Beauty blenders: Why you'll never use anything else

When you're working with layman makeup skills, getting perfect natural-looking foundation coverage is more than a little frustrating. Do you use a sponge? Your fingers? One of those fancy foundation brushes?

A new product has come on the market, dubbed the "beauty blender." This eco-friendly reusable sponge gives great coverage without the product waste and mess of your everyday wedge sponge. Plus, it's easy to use. We consulted with Houston-based bridal and editorial makeup artist Lisa Pelayo on how best to use the sponge wonder.

Scrub up! Prepare your skin as normal. Cleanse, exfoliate, moisturize and use a foundation primer, if desired. A fresh face is the perfect canvas for makeup application, so you want to make sure your skin is looking your best to get ideal coverage.

Run your beauty blender sponge under the tap, and then squeeze it to wring out excess water. If you need to clean your sponge, now would be a good time, before you use it on your face. Make sure the sponge has the perfect consistency before using it. "The blender will enlarge and will also feel fluffy to the touch,"Pelayo says.

Pour a small amount of foundation on the back of your hand, warming it to create a smooth consistency for application. Press the smaller tip of the sponge into the makeup. "In small dabs, start applying your foundation on your forehead and work your way down to your nose, then towards the outside of your face," Pelayo says. "For fuller coverage, repeat this step until desired coverage is reached."

Use the tip of the beauty blender to reach any spots you might have overlooked, like the inside corners of your eyes, the outer crease of your nose and your jawline.

Still have some imperfections uncovered? The beauty blender can handle that, too. Adding a small amount of concealer to the back of your hand, dab the moistened sponge in the product. "Start by pressing on your concealer using the pointy tip of the beauty blender, and be sure to dab underneath the eye, working your way from the inner corner to where the coverage is needed," Pelayo suggests.

The beauty blender is also a great way to apply other liquid makeup, like cream blush. "When applying blush, be sure to only get a quarter-size amount on the beauty blender to prevent applying too much color to the cheek," she says. "Smile and dab the blush along the apples of your cheeks or wherever you prefer to apply your blush, and then proceed to blend."

Now that your beauty blender application is finished, you can proceed with finishing powder, bronzer, blush and highlighter as desired.

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