Ulta's BeautyBlender? - A Review

I've had my eye on the famous BeautyBlender for months but shelling out $20+ for the sponge and the special cleanser was just not on my list. I considered cashing in my Birchbox points for it but I used those for my awesome little Baggu backpack (review coming soon). Needless to say, a blending sponge did not seem to be in my immediate future. You can probably imagine my giddy little excitement when as I was browsing Ulta's website and found their BB knockoff, called the "Super Blender Sponge" for $4.99 no less! I immediately purchased the next day and with my 20% coupon I really got an amazing deal. This little bugger was a bit difficult to find in store, I expected it to be somewhere on the Ulta product table but in fact it was at the back of the store where Ulta's sponge section is, raise your hand if you didn't even know that Ulta HAD a sponge section...am I alone here?

For those that do not know what a blender sponge is, they are not your typical makeup sponges. They are kind of a unique hybrid of a brush and sponge, featuring a rounded flat end and a pointy tip, both used for makeup application and blending. The difference with these is they can be used damp or dry for a flawless and natural airbrushed finish to your makeup and unlike other makeup sponges, they don't soak up all of the product.

As someone who does not wear foundation (ever..) In all honesty I didn't even know what I was going to use the little guy for at first but since then I've been using it for my tinted primer and I love it. Since I've never owned one, I have no idea if it measures up to the real BB, but since they seem to be the same material and relatively the same shape, I can't imagine that the two would be that different from each other. The only differences that I have noticed is that when ran under water, this sponge does not seem to have the expanding characteristic that the BB is known for and the super blender's different shape allows you to grip it better, it's very dense and stiff which gives me exceptional control because it doesn't squish and almost cave in on itself when using it. As far as maintenance goes, I just wash my sponge in warm water with a little bit of mind soap and it's good to go.


When factoring in all of the pro's and con's, I would still pick the super blender for now, maybe one day when I've saved up enough Birchbox points, I'll purchase the BB and compare the two but as of right now, I have no desire to purchase one. I know that quite a few companies have released their versions of BB's so if you are coveting this sponge like I was, I suggest trying those out before purchasing the mothership.

Overall, I'm really liking this product and I will without a doubt be repurchasing when this one gets worn out and grimy.

Pro's:

Very wallet friendly price ($4.99 vs. $20+)
More readily available (BeautyBlender's can only be purchased online or in select stores)
Finger notches allow for a better grip

Con's:

Not as well known
Might have different performance
Does not expand much in water
Stiffer and more dense than the BeautyBlender (I like this quality, some may not)

Much love xo

Update: After using this for awhile, I've come to find that this blender just doesn't perform how I originally thought. After continued use, it seems to get "clogged" no matter how much I wash it, because of this, my makeup is not blended whatsoever and looks dry and patchy. This will be thrown away and I will not be re-purchasing.