E.L.F. Mad For Matte Palette

Earlier this year, ELF released some new eyeshadow palettes.  I had heard the most positive reviews about Mad For Matte.  I didn't have any all-matte palettes, and it was only $10, so I thought, why not?!

The palette contains 10 shadows and comes packaged in a sleek black container.  Size-wise, I compared it to the Urban Decay Naked palette since it's one that I have and one that a lot of people are familiar with.  The ELF palette is quite a bit smaller and a little bit thinner (granted, the Naked palette contains 12 shadows instead of 10), which makes it perfectly travel-sized.  I like that it fits in my everyday makeup bag without taking up too much space.  There is also a good sized mirror inside, which is always a nice feature.

Nice packaging, but it gets dirty easily!

The shadows themselves are pretty soft and are well-pigmented for the most part.  I have swatched all the colors on my arm, and some (mostly the darker colors) swatched more easily than the others.  While they are not as soft or pigmented as Urban Decay, Lorac, or some other shadows from higher end palettes, they are not sheer.  They deliver enough color and can be built up.  They are also not as blendable as the higher end shadows, but they still blend out well enough.  The majority of the colors are warm to neutral with a few cooler tones included.

Arm full of swatches!  #2 in the pan is looking more yellow in this picture--it's actually a very pale pink.

Swatched in more natural light

I've been playing around with the palette a lot over the past couple months, and my favorite shade is #5.  It's such a beautiful warm reddish brown, and I think it makes the green in my eyes pop.  #4 is a nice peach-toned transition shade that I use every time I do a look with this palette.  #3 is a nice warm brown that I like to put in the crease (right below where I apply #4).  #2 is my favorite to highlight underneath my brows.  While #10 is far from the most pigmented black shadow on the market, it's always great to have black in a palette.  I actually like how it's not super pigmented, and I've been loving using this as my top liner with an angled brush.  It gives beautiful definition, but because it's not super dark and black, it's very soft and subtle.  I love using #6 as my bottom lash liner, and it's also great to throw on the outer corner of the eye for a little more shadowing/definition.  It's also a great brow color--if you have dark hair like me, give it a shot.

My favorite way to wear this palette is:
#4 for the transition shade (in between the crease and brow bone)
#5 all over the lid
#3 in the crease (sometimes--this is not necessary)
#6 on the lower lashline (and sometimes on the outer corner of the lid, but it looks good both with and without this step)
#10 on the upper lashline
#2 under the brow

I was wearing this eye combo in this picture from my Estee Lauder Double Wear post

...And I wore it again today!

That sounds like a lot of steps, but it actually goes by quickly!  This is a very flattering and very warm-toned look, but for something more cool-toned, this is what I came up with:
#4 for the transition shade
#7 all over the lid
#3 in the crease (skip this if you don't want any warmth to this look)
#8 in the outer corner and on the lower lashline
#10 on the upper lashline
#2 under the brow

The pictures aren't really doing the shadows justice--the warm and cool looks I described look more different in real life than in pictures.  I did pull in a shimmery shadow from a different palette for my inner corner highlight for both looks, but it's totally feasible to use only this palette for your whole eye look and use #2 as an inner corner highlight.

I think you've all figured out by now that I really like this palette!  I've been wearing it constantly since I bought it.  I think it's very reasonably priced.  I have not seen it in the ELF section at my Target, but you could check your Target or find it on ELF's website here.  Even if you like shimmer, it's always good to include matte shadows with any look, and you could supplement your shimmery shadows with this palette.  If you prefer to wear all matte colors, this palette is great on its own.  I am very happy to have this in my collection and would recommend it to anyone!

My Favorite Beauty Hacks

Hello Everyone!

My post today is a random hodgepodge of tips and tricks that I find helpful and use all the time.  I have probably mentioned some of these in past blog posts, but they are worth mentioning again.

*I love using bronzer as an eye shadow.  This is a quick and easy way to add some dimension to your eyes without looking overdone.  Often times, especially if I'm rushing to get ready, I will just throw some bronzer into the crease and call it good as far as shadows are concerned, but this trick also works well as a transition shade with heavier eye shadow looks.  I like to use a Sedona Lace EB 09 or a Sedona Lace Tapered Blending Brush to apply it.  Also, when you use the same bronzer on your eyes and your face, it helps to make everything look pulled together nicely!

*I like to apply my eye makeup first because I smudge my mascara all the time, and it's much easier to clean up if you haven't done your face makeup yet.  If you do smudge your mascara...

*No worries--it's easy to clean up!  If it's regular, non-waterproof mascara, give it at least 60 seconds to dry on your skin without touching it.  Once it's dry, all you have to do is wipe it off with a dry q-tip.  Seriously, it comes right off!  It's a bit more difficult to clean up waterproof mascara, but it can still be done.  First, let it dry.  You'll need a q-tip and some eye makeup remover.  I like to use Neutrogena Oil Free Eye Makeup Remover (it says oil free, but it definitely has something oily in it) or any of the other types that have two layers that you shake up.  Note: I've tried the Target and Walmart brands, and they both work great.  Anyway, shake up the eye makeup remover and dip end of the q-tip into it.  Before you touch your face with it, absorb the extra makeup remover by pressing the q-tip into a tissue.  Clean up the smudge on your face, then take the other end of the q-tip and moisten it with a little water.  Go over the areas you cleaned up with the eye makeup remover, and you are good to go!  Alternatively, the ELF Studio Makeup Remover Pen works wonders and is a little faster than using the eye makeup remover and q-tip.  It's a great thing to keep on hand, and I have one in my makeup kit for freelance jobs.

*I use a razor on my face!  I love the Tinkle Eyebrow Razors, but other brands make them and sell them at drugstores.  I use these on my upper lip and to clean up the tops of my eyebrows.  There are videos on YouTube that demonstrate how to use them.  Sometimes, I even use them all over my face to remove the peach fuzz.  It makes my foundation go on so much smoother!  They don't hurt, they're cheap, and they stay sharp for a long time.  I used to use cream hair removers on my upper lip and have saved a lot of money by switching over to these!

*I used to think lip liner was too high maintenance, but now I can't get enough of it.  While you can line your lips and fill them in before applying lipstick, I most commonly use lip liner after lipstick.  I find that lining (not filling in) my lips after I've applied lipstick helps to clean up the edges and fix any mistakes I might have made.

*If you're going to wear a matte or long-wear lipstick, exfoliating your lips beforehand is a must!  The ELF Studio Lip Exfoliator is awesome and costs $3.  Exfoliate and follow up with moisturizing balm.  Let the balm sink in as you do your makeup, and when you're ready for lipstick, wipe off the extra balm.

*Multi-tasking brushes are great when you're in a rush, when you're traveling, or if you're on a budget.  My favorite for the face is the Real Techniques Blush Brush.  It works so perfectly for setting powder, bronzer, and blush.  While it's not the ideal brush to apply cheek highlighter, it can work.  My favorite multi-purpose eye brush is the above referenced Sedona Lace EB 09 (which is basically the same as a MAC 217 or Sigma E25).  It's great for applying color to the lid and the crease.

I hope these hacks were helpful!  Let me know if you try any of these or if you have any good tricks of your own.

Contouring with a Sponge & My First Attempt at "Baking"

If you haven't already heard, "baking" is the latest technique gone viral in makeup.  And no, I'm not talking about putting your makeup in the oven.  Baking (sometimes referred to as "cooking") in the makeup world is a technique used to set your makeup, further emphasize any highlighting and contouring, and give a flawless finish.  I have heard that the drag community has used this tip for years, but we can thank Kim Kardashian's makeup artist for its recent spike in popularity.  I thought I would give this a try and blog about my experience.

What It Is and How It Works 
The idea behind baking is to first apply your undereye concealer (and bring it down using the triangle method for highlighting) and your cream or powder contour product.  You then apply a heavy layer of loose translucent setting powder (you just get it on there--don't do any blending yet) over your concealer and around (not over) your cheek contour and let it sit for a few minutes.  As the powder sits and "bakes," it mixes with the heat of your skin to set your foundation and concealer to make it last under extreme heat and add some extra oomph to your contour to make your face look even more sculpted and flawless.  Once the product is done baking, you brush off the excess with a fluffy brush.

My Attempt at Baking

What I Used 
I used my fingers to pat in Benefit Erase Paste in Medium underneath my eyes.  This is a great concealer but needs to be set with powder because it doesn't dry, so I used Bobbi Brown Retouching Powder in Yellow with a damp Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge to set it.  I didn't do any baking on this area--I just set it as I normally would with the powder.

For my contour, I used L'Oreal True Match Super Blendable Powder in N8 Cappuccino.  I decided to try something new here and use the Real Techniques sponge rather than a brush to contour.  I picked up some of the L'Oreal powder with the pointed end of the damp sponge and pressed it into the hallows of my cheekbones.  I did the same thing on my temples to contour my forehead.

After this, it was time to bake.  I used the above mentioned Real Techniques sponge and Bobbi Brown powder and applied a heavy layer of powder on the tops of my cheekbones and underneath my cheek contour, leaving no space between the L'Oreal powder and the Bobbi Brown powder.  I let it sit for about three minutes, then I brushed off the excess with a fluffy brush (I used the Real Techniques Blush Brush, but any fluffy face brush you have will work).  At this point, I had already done all of my makeup except blush.  I finished off the look with NARS Blush in Orgasm and applied that with a Sedona Lace Large Angled Contour Brush.

Baking and looking like a freak

Results and Mistakes I Made 
I really wasn't all that impressed with the results; I didn't think my face looked noticeably more contoured or flawless than it did before I followed the baking procedure.  I don't think this technique would be so popular and raved about by professional makeup artists if it didn't work, so I must have made a few mistakes.  I'm pretty sure I didn't let it bake for long enough--I waited about three minutes, and after reading more into it, I found that it is suggested to wait five to 10 minutes.  I also messed up on my left cheek--I was a bit too sloppy and inadvertently covered part of my contour with the setting powder.  I also didn't bake under my eyes and didn't use enough concealer.  In doing more research, I've discovered that it is recommended to go heavy with concealer and powder.  In retrospect, I probably shouldn't have used Erase Paste.  I should have used a thinner concealer and used the triangle method to highlight.  I'm guessing that the combination of these mishaps are why I didn't see any life changing results.

Left: Post-contour and pre-bake
Right: Post-bake but pre-blush.  There is hardly a difference in these two shots.

The finished product with blush added

 I think you are technically supposed to use a translucent powder, but this yellow one by Bobbi Brown is the only loose setting powder I have.  I can't say for sure, but I don't think it's a huge deal that it was yellow.  If anything, the yellow tone just added more brightness.

Overall Thoughts 
I didn't dislike the results, but I also didn't see any notable improvement over my normal makeup application.  I also think this technique can be time consuming and is not practical for most of us on a day-to-day basis,  I usually do my eye makeup first, so by the time I got to the baking portion, I only had lipstick to apply as I waited.  I also needed to apply blush but couldn't do that as I was baking.  It would make more sense to do your face makeup first in order to maximize your time and productivity because you could do your eye makeup as you let your face bake and not lose as much time.  Still, it is an extra step, and if you're getting ready for work at 6 or 7 AM, you'll likely not be too excited to add this to your routine.  Not only that, but this step requires A LOT of concealer and powder, and doing this regularly would not be good for your wallet or your face.  I have read that those with more mature skin should stay away from this technique, as the powder will emphasize fine lines.  I do think that if you know how to bake and can make it look the way you want it to, it would be a good thing to do for special occasions.

I mentioned that I tried contouring with a sponge, and I loved the results!  It was similar to the effect of contouring with a cream product, which tends to look more natural than powder products.  After placing the product where I wanted it, I just kind of rolled the sponge over the product to blend it out a bit more.  It didn't need as much blending as it does when applied with a brush--there's just something about the sponge that makes it look blended out as soon as it's applied!  I will definitely be doing this regularly.

 I will keep experimenting with baking and will do a follow-up post once I have it down.  If anybody has any tips, please leave a comment below!  Thank you all for reading, and let me know if you try this out!

Whiten Your Teeth For Less!

Who doesn't want whiter teeth??  Well, unless you're Ross in the Friends episode where he leaves the paste on for a day too long :).  All jokes aside, having a beautiful smile complemented by nice, white teeth can be as much (if not more) of a game changer as any makeup product.  I had never paid that much attention to teeth whitening until about a month before my wedding two years ago when one day, I suddenly realized "Oh crap!  I need to whiten my teeth!"  I bought some Crest Whitestrips (which are not cheap!) and used them almost daily right up to my wedding day.  Sadly, I didn't notice much of a difference, and I really wish I had known about the product I use now before I got married.

That product is Plus White Premier 5 Minute Speed Whitening Gel.  There are a couple options in this line.  You can either buy a kit that includes the gel, a post-whitening rinse (although now it looks like it comes with a pre-whitening rinse), and a double-sided tray, or you can just buy the gel itself.  I have seen this brand at Wal-Mart and on drugstore.com.  The kit runs about $8 to $10, and the gel itself is around $5 or $6.  The first time I bought this, I bought the kit.  The tray it comes with is pretty worthless and doesn't really stay in place well, so I bought a couple basic mouthguards at Wal-Mart and followed the instructions to make my own trays (one for the top and one for the bottom) that fit my mouth perfectly.  They only cost about $0.97 each and work really well.

As far as using the product itself, you first floss and brush your teeth, then you squeeze a thin layer of gel onto the trays and leave them in for 5-20 minutes.  The instructions say to do this twice a day for up to two weeks when you're first starting out with this system, and that is exactly what I did.  If you have the kit, you then follow up with the rinse after you remove the trays (at least I did--it has changed to a pre-whitening rinse since I last had the kit).  Unfortunately, I don't really have any before and after pictures to show (I forgot to take them when I started using this over a year ago), but I saw a huge difference after about a week.  I left mine in for about 15 minutes each time.  After the two weeks are over, you use the product once or twice a week to touch up.  I do twice a week for 15 minutes, and I find that to be sufficient to maintain the results from the first two weeks.

After having used this product for over year, I definitely recommend buying the gel alone if it's available.  The rinse didn't seem to make any difference.  I can't speak to the effectiveness of the new pre-whitening rinse, but I can tell you that the results without using any rinse are very good. You will also most likely need to buy your own trays anyway, so it's not worth buying the kit for the tray.  It is worth noting that as with any whitening product, this can make your teeth more sensitive.  Mine feel a little sensitive the day after I whiten, but it doesn't bother me.  If you are concerned about this, you might want to try the gel made for sensitive teeth.  I also want to mention that if you get a lot of canker sores like I do, be very careful when using this product while you have one.  If the gel comes into contact with a canker sore or any other sort of trauma in your mouth, it HURTS!  I definitely recommend using Kanka, Orajel, or any other type of numbing product before using the whitening gel if you have a sore.  Another tip I have is to run the trays under water and use your toothbrush to make sure you get all the gel off after you use them.

Overall thoughts?  I love this stuff!  It's easily accessible, it's cheap, and most importantly, it works!  I would highly recommend it.  I hope this was helpful, and let me know if you try it out!

Favorite Drugstore Foundations!

After last week's review of a high-end foundation, I thought it would be appropriate to post about my favorite drugstore foundations.  The quality of makeup at the drugstore in general has improved greatly over the last 10 years or so, and foundation is no exception.  The three I'm about to mention are all well-loved and currently in my collection.  In fact, they are the only liquid foundations (not counting one high-end CC cream) I currently own.

Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous
This is a great choice for anyone with normal to oily skin.  It really does last all day--I always wear this foundation when I know I'm going to have a long day and/or if I know I'm going to be sweating and need my makeup to hold up through that.  I would call the coverage medium to full.  If I want to get full coverage out of it, I use a brush to buff it in.  If I'm looking for good staying power but want a more natural finish, I use a damp Beauty Blender or Real Techniques sponge.  It leaves a satin finish on the skin (matte but not too flat).  I don't feel the need to set this with a powder, but you might want to if you're more oily.  Depending on what I'm doing on any given day, I can sometimes get a bit shiny around 2-3 PM with this foundation, but the product doesn't break down on me at all.  I actually like the way it looks once a little of my natural oils have broken through, but if I get too shiny, I like to use oil blotting sheets to touch up.  I love this foundation so much that I have it in two shades--845 Warm Beige for the winter and 857 Golden Tan for the summer, and I mix the two if I'm in between.  It comes in 13 shades, which can be viewed on Ulta's website here: http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod4930113.  The price on here is $11.99.  It also contains SPF 20.  This foundation gets bonus points for having a pump!  Overall, this is a fantastic foundation that looks beautiful and doesn't feel heavy like Revlon ColorStay, which I mentioned in my last post.

L'Oreal True Match and True Match Lumi

I'll talk about the original True Match first.  I think any skin type could wear this, and it leaves a nice satin finish.  I would call this a medium coverage foundation, although I have heard that you can build it up to full coverage.  Just like with the Covergirl foundation, I like to apply it with a brush (for more coverage) or a damp sponge.  The staying power is good but not as good as Covergirl Outlast.  It seems to wear well both with or without setting powder, and I always have blotting sheets with me just in case.  This foundation is known for its wide shade range and claims to carry a perfect match for everyone.  The shades are grouped into three categories of undertones: cool, warm, and neutral.  Within each undertone category are eight shades (C1 means cool 1, W1 means warm 1, etc).  I can wear both the warm and neutral shades in both this and True Match Lumi.  In original True Match, I have the color N4 Buff Beige, which is a perfect winter shade for me.  It contains SPF 17 (weird number, not sure why they didn't just go for 15 or 20).  Unfortunately, the packaging on this foundation does not include a pump.  The shade range can be seen here: http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=fs1017872.  The price on Ulta's website is $9.99.  Of all three of the foundations I'm mentioning, I think this is the most universal.  If you're not sure what to get, I would pick this one!  It is beautiful, basic, and it works.

Now onto my last favorite: L'Oreal True Match Lumi.  This is best suited for normal to dry skin.  If you have oily skin, beware--I think you might hate this.  Just like its name implies, it's  luminous and gives a nice, healthy glow.  It applies well with a brush, a damp sponge, or even your fingers.  I'd consider it medium coverage but slightly more sheer than original True Match.   I love this in the summer when I'm craving glowy, dewy, Jessie James Decker-like skin.  I usually do set it with a powder in the morning and have to blot once later in the day.  I only have my summer shade (W6 Sun Beige), but I think this would also be a good winter foundation to add some hydration and perk up the skin in the drab winter months.  Shade-wise, it's the same concept as original True Match but has about 13 shades instead of 24.  The shade range can be found here: http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod4480167.  It's also a bit more expensive than original True Match at $12.99 on Ulta's website vs. $9.99.  It has SPF 20 and--bonus--it comes with a pump!

I think anybody would be happy with at least one of these three foundations.  If you have normal skin, I think you could rock all of them depending on what you're looking for.  I used the link to Ulta for all of these because it had the best color selection, but they are usually $1-$3 less at Target or Walmart.  If you do get them at Ulta, make sure you use a $3.50 off $10 coupon.  They are also usually buy one, get one 50% off, so if you see them and they're not on sale, it might be a good idea to wait until they do go on sale.  All three products are sold on drugstore.com, and I just noticed that Covergirl Outlast is on sale at drugstore.com right now for $7.83!!  Here's a link to the site: http://www.drugstore.com/search/search_results.asp?N=0&Ntx=mode%2Bmatchallpartial&Ntk=All&srchtree=5&Ntt=covergirl+outlast+foundation&Go.x=0&Go.y=0&CSRFToken=ebUUKcXdUXE8%2Bjz7OlaxyC7TBRnO6KSb36LVl4i63NY%3D.  If you order online from drugstore.com, Ulta, Target, or Walmart, be sure to use Ebates!

I hope this was helpful, and please let me know what your favorite drugstore foundation is!

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation: Worth The Hype?

I love drugstore foundations.  Every once in a while, though, I have an urge to try out a higher end foundation just to see if it's really that much better than my favorite drugstore picks.  I recently got a sample of Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation at Macy's (I definitely recommend getting a sample of a high-end foundation before you invest the money to see if it's worth it).  At $38, this is a pricey foundation known for its full coverage yet natural finish.  It has a selection of 30 shades broken down into warm, cool, and neutral undertones.  The color I got matched to is 3N1 Ivory Beige, and it is a perfect match for my current summer tan.

This foundation is pretty hyped up on YouTube, so part of me wanted to love it, while the other part of me (the budget-conscious part of me) did not want to love it.  Read on to see which side won.

I tried this two ways: with a brush and with a beauty blender.  For brush application, I dabbed the foundation all over my face and blended it in with my favorite foundation brush, the Sigma F80.  I buffed it in using circular motions all over my face.  Where I needed more coverage, I stippled it in with my brush first before lightly buffing it in.  I would say it lives up to its claims coverage-wise; it is very full coverage.  It made my skin look very porcelain-like and flawless.  This is way more coverage than I like or need on a day to day basis, but it really does look beautiful and satin-like (not too matte or too luminous).  It's not cakey, yet it is very evident that you have makeup on with this stuff.  The foundation still felt slightly tacky after a couple hours of wear, which I really didn't like.  It also felt VERY heavy, which I think is the worst part about it.  I've read many reviews attesting to the "lightweight feel" of this foundation, and unfortunately, I have to disagree.  It felt very plastered on and uncomfortable.

The second day, I tried applying it with a damp Real Techniques sponge to see that would make it look any more natural.  I honestly didn't notice any big difference, and it still made me look like I was wearing a ton of face makeup (again, not cakey, just very made up).  I also wanted to try setting it with a powder, so I lightly dusted on some MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural (I am in the color Medium Golden).  I found that using a little bit of powder took away the annoying lingering tackiness I experienced the day before.  I think it held up well all day both with and without powder.

This foundation actually reminds me a lot of Revlon ColorStay, which I wore on my wedding day.  Just like Double Wear, Revlon ColorStay is a full coverage foundation with a beautiful finish (for reference, I think my shade was 320 True Beige.  I used the one for normal/dry skin because my skin was more dry at that time.  I also remember it having the same heavy feel as Double Wear; as a result, I pretty much stopped wearing it after my wedding day.  I think the biggest difference between the two (other than the price) is that Revlon ColorStay dried very quickly and didn't have the lingering tacky feel without having to be set with powder.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation in Ivory Beige applied with a Real Techniques sponge and lightly set with powder

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation in Ivory Beige applied with a brush and no powder

Shot from my wedding day wearing Revlon ColorStay for Normal to Dry Skin in True Beige

So, is this foundation worth the hype?  My answer is no.  I think it leaves a beautiful finish, and I love that for as full coverage as it is, it's  not cakey.  It's just way too much coverage for my liking on a day to day basis, and I hate the heavy feel.  I would only wear this foundation for special occasions, so to me, it's not worth paying $38 for something I wouldn't wear all the time.  I think this foundation would be suitable for all skin types, but if you're oily, you'll definitely want to set it with powder and carry some oil blotting sheets for touch-ups throughout the day.  If you like full coverage every day, or if you're looking for a foundation for a wedding or special event that photographs well and lasts all day, I would recommend getting a sample and trying it out.  If you want full coverage every day but are looking for a more budget-friendly option, I would recommend Revlon ColorStay.  I think it's worth mentioning that the Double Wear doesn't come with a pump; it's a bummer that for how expensive it is, it doesn't have one.  I have heard, however, that you can buy this foundation pump from MAC and cut the straw to size.  Since Estee Lauder owns MAC, it makes sense that the pump would fit.  It's another $10 that you'd be spending on top of an already pricey foundation, but you could re-use the same pump if you continued to purchase the foundation.

I would love to hear your thoughts if you've tried this foundation or if you know of a way to make it feel less heavy.  Thanks for reading!

Beauty Blender vs. Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge

The original Beauty Blender is a cult favorite; it's also become a favorite of mine.  I have used, loved, and repurchased it--I'm now on my third sponge.  If you aren't familiar with what this is, it's basically magic in a sponge.  The idea behind this is that when you use it damp, the moisture in the sponge prevents it from soaking up all the product (like the wedge-shaped sponges sold at drugstores do), allowing it to beautifully and seamlessly blend your makeup into your skin.  You can use it to apply any liquid or cream products to your face (I even love using it for loose powder), and it provides a more sheer, natural application than a brush.  This is a fantastic tool to ensure that your makeup doesn't look cakey (one of my biggest pet peeves).  Basically, it lives up to its claim to provide "impeccable, streak-free application."  The one negative of this product--possibly the only negative to me--is the $20 price tag.  Many companies have tried to knock off the original Beauty Blender (here's a good example: http://www.target.com/p/sonia-kashuk-blending-sponge/-/A-16945013#prodSlot=medium_1_1&term=makeup+sponge), but I've never found anything that even came close to the softness and magic of the original.  The cheaper alternatives simply don't work well.

Enter, Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge.  I was super excited when I heard about this product because I love Real Techniques brushes--and it's only $5.99!  Some YouTubers have called it a true dupe of the Beauty Blender, and while others have said it's still not the same.  I decided I had to compare them for myself.

Right off the bat, one thing I like better about the Beauty Blender is the packaging.  It comes in a little case that I like to keep to store the Beauty Blender in when it's dry.  When it's wet, it expands and doesn't fit inside the container, but I like to use the lid to the case as a stand to house it when it's wet (a trick I learned from a girl working at Sephora).  The Real Techniques sponge, on the other hand, comes in disposable packaging that is not practical to keep for storage.

The original Beauty Blender dry inside its container

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge in its packaging

Packaging aside, the first obvious difference is in the shape.  They are both pointed on one end, but while the Beauty Blender is shaped like an egg, the Real Techniques sponge has a flat edge on the bottom.  They are made out of the same material and feel almost identical when dry.  I think the Real Techniques one was just slightly more dense, but they're both very soft.

Dry sponges (my Beauty Blender has foundation on it from previous use)

Damp sponges--might be hard to tell from the picture, but they expand when wet

I got both sponges completely saturated with tap water, then I squeezed them out a couple times with my hand and a couple more times with a paper towel to get rid of all the excess moisture (there are plenty of videos on YouTube if this is new to you).  They feel identical when damp.  When I use these sponges with foundation, I like to dot the foundation all over my face, then press and roll the sponges onto my face to blend them in (reference the YouTube videos for this part too).  I found the sponges work equally well at blending in the product and giving my skin a nice, natural, slightly dewy finish.  I like the shape on the Real Techniques one a little better; I like to use the flat edge around my eyes, nose, and forehead.  I like using these for concealer too.  The pointed edge on both works well under the eyes, and the flat edge on the Real Techniques one is also good on this area.  The only difficult part with both sponges is blending the concealer in the tear duct area (they are a little big to get into that small area), so I normally just use my ring finger for that.  They are both great for sheering out product if you accidentally use too much foundation or concealer.  Sometimes I like to take the sponge and dab it all over my face after all my face makeup is complete--it just blends everything together so nicely and makes your skin look more glowy and perfected. 

These sponges need to be washed every 3-4 uses, and there is no difference between the two in how they wash.  I love the Beauty Blender Solid Cleanser.  At $16 (they've raised the price!), it's expensive for a bar of soap, but it works so well.  I usually wait until November when Sephora has their BI/VIB sale so I can get 20% off, then I stock up on these.  However, I just saw someone on Pinterest who mentioned they like using Dr. Bronner's Pure-Castile Bar Soap to clean her Beauty Blender, which is much cheaper ($4.69 for 5 oz. vs. $16 for 1 oz.) and can be found at Target.  I think I'll be giving this a try once I run out of my stock pile.  

Final thoughts: I love the Real Techniques sponge!  I don't think it's an exact duplicate of the original Beauty Blender, but it's very, very close.  I've heard the Real Techniques sponge starts to show wear more quickly than the original (I haven't had mine long enough to find out), but even if it only lasts two months instead of three, it's still a more economical choice.  You could spend $80/year if you replaced your Beauty Blender every three months and $36/year if you replaced your Real Techniques sponge every two months.  To me, it's a no-brainer: Real Techniques for the win!