In the last instalment of my L'Oreal Total Cover Reviews comes the Infallible Foundation Blender. This blender is designed to work with the Total Cover Foundation to create a flawless base, so here's my thoughts...
Price
The Infallible Sponge retails for £5.99 and is available from Superdrug only.
Packaging
The sponge comes boxed with instructions located on the back, on how to use and care for this. The actual blender is a lovely tear drop shape with a flat side and precise pointy tip.
Application
In theory this seems like the most perfectly shaped blender that would work well with foundations, however in reality this isn't the best...
Upon application I used the sponge damp to apply the Infallible Total Cover Foundation, I think you'll have to watch my reaction to get a true feel for how this performed, but honestly this did nothing for me. I also tried patting the product on as I would with a beauty blender and although this was bouncy and felt lovely, unfortuantly non of the foundation blended into my face at all, it just sat on the top.
I also tested this out with a lighter foundation and tried swiping the product on using the flat edge, but again this did nothing to the overall finish of the foundation.
This sponge for me is very waxy to the touch and therefore it just doesn't absorb product the way a normal sponge would, which was a real shame as this had potential!
Overall Thoughts
I think you may have guessed this wasn't my favourite sponge I've ever used...
For me this just didn't distribute my foundation well, despite me trying this with several different types of foundations and applying it in a few different ways. However I did love the shape of this blender, and had this been made in a different material I think maybe this would have worked a lot better overall, as the shape was perfect.
In conclusion I think for the price there is certainly better sponges out there, including the Primark versions (dare I say it!) and if you've ever tried the Beauty Blenderor the Real Techniques Sponges you'll know the texture of these is unlike anything out there on the market and that's why they perform so well.
I award the L'Oreal Infallible Foundation Blender a 1.5 out of 5
I think I'm in the majority vote when I say I love a good old trip to Primarni! It honestly get's me every time and I always walk out with something!
Just lately Primark have for me been on top of their beauty game with the release of their PS Pro Makeup range and PS Love Your Nails brand which I have already reviewed here. As well as this they also have a great selection of beauty tools and accessories that look very similar to some well known high end products. So I picked up four beauty tools from the PS line to put to the test.
PS PRO Blending Brush
PS PRO Blending Brush
First up is this Blending Brush that looks very similar to the high end Artis brushes as well as the Makeup Revolution version I reviewed a few months back.
Price - The PS PRO Blending Brushes come in three sizes with the one I picked up being the largest, which retails for £4.
Packaging - The packaging is pretty simple and the brush is a little plasticky looking, but the actual bristles are dense and soft to the touch.
Application - I used the Clinque Beyond Perfecting Foundation with the brush as I do find a full coverage foundation works best with these oval brushes.
Upon application the brush was a great size as it fitted around the contours of the face easily. It also blended out my foundation well to a lovely flawless finish. The only cons were the brush did feel a little rough and synthetic on the face and the handle didn't feel as sturdy to hold, compared to the Revolution one.
Overall Thoughts - Overall this brush was a great size to work with and it did give my foundation a surprisingly flawless finish. Yes you can tell the brush is a little cheaper and more synthetic feeling on the face in comparison, but taking everything into consideration this really isn't a bad brush for the price.
I award the PS PRO Blending Brush a 3.8 out of 5
PS Mini Blender Sponge
PS Mini Blender Sponges
Just lately I've been obsessed with the new Real Techniques Miracle Mini Eraser Sponges and although these are pretty affordable, I wanted to test out something even cheaper to compare. Primark luckily have many mini versions to choose from including this pack I found with three different sponges in.
Price - The Mini Blender Sponges retail for an inexpensive £2 for three.
Packaging - Again these are simply packaged with the sponges themselves doing all the talking. In this pack you get a pink rounded sponge and two tear drop shaped ones.
Application - I used the orange one damp as this felt the softest, but compared to the Real Techniques one, this didn't feel as soft and bouncy. With the sponge I used my favourite Maybelline Fit Me Concealer to blend out under the eyes, nose and chin and to my surprise this actually gave my concealer a flawless finish.
Overall Thoughts - Despite this not feeling as soft and bouncy on the skin, this did give my concealer a lovely flawless finish just like the brush. I do also like the fact this was a tiny bit smaller than the RT one, so you could get a little closer to the under eye. But to be honest I think if your going to buy one of these smaller sponges I would just go for the Real Techniques version as you do get two for £5.99 and these just work the best because of their overall shape and texture.
I award the PS Mini Blender Sponges 3.5 out of 5
PS 15PK Mascara Wands
PS Mascara Wands
I found these handy pack of mascara wands which have four different types of brushes for volume, curl, definition and length, which I thought would be great if you maybe have a mascara that you want to use up, but unfortunately it wasn't working for you because of the brush.
Price - This 15 pack of wands retails for a super affordable £1.50.
Packaging - Although there is not much to the packaging it does tell you what each brush is best used for on the front. The wands themselves are rubber and come in two different colours and four different shapes as I mentioned above.
Application - I decided to try out the one pictured below as I thought this most resembled one of my most loved high end mascara's from Benefit. I used this with the Rimmel Scandaleyes Reloaded Mascara that I tested out recently.
Upon application I couldn't believe how much of a game changer this wand was and for me this transformed the Rimmel Scandaleyes from an average mascara to a pretty good mascara that lengthened and separated my lashes. The only negative I have is that the bristles are a little longer and because of that it did get a bit messy when using the wand.
Overall Thoughts - These wands are fantastic and such a great thing to have to hand if you do have a mascara you need to use up but your not a fan of the brush initially. I loved the variety of brushes and how affordable they were for £1.50 and I defiantly think these are worth picking up to store in the cupboard for not only mascara but if you need to brush your brows out too.
I award the PS Mascara Wands 4.2 out of 5
PS Makeup Remover Cloth
PS Makeup Remover Cloth
My last beauty product I picked up was this Makeup Remover Cloth that looks remarkably similar to the Makeup Eraser.
Price - This retails for a mega affordable £1.50 compared to the Makeup Eraser that costs a whopping £17!
Packaging - The cloth does come boxed but it doesn't give you much information on how to use, apart from mentioning it removes your makeup with the cloth and water only. The cloth inside comes in pink only and is super soft to the touch. It also has what looks like an exfoliating and softer side just like the original Makeup Eraser.
Application - I actually used this on one side of my face and the makeup eraser on the other to see how they compared which you can watch in the video I linked above. I couldn't believe how well the £1.50 Primark version removed my make-up! I used the softer side to remove all my face make-up and then the slightly more abrasive side to remove my eye make-up, just make sure your using this cloth damp for it to work efficiently.
Overall Thoughts - Overall this cloth impressed me so much considering how cheap it was! This got rid of all my make-up including my eye and brow products which are usually harder to remove at the end of the day. I would say the Makeup Eraser removed my make-up a tiny bit quicker but really I couldn't see much difference between both apart from the major price difference. So if your keen to try out a makeup remover cloth but your not willing to spend the money, then this Primark version is perfect if you need to remove your make-up quickly after a night out or something.
With so many make-up sponges to choose from nowadays it's hard to know which ones are right for you and how to use them properly. Now the Beauty Blender is my ultimate favourite foundation sponge, but over the past few years I have accumulated a fair few and some I've loved and others not so much. So here's the 411 on the make-up sponge, plus some affordable Beauty Blender Dupes too.
1. REAL TECHNIQUES BOLD METALS MIRACLE DIAMOND SPONGE - £12
I like to call this the multi-tasker as it's good for applying most make-up products. It's also super soft to use and it expands considerably so you can cover large areas of the face quickly. I do find the pointy end a little too pointy for under the eye area, however it's perfect for getting in around the nose area.
Not only is this affordable, it's great for flawless foundation application and you can also use this to swipe and pat product onto the face too. This is still really soft, however comparing it to the diamond sponge, the diamond version is just that little bit softer, but both are equally as delicate, so just take care when cleaning these sponges as they can tear if your not careful.
3. PRIMARK MAKE-UP SPONGE - £1.50
Now although the Real Techniques sponge is really affordable, Primark also have their own even cheaper version! This looks identical to the Real Techniques one and it does actually do a great job at applying foundation, but it is slightly firmer and not as bouncy and I would say overall it just doesn't give you as flawless coverage compared to the Miracle Complexion Sponge and Beauty Blender.
Now these have become my holy grail sponges for applying concealer as they are super soft and bouncy and are perfect for using around the delicate eye area. You get two in a pack for £5.99 and again these are fantastic for a multitude of sins including, applying concealer, baking, wiping up mistakes and cleaning up under the eyes.
Speaking of holy grail sponges, this for me is the crème de le crème of make-up sponges, why I hear you ask?! It's firm but bouncy, durable, the shapes perfect and it can be used wet or dry, plus it helps give you the ultimate airbrushed finish.
6. COSMOPOLITAN BLEND PERFECTION SPONGE - £4.99
This was actually one of the first sponges I ever bought and you've probably seen a lot very similar to this anyway. Texture wise this is a lot firmer and rougher but it's still nice and bouncy and it does apply foundation reasonable well when used damp. I cannot seem to find this particular sponge anymore but I have linked some other options instead here*.
8. MAC SOFT POINT SPONGE APPLICATOR - £15.50
Lastly I wanted to feature two high end sponges so you could see how these compare to the Beauty Blender which is around the same price. Again I've had these for years (way before the Beauty Blender phenomena) and both can be used damp to apply creams and liquids, they just don't expand. I love the shape of these MAC sponges as you can use them almost anywhere on the face, however they are quite firm and rouge in texture and honestly these are nowhere near as good as the Real Techniques Sponges and Beauty Blender!
Overall if you can stretch to the Beauty Blender then it's a life changer, but if you are on a budget I would recommend all three of the Real Techniques Sponges as they perform fantastically and you can't beat the price point and accessibility factor of these sponges.
Real Techniques have been killing it recently with their latest sponge releases, including another new addition to the core collection in the shape of theMiracle Mini Eraser Sponges. These cute little sponges are designed for specific use around the eye area, so here's my thoughts.
Price
These retail for £5.99 for a pack of two which is great value for money.
Packaging
As always these miniature sponges come in clear and informative packaging as well as online video on how to use. The sponges themselves are very similar to the Miracle Complexion Sponge the only difference being the flat edge is cut at the top. These can also be used we or dry too.
Application
Just like the Diamond Sponge, these are multi-tasking sponges that have so many benefits to them. My favourite way to use them is damp to apply concealer as it's so soft and perfect for the delicate eye area. I also use the flat side to bake under the eyes and to wipe away any fall out from shadows and liner.
Overall Thoughts
It's official I'm obsessed with these little miracles! Firstly I love the fact that you get two in to pack so you can have one on the go at all times and secondly the size, shape and softness of these sponges make them perfect for under the eyes, detail work and so many other uses.
So if your a big fan of the Miracle Complexion Sponge and your constantly using more than one tool to erase mistakes, blend, conceal and bake then I would defiantly recommend checking out these amazing mini sponges!
I award the Real Techniques Miracle Mini Eraser Sponges 4.9 out 5
Real Techniques Bold Metals Miracle Diamond Sponge
Following on from my review on the new Real Techniques Ultimate Base Set, comes the brand new Miracle Diamond Sponge which is part of the premium Bold Metals Collection. This multi-tasking sponge has a very unique design, which defiantly makes it unlike anything I've ever used before, so here's my thoughts.
Price
This retails for £12 which is twice the price of the originalMiracle Complexion Sponge, but as I mentioned above this is uniquely designed and it's also the newest member to the premium Bold Metals range.
Packaging
The packaging is stunning, totally on trend and the sponge is actually too nice to use! The box which the sponge comes in has lots of useful information, as well as some handy tips and tricks. I've also linked the Real Techniques video on how to use this sponge too. The sponge itself is shaped like a 900 carat diamond and has a beautiful and exclusive marble design, so no two sponges will ever be the same.
Application
This is a multi-tasking sponge that can be used wet or dry to apply, powders, creams, foundations, blusher or anything you like really. Each side can also be utilised in quite a few different ways to dab, spread or press products onto the skin. I actually used this sponge damp to press my foundation in the conventional way to create a flawless finish. I then used this to blend out my cream contour also.
This was relatively easy to use and I would say this sponge is a little bouncier than the Miracle Complexion Sponge. The pointy edge is great to get into the sides of the nose, but it's almost too pointy to blend in concealer around the eye area and so I would recommend using the top facets to dab in your concealer around the eye area.
Overall Thoughts
Overall I would say this does take a bit of getting used to, because of the uniquely defined edges on the sponge and I do think the pointy end maybe could be slightly rounded off to fit under the eyes more comfortably. But apart from that I do think this is a gorgeous looking, soft sponge, which is great to not only give you a flawless coverage, but to use with so many different products. This is also great if your travelling and you don't want to take as many brushes with you or your a busy mum who is short for time and you need to apply product quickly.
So if your after a sponge to apply foundation only, then you're probably better off using the original Miracle Complexion Sponge instead. But if you do want a sponge that can be used to multi-task or your a die-hard Real Techniques fan, who is partial to a bit of marble to add to your collection, then I would say go for it!
I award the Real Techniques Miracle Diamond Sponge 4.4 out of 5
