep.It.Clean tool which gives you a solid surface to rub your blender against while you clean it.

If you’re on the go and you only have time for a quick clean, pump a few spritzes of our Instaclean spray directly onto your blender and use a towel to remove residue–no rinsing needed. For maximum cleanliness, we also recommend swapping out your Beautyblender makeup sponge every 3-6 months, just like your toothbrush and mascara.

How to use the Keep It Clean Cleansing Mitt

More Beautyblender cleaners:

• Solid Blender Cleansers
• Liquid Blender Cleansers
• Instaclean™
• Keep.It.Clean™

How to Use a Makeup Sponge in Every Step of Your Routine

We all love using our Beautyblender makeup sponges for applying foundation and concealer–it helps product go on super smooth and silky. But your makeup sponge can be used for just about anything in your beauty routine, especially if you have each of our blender sizes.

The original Beautyblender is great to #aceyourbase and lay down that flawless foundation we all love. You can use it with practically any product, liquid or powder. It’s also perfect to bounce some setting powder at the end of your look for all-day coverage. Our Blusher is slightly smaller and is perfectly sized for the apples of your cheeks. It’s a great tool to blend out cream blush and highlight. And our smallest size, the Micro Mini, is designed for detailed application in those tricky areas—and can even be used to apply eyeshadow. Who knew?!