Today, we're starting with this Revive Beauty Makeup Blending Applicator, which I found at T.J. Maxx for $4.99 a few weeks ago.
I have tried out a couple of sponges similar to the Beauty Blender (Real Techniques, Ulta, randoms from Harmon's etc.) and haven't found anything that truly compare the original so I gave up in trying and continued to purchase the $20 (but amazing) sponge. That was until I saw this guy at T.J Maxx. This was the most similar in shape that I had seen and at only $4.99, I knew had to give it a try.
L: Beauty Blender R: Revive Beauty
Both photographed dry
As you can tell, the shape is super similar. They're about the same size when dry (pictured above) but the Revive sponge is a bit more bottom heavy than the Beauty Blender (see below.) I certainly thought these looked a bit more similar when they weren't next to each other, but all in all, it's still the closest I've found shape-wise.
T: Revive Beauty B: Beauty Blender
Both photographed dry
The biggest different in these sponges is the texture. While both are very soft to the touch, when you squeeze the Beauty Blender, it's really soft and bounces back quickly where the Revive sponge feels almost like it's memory foam. I was pretty surprised about this and I was certainly nervous to put it to the test after realizing how different it really was.
L: Beauty Blender R: Revive Beauty
Both photographed wet
I was pleasantly surprised with how this sponge performed. It did a great job at blending out my foundation and I didn't feel like it was soaking up too much of the product. I did have to work a little bit harder with this, but over all, I've had a pretty good experience.
I did go back to my Beauty Blender to apply my foundation on a daily basis, BUT I have been using the Revive sponge to blend out my under-eye concealer and I have been loving the results! I'm not sure if it's the "memory foam" feel or what, but this blends my concealer out better than the Beauty Blender. It doesn't look cake-y at all and also doesn't set into my fine lines as easily.
So.. Is it a dupe? I don't think so. Is it a great alternative? Yes! This is definitely the closest I've found to the Beauty Blender and at $4.99 you can't beat it. This has been worked into my daily routine now for about 3 weeks and I've been loving it. It hasn't fully replaced my beloved Beauty Blender, but it's holding it's own in my makeup arsenal ;P
If you happen to see this sponge at your local T.J. Maxx or Marshall's and have a few extra dollars to spare, I highly recommend trying this out. Let me know if you have and what your thoughts are in the comments. Thank you for reading!
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