The 9 Best Makeup Sponges of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

Best Overall

L'Oréal Infallible Blend Artist Foundation Blender

$9 at Amazon $19 at Walmart $9 at Walgreens

If you ask us, the L'Oreal Infallible Blend Artist Foundation Blender is essentially the goldilocks of makeup sponges — because it's just right for all of your needs. Its material, effectiveness, and durability makes this our best overall choice.

Made from a plushy sponge material, this blending sponge is quite soft when damp and doesn't feel rough on the skin. It scored well in the absorbency test; when used with foundation, it transferred most of it onto the skin rather than absorbing it all. During application, its pointed dome shape allowed for blending in tight spaces like under the eyes and around the corners of the nose, while the base was great for larger areas like the cheeks, chin, and forehead.

This makeup sponge fell short when we tried to build up foundation coverage on our skin; the member on our team who tried this sponge has oily skin and hyperpigmentation and was looking for good, buildable coverage. It was not as seamless as we'd hoped, which could also be attributed to the application technique or foundation used — we can't solely blame the sponge.

Overall, this is a user-friendly and affordable makeup sponge that's soft on your skin, and applies makeup evenly without streaks or blotches. It's a no-fuss beauty blender that does what you expect, and it's super easy to rinse out when you're ready to clean it.

Shape: Hourglass, dome | Material: Cotton | Absorbency: Light | Good for: Liquid or cream foundation

Best Budget

L.A. Girl Beauty Sponge

$5 at Target $5 at Ulta $5 at CVS

You don't have to be an L.A. girl to appreciate this sponge. It's quite dense compared to a lot of the sponges we tested, which makes for minimal absorbency (meaning all of your foundation will go onto your skin rather than disappear into the sponge). We also loved how soft the latex-free foam material felt on our skin during application.

In terms of design, this sponge mimics a classic teardrop shape with a slight edge for blotting certain areas of the face — say, your cheekbones with blush. The shape aided application, with the pointed tip getting into the small areas around the nose and under the eyes. One word of caution: This sponge tends to push makeup around, so you have to be careful when blending. That said, it eventually created a smooth finish with our foundation.

This makeup sponge is easy to clean, and all the residue came out with a few rinses. Though it's not as plush as other sponges, the size, shape, and material makes the LA Girl sponge a good option for daily use — and at a budget-friendly price.

Shape: Teardrop with flat edge | Material: Latex-free foam sponge | Absorbency: Light | Good for: Liquids, creams, or powders

Best Investment

Fenty Beauty Precision Makeup Sponge

$16 at Sephora $16 at Ulta $16 at Kohls.com

Rihanna made moves at the Superbowl, debuting a new matte lipstick, but Fenty's sponge remains a fan favorite among the beauty line. The Precision Makeup Sponge 100 earned a near-perfect score in our testing for its unique design, lack of absorption, and precise application.

This soft makeup sponge is light and airy in design, and we especially loved the flat shape and narrow edge at the end. This special design facilitates a clean and precise application, easily blending foundation across all areas of the face. Testing also showed how quickly foundation washes from this sponge (only FourFiveSeconds...get it?). Though more expensive than others on our list, it's hard for us to find fault with this premium makeup sponge. If it's good enough for Rihanna, it's good enough for us.

Shape: Pointed dome with angled edge | Material: Latex-free sponge| Absorbency: Light | Good for: Liquids, creams, or powders

Best Silicone

Ulta Dual Sided Silicone & Sponge Blender

$6 at Ulta

Editor's Note: The silicone makeup sponge product we originally tested is discontinued, so we recommend this similar option instead.

If you want a hypoallergenic beauty tool (no natural latex!) to create smooth coverage across your face, this silicone beauty blender is the way to go. We were pleasantly surprised with its softness and how well the teardrop shape performed when applying foundation.

Since it isn't porous like a classic sponge, this blender doesn't absorb any makeup and transfers all product to your face. However, the newer version does have a sponge side, so it will likely absorb some makeup. The tipped side works efficiently to get around tight corners near the eyes and nose, and the round side is better for larger facial areas.

The silicone material doesn't blend quite as well as a standard sponge because it lacks the dampness that helps your skin take in the product, but it was by far the easiest beauty blender to clean; the makeup washes right off. Overall, the sponge performed well, provided full coverage, and was easy to use — a great hypoallergenic option.

Shape: Teardrop-shaped | Material: Silicone, sponge| Absorbency: None | Good for: Liquid or cream foundations

Best Latex-Free

Sonia Kashuk Latex-Free Makeup Blender Sponge

$5 at Target

Sonia Kashuk is known for an array of user-friendly beauty tools, and this makeup sponge is no exception. This egg-shaped sponge utilizes a rounded bottom and pointed top for versatile application no matter where you're trying to blend product. We loved the soft feel and whimsical design of a black and white marble-esque pattern.

While this sponge blended our foundation well and created a smooth finish, it did absorb some product, and we found ourselves adding more makeup to build up the coverage. We suggest applying your makeup product directly to the sponge or on your face to avoid product loss when transferring from the back of your hand to your face.

In terms of durability, it did rip when we tried to clean it with a makeup wipe — so while not a dealbreaker (because a better way to clean would just be to wash with soapy water), it's not the most durable on our list. That said, the makeup did come out of the sponge when cleaned, so if you're gentle when washing, it should last until you're ready to get a new one.

Shape: Pointed dome-shaped | Material: Latex-free polyurethane foam | Absorbency: Medium | Good for: Liquids and creams

Best Classic

Beautyblender Original Makeup Sponge

$20 at Amazon $20 at Target $20 at Nordstrom

There's a reason there's only one "original" — it's the first, the classic, and the model to which all future iterations are compared. In steps the Original Beautyblender. "Beautyblender is the golden standard," says Murdick. This product is the reason many makeup sponges are referred to as "beauty blenders" by professionals and novices alike. It offers the classic egg-shaped design with a pointed tip to delicately blend makeup under the eyes and in the crevices around the nose.

The material is similar to many others on our list: Latex-free polyurethane foam. It's soft and works well to blend foundation for a smooth finish. (Though we did notice it needed several layers for full coverage.) It wasn't due to the sponge absorbing too much product (it didn't absorb much at all) but rather could be attributed to the specific foundation we used during the test. We also found it somewhat tricky to clean, but we used makeup wipes for this test, and a better cleaning technique would involve soap and water. Overall, we appreciate the OG Beautyblender and think it absolutely deserves a spot on this list.

Shape: Teardrop | Material: Latex-free polyurethane foam | Absorbency: Light | Good for: Creams, powders, or liquids

Best for Baking

Essence Makeup & Baking Sponge

View on Ulta $3 at Ulta

When you need to slap makeup on before running out the door, you'll want a makeup sponge that will do the job quickly and effectively. This sponge was a real teacher's pet, earning a perfect score on all of our tests, with little to no absorption, flawless and quick application, and easy cleanup.

Made from a vegan sponge material (no animal products and no animal testing), this beauty blender has a classic pear shape with a large round bottom, perfect for blending foundation and baking makeup. Its angled side creates an edge for smoothing and a tip for hard-to-reach spots.

The only oddity we noticed was how large the sponge grew when dampened for application. That's not necessarily a con for everyone, but when you're trying to reach tight corners around your eyes and nose, you don't want the sponge to expand so much. Thankfully, it didn't soak up the product and blended it well into our skin. Combining those qualities with the budget-friendly price — we think this is an ideal everyday makeup sponge.

Shape: Pear shape with angled edge | Material: Vegan sponge| Absorbency: Very light | Good for: Liquid or cream foundations, pressed or loose powder

Best Set

Beauty Bakerie Organic Eggs Beauty Sponges

$16 at Amazon $18 at Ulta $20 at Beautybakerie.com

Why have one makeup sponge when you can have six? This adorable set, designed as an egg carton, lets you differentiate sponges for various needs (which will make them last longer than one working three jobs). For instance, you can use one sponge for liquid products and one for powder.

It's quite dense, though the material felt soft on our skin when applying makeup. The shape mimics most makeup sponge designs but with more rounded edges, like an egg without a signature pointed tip. We noticed it grew quite large when wet, which made it harder to tackle small areas like creases around the nose but also allowed for easy blending across larger real estate like our cheeks.

The only major con is how much makeup it absorbs. We found ourselves reapplying more makeup in several layers since, on the first application, the sponge ate quite a bit of product. That said, it was super easy to clean, and all of the product washed out. There was a faint stain where the foundation was, but one of the eggs is almost ivory in color, so it would be groundbreaking if there weren't some kind of residual makeup stain.

Shape: Egg | Material: Non-latex sponge | Absorbency: Heavy | Good for: Liquids, creams, or powders; though we recommend picking one egg for each type of product

Best for Airbrushed Finish

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge

$6 at Target View on Ulta $8 at Sallybeauty.com

This makeup sponge is a popular one when you're scouring the aisles at Ulta — it's almost always in short supply. And its reputation exists for a reason: It created a finish so smooth that our skin looked airbrushed (very nearly, at least). We've home-tested this product for upwards of a year, and it's definitely earned a spot on this list.

This makeup sponge has a sort of asymmetrical egg shape with a pointed tip. The unique design allows for a smooth edge to apply liquid blush, a pointed section for concealer, and a round side for general foundation, contouring makeup, etc. And it doesn't absorb too much product, so you don't have to worry about waste.

No matter what you're blending, if you've dampened this sponge, you're going to see a smooth-as-butter finish. Though, be warned, the sponge grows massively when wet; not necessarily a con, but you have to be mindful when working in smaller areas of the face. It's also super easy to wash with soap and water and lasts for a while when properly cleaned. And though it's recommended to swap out makeup sponges every three months, we can extend usage for this one by an extra month or two.

Shape: Slanted dome with flat edge | Material: Latex-free foam | Absorbency: Light | Good for: Liquids, creams, or powders