How to Use a Silicone Blender

The humble makeup sponge has served us well over the years, but now there’s a new tool in town. Introducing the silicone makeup sponge. If you thought you could use this in the same way as a standard blender, think again. Cue our handy step-by-step video…

Top tips & tricks

To apply Foundation:

With sponges we tend to blend and apply in circular and smudge-like motions. But with a silicone blender always dab on your foundation and build up the coverage. This dabbing technique will also ensure a matte finish.

To Contour:

Use the pointy edge of the blender to create your contour guidelines, and then soften the line by dabbing to blend. Clean the blender in-between colour changes by running under water.

To Bake:

If you’re getting all glammed up for a night out, then baking is a must. To set your translucent powder with a silicone blender all you need to do is dab on, leave to sit on the skin for 5-10 minutes and dust off with a fan brush.

To Highlight:

When highlighting always coat the tip of the blender in your shimmering product to ensure precision. Focus on the usual areas (brow arches, cheekbones, Cupid ’s bow) and blend it out with a (you guessed it!) light dabbing technique.

Why use a silicone blender?

There are so many reasons to swap your usual sponge for a silicone blender. Here’s why this small-but-mighty applicator is just as revolutionary to the beauty game as oval brushes:

Hygienic: It’s super easy to clean (wipe it down with rubbing alcohol or hot water and soap) and it also doesn’t harbour any bacteria as it dries quickly. This means you’re less likely to clog pores and cause breakouts.
Waste less: The silicone, non-porous texture means that not a single drop of precious product is ever absorbed into the blender itself. You may find you’ll need half the usual amount of foundation to cover the entire face so always start with fewer drops on the back of your hand and build up coverage bit-by-bit.
Longer lasting: If you’re a beauty lover like we are here at Superdrug, then we bet you’ve got a stack of sponges and foam blenders just waiting to be used up on your next experimental beauty look. When you switch to silicone you won’t need to constantly replace your blender or keep spares which will save you money and space in your beauty kit. It’s a win win!