Worth the Hype? Beauty Blender

If you've never used a Beauty Blender before you must be thinking:
"There better be something magical about a sponge that costs $20!"

I understand you. $20 for tiny pink sponge is beyond any comprehension of 'reasonable' but I have to admit that I just bought my second beauty blender - yes it is worth the hype (and the price tag).

There is indeed something magical about the BB. If you usually apply foundation using brushes or your fingers, you may have had difficulties with obvious brush strokes or the mess that comes with having makeup all over your hands. Applying foundation with the BB blends in everything so smoothly resulting in a flawless, airbrushed finish.

How does it work?
First, start by saturating the sponge in water. Squeeze your BB so it can absorb as much water as possible - once damp the BB will be about twice it's original size. Then towel dry your sponge so it is ready to use. Dip your BB into foundation and bounce the BB over your face to blend in your makeup!

The beauty blender will work with most foundations and is particularly great for applying thicker foundations as it allows you build coverage in thin layers. I would probably steer clear of using the BB with really thin formulas, for example the L'Oreal Nude Magique or Maybelline Dream Wonder Fluid, as the sponge will absorb a lot of the product.

Definitely a thumbs up from me!

Beauty Blender will be available soon at Sephora in Sydney but you can pick up the cult favourite at a number of online boutiques.

Is the beauty blender part of your everyday routine?

xx Catherine

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Review and Comparison: Beauty Blender v Real Techniques Complexion Sponge

I was so excited to finally see the Real Techniques Complexion Sponge stocked at my local Priceline! I've been using the original Beauty Blender for a few months now and absolutely love it, so I thought I would do a comparison of the two most well known beauty sponges out there to see if the RT sponge is a good affordable version of the Beauty Blender.

For this post RT = Real Techniques Complexion Sponge and BB = Beauty Blender

Shape and Size:

The BB shape is what I would describe as a 'teardrop' shape, with one pointed end - perfect for dotting on concealer or blending under the eyes and around the nose - and the other end is rounded. The RT has a distinctly different shape. The overall shape looks more oval than round and whilst one end is pointed, the point isn't as defined as the BB. The RT sponge also has one flat edge which the BB does not. When they are both dry, the RT is slightly bigger than the BB, both in width and length.

Flat Surface of the RT sponge.

Texture:

On the surface, both sponges have the same sort of soft, porous texture. However the RT is much denser and not as soft and bouncy as than the BB when dry. When damp, the RT definitely does soften but is still much more firm than the BB

Soft, porous texture.

Application:

Overall both sponges are very similar in their application of foundation. Despite the RT sponge being much firmer you can get the same finish by using a bit more pressure. I definitely prefer how the BB 'bounces' and creates a really natural look in a small amount of time. The RT doesn't bounce so to get the same finish a pressing motion combined with a buffing motion is required. In my opinion the advantage of using a sponge over a brush for the application of foundation is that you can layer coverage much easier. With a brush, more product is picked up so its harder to apply thinner layers on top of each other.

I also prefer how the BB has a more pointed tip which is much easier for applying concealer over imperfections and for blending out around the nose.

However, sponges are not the best for all foundations. I mostly use either the RT or BB sponge to apply the Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 foundation and it gives the most flawless finish. Foundations or BB creams with thinner consistencies tend to be absorbed into the sponge result in quite a bit of product wastage. Both sponges are also really great for blending concealer.

Price and Availability: all prices are in Australian Dollars

Considering both sponges are pretty similar in the way they work, the most important point of comparison is the price. The BB isn't available in store in Australia but a number of online retailers stock them which means they are pretty easy to get a hold of. Two Australian online retailers I know which stock the BB are:

• Crush Cosmetics - $24.95
• Lipstick Republic - $19.95

Or you can purchase online from UK retailer beautybay.com where the BB retails for $24.20. BeautyBay has free shipping and both Crush Cosmetics and Lipstick republic charge for shipping unless you spend over a certain amount.

In comparison the RT is available in store at Priceline which also stocks other brushes from the Real Techniques brand for $15.99. The RT has just started to be stocked in store so it isn't available on the Priceline website just yet. Otherwise, the best online retailer for any Real Techniques products is iherb.com where the RT retails for around $6 depending on the exchange rate. iherb.com provides $4 flat rate shipping or DHL express shipping starting from $8.

Overall the RT is definitely the more affordable option with both sponges being easily accessible.

I think my favourite is the Beauty Blender but the RT sponge is very similar and a fantastic way to try a really great quality sponge at a cheaper price. Have you got either of these sponges in your collection? Let me know in the comments :)

xx Catherine

Monthly Roundup: May

A very exciting month for my blog yet again! So many new readers - hello and welcome! - as well as a few very exciting opportunities which will unveil themselves in the next couple of weeks. Thank you to everyone who has read my blog and especially those who come up to me and tell me which posts you liked because it makes me unbelievably happy :)

Now onto my favourite products for the month!

Beauty Favourites

First up I've been loving the Covergirl 3-in-1 Outlast Stay Fabulous Foundation. This is my go-to foundation for nights out as it has a medium-full, build able coverage. I absolutely love the finish of this foundation and I get the most compliments on my skin when I wear it. Another favourite is the Beauty Blender which gives an absolutely perfect finish when used to apply the Covergirl Foundation. Both will now be staples in my foundation routine.

Secondly, A product I featured in my huge haul was the Body Shop Honey Bronzer and I have been reaching for it everyday since. It is such a beautiful, natural looking bronzer and it is perfect for adding a little bit of colour for everyday.

The Maybelline Baby Lips have been one of my biggest obsessions this month! I discovered the 'glow' versions which adapt to the natural colour of your lips and have been wearing it as my main everyday lip product to uni (and subsequently getting a few of my friends hooked on it too!).

Finally, for beauty products, is the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water. I've become a complete convert from makeup remover wipes as I find the cleansing water is much more gentle for my skin. With just one cotton oval face round with a bit of cleansing water removes a whole face of makeup and even makes a good crack at eye makeup too!

Non Beauty Favourites

A few things I had to mention because I've been obsessed with them this month! I've been totally craving Sour Patch Kids (unfortunately I didn't have any to photograph because I have no self control! oops) all the time and which isn't helped by the fact that my sister insists I have some in the car whenever I drive her around! Another thing I've been loving is this super cute Hello Kitty sleep mask from Typo. I didn't even realise I needed a face mask but I picked this up and have been using it to sleep every night. Which brings me to my final non-beauty fave. I've been using the app Breathe2Relax for some breathing focused meditation before bed. It has really helped me to reduce stress before I got to bed and get a better night's sleep. It is available for free on Apple AppStore.

Beauty goals: update

I've put together my perfect makeup storage solution which you can check out in my full post here:

• My new makeup storage

Hope you've enjoyed my monthly roundup for May and I wish you all a beauty-filled June <3

xx Catherine

FOTD: Arctic Monkeys Concert

Last week I went to see my favourite band live, The Arctic Monkeys. My outfit was pretty standard - band shirt and denim jacket, so I thought I would do something really exciting with my makeup. Something about this event screamed a red lip to me, so I paired a classic red lip with a winged liner and long lashes. Read on to see how I got this look!