Since the day the Beauty Blender came on the market I have been looking for a dupe. I have tried all kinds and for the most part none really compare. I have had several dry rot, the color bleeds into the foundation with some, and some just aren’t good at all. I was recently sent the IT Cosmetics Hydra-Sponge to try and I thought this would be a fantastic post to bring to you.
“This reusable little blue wonder will bounce and blend your foundation to a flawless airbrushed finish, giving you your most beautiful skin ever! Say bye-bye to harsh foundation lines; with its versatile egg shape, you can reach every area of your face effortlessly! Use the bigger, rounded end to smooth and stipple larger areas; the smaller, pointy end can be used to delicately apply to small spaces, such as around the eye area. Can be used wet or dry and as always, Hydra-Sponge™ is 100% cruelty free!” – It Cosmetics
In the first picture the sponges were dry and in the picture directly above they are wet. You can see that they both just about double in size. The one from IT Cosmetics is larger than the Beauty Blender. The Hydra-Sponge being bigger means that it can cover more area off the face in less time.
You can see in the picture directly above the texture is very different. The Beauty Blender looks more sponge like and when pressed down it gives quite a bit with little pressure. The Hydra-Sponge is a different foamy-sponge material. It is much more dense and doesn’t give much when pressed upon.
As far as makeup application, the results are very similar. Both can roll or bounce/stipple the foundation on with both sponges, but the feeling is a little different. Both deliver an airbrush-type of effect. It really boils down to your preference. I like to use the Beauty Blender with thicker, more full-on coverage foundations and the the Hydra-Sponge with thinner, more sheer coverage foundations.
Even though it says you can use the Hydra-Sponge dry or wet I would definitely recommend using it wet. I am not a fan of using it dry because it is a little hard, when wet it becomes much more supple and bouncy.
Remember how I mentioned how large it was? Look at it wet in the palm of my hand. My hand is rather small, but wowzers!!
Overall preference? I think BeautyBlender wins it. It lasts much longer over time an will definitely outlast the HydraSponge.
IT Cosmetics Hydra-Sponge retails for $24 and can be found at itcosmetics.com, qvc.com, and Ulta Beauty stores as well as ulta.com. I do recommend the Hydra-Sponge. Although it is technically the same thing as the Beauty Blender I wouldn’t call it a perfect dupe because of the differences in texture, but they essentially deliver the same results.
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