Nanshy Makeup Blending Sponge

I have never been a fan of putting on face makeup on with a brush. I think it’s because using a brush accentuates my dry, eczema prone skin. I used my fingers to apply any liquid products. I was watching YouTube & one of the lovely ladies I’m subscribed to (I forget who) said that she loved using a beauty blender on her dry skin as it gives a great finish. It was this that got me thinking “would a beauty blender work well for me?” So when my Nanshy Makeup Blending Sponge * arrived through the post I was like a kid at Christmas! I had already done ½ my makeup, which I quickly removed it so I could try my new sponge!

All products marked with * have been gifted to me for consideration. More information can be found in my full disclaimer.

The sponge is designed for use with liquid & cream products, as well as mineral-based & wet-dry makeup. The 4-in-1 Sponge comes to a point, as most blending sponges do. In this case though, the sponge has two different surfaces. One side is a flat rise, the other curved. I really like the ‘waist’ on this sponge. For those of you who have read my health blog, or have seen some of my posts on here, I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (a connective tissue disorder) & my hands are some of my most affected joints. This ergonomic feature of the sponge makes it easy & comfortable to hold & apply product with.

Nanshy describe the 4-in-1 Makeup Blending Sponge as being made from a ‘micro-pore formulation’. I don’t quite know what this entails, but it is really soft! Nanshy state that the 4-in-1 Makeup Blending Sponge is ‘latex-free, non-allergenic & odor-free.’ If you’ve read some of my previous posts where the claim ‘hypo-allergenic’ is made, you’ll know that I have a tendency to be really quite critical if products contain common allergens (you can read my ‘Hypoallergenic’ – What Does It Actually Mean? post). If Nanshy had made the claim that their 4-in-1 Makeup Blending Sponge was hypoallergenic I’d have been happy, as it is latex-free. I have a problem with the ‘non-allergenic’ though – there is no such thing! Absolutely anything can cause an allergic reaction. The sun can cause a reaction in a small number of people, as can water. I know the number of people affected is minuscule, but it is still possible. I do like that the Nanshy are a cruelty free company.

For my initial application I used the Giorgio Armani Silk Crème foundation. I used the bottom of the sponge to apply my foundation & the flat pointed end to apply my Estee Lauder Disappear Smoothing Crème concealer.

The next day, I applied these same products, but with the Benefit Porefessional underneath. I find sometimes that when I use my fingers to apply foundation over primer the application can disturb the primer – not so with the blending sponge! I even forgot to wet the sponge before using it & it delivered excellent results, so it really is fool proof!

I was impressed with the ease of application & great finish – nothing like what I experience with a brush! I found that the patches at the side of my nose, which usually look flaky, transitioned beautifully with the blending sponge. The thing that impressed me most though, was the way in which it applied my concealer! Nanshy say that the 4-in-1 Makeup Blending Sponge will ‘Brighten your complexion and create build-able airbrush-like coverage, hide imperfections and achieve the smoothest finish imaginable.’ I usually use the Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush for my under eye concealer, but using the Blending Sponge took my under eyes to a whole nother level! The lines that have become more prominent this last year seemed to disappear in front of my eyes! My makeup looked flawless!

I’ve been so impressed with the 4-in-1 Makeup Blending Sponge & would highly recommend it! For £5.95, the quality is fantastic – you really can’t go wrong with this sponge! You can find more details on the Nanshy Makeup Blending Sponge & buy it from Nanshy’s website.

I have a ‘Get Ready With Me’ video on my YouTube channel where you can see the Nanshy Makeup Blending Sponge in action.

What do you use to apply your foundation & concealer?

Have you tried the Nanshy Makeup Blending Sponge? If you have, what do you thing of it?