How often should you clean your makeup sponge?

Loiz recommends cleaning your makeup sponge weekly to keep bacteria at bay with soap and a cleansing pad.

How do you clean your makeup sponge?

“First wet the sponge, then rub in the soap (bar soap is OK, too), gently rub fingers through the sponge to mix soap around, and then gently scrub the makeup sponge on a cleansing pad to remove the product. Run under water to rinse and repeat the process if necessary," says Loiz.

When should you use a sponge versus a makeup brush?

“Powders are better applied with makeup brushes, but liquid and cream products blend best when applied with a sponge," says Loiz. "Often, liquid and cream products look streaky when you use a brush, but sponges give you more control to pat the product evenly into the skin.”

5 Best Makeup Sponges of 2024, Tested and MUA-Backed

A variety of makeup sponges on gray carpet — Byrdie / Tamara Staples

Whether you apply a full face of makeup daily or just on special occasions, you'll want the right tools in your arsenal. In addition to a few good brushes, no modern makeup kit is complete without a couple of sponges. Professional makeup artist Sophia Nawabi prefers them over brushes. "They're sanitary, easier, and much cheaper to dispose of after each client's use," she says. "I can use my sponge wet or dry [for] completely different finishes."

Beauty sponges are super versatile—they work with liquids, creams, and powders for everything from application and contouring to blending and setting. Beyond the classic pointed egg, they come in all shapes, sizes, densities, and textures. To help you narrow it down, we researched today's best-sellers and tested dozens in our NYC Lab. Here are the sponges that performed best.

Our Top Picks

Best Overall:

Fenty Beauty Precision Makeup Sponge at Sephora ($16)

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Best Budget:

Essence Makeup & Baking Sponge (See Price)

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Best Classic:

Beautyblender Original Makeup Sponge at Amazon ($20)

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Most User-Friendly:

L'Oréal Infallible Blend Artist Foundation Blender at Walmart ($19)

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Best Set:

Beauty Bakerie Organic Eggs Beauty Sponges at Amazon ($16)

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In This Article

Our Picks
What to Look For
FAQ
Why Trust Byrdie

Best Overall

Fenty Beauty Precision Makeup Sponge

Sephora

View On Sephora $16 View On Ulta $16 View On Kohls.com $16

What We Like

Unique shape
Good for blending
Leaves foundation smooth
Works wet or dry

What We Don't Like

No precision tip

Material: Latex-free sponge | Shape: Egg with flat side and tip | Size: Medium

After trying seemingly countless makeup sponges, Fenty's Precision 100 was the clear winner. This mid-size latex-free sponge is lightweight and airy with a soft, bouncy feel. It's absorbent but not so much that it'll soak up all your makeup and leave none for your skin. We love the unique shape, too. It's essentially an egg with one flat side and a flattened mini-moon tip.

You can apply liquids and creams with precision, then blend them out into an airbrushed finish. The flat side and moon tip are also great for stamping on finishing powder, and the rounded bottom is ideal for all-over buffing. As for cleaning, the foundation washes off easily, and the beige color makes the sponge look less stained. We just wish it had a tip for reaching tight crevices on the face.

Byrdie / Tamara Staples
Byrdie / Tamara Staples

Dahiana | Fenty Beauty Sponge Tester

"Fenty's sponge is the perfect shape to apply foundation."

Best Budget

Essence Makeup & Baking Sponge

Sephora

View on Ulta View On Amazon $7 View On Ulta $5

What We Like

Has a pointed tip and flat side
Dense yet bouncy
Easy to clean

What We Don't Like

Gets very large when damp

Material: Dense foam | Shape: Pointed egg with flat side | Size: Medium

This wallet-friendly sponge is dense yet bouncy foam and doesn't soak up all the product. When testing it we found it super easy to blend. While it expands to over twice the original size when damp, we appreciate that you can use it wet or dry.

The egg-shaped design features a pointed tip and one flat side. We used the wide rounded base to apply creams and buff out larger areas, the flat side for smaller areas, and the point for corners. It's also super easy to clean—all the foundation came right out when we tried washing it.

Byrdie / Tamara Staples
Byrdie / Tamara Staples

Elizabeth | Essence Makeup & Baking Sponge Tester

"This is a great sponge. It didn't soak up my product and blended quickly into my skin."

Best Classic

Beautyblender Original Makeup Sponge

Sephora

View On Amazon $20 View On Sephora $20 View On Ulta $20

What We Like

Soft and bouncy
Versatile
MUA-recommended

What We Don't Like

Tricky to clean

Material: Latex-free polyurethane foam | Shape: Egg with pointed tip | Size: Large

Celebrity makeup artist Renée Loiz is a huge fan of Beautyblender. "They have a ton of different shapes to cater to specific parts of your face," she says.

The Original Beautyblender can be used wet or dry for application, contouring, blending, setting, and baking. We thought the large side of the egg was perfect for the cheeks and forehead, while the pointed tip was ideal for around the nose and blending under-eye concealer. We especially liked the feel of this soft, bouncy sponge against our skin. Our only complaint is that it's hard to get all the makeup out when cleaning it.

Julia | BeautyBlender Makeup Sponge Tester

"I will always love this product. I reach for it every day."

Most User-Friendly

L'Oréal Infallible Blend Artist Foundation Blender

L'OrÃ©al Infallible Blend Artist Foundation Blender

Amazon

View On Walmart $19 View On Walgreens $9

What We Like

User-friendly
Easy to clean

What We Don't Like

Not recommended for wet use

Material: Sponge | Shape: Pointed pear | Size: Large

Calling it "the Goldilocks of beauty blenders," one of our testers said this soft and bouncy sponge by L'Oréal plays well with water but isn't too absorbent so it won't soak up all your product.

The pointed pear shape isn't particularly unique, but it's exceptionally versatile and user-friendly. It's perfect for applying products, blending, contouring, and buffing out the corners of your face. This makeup sponge is also notably easy to clean. It just isn't the best to use wet.

Person blending makeup on face using L'Oréal Infallible Blend Artist Foundation Blender — Byrdie / Tamara Staples

Britney | L'Oréal Foundation Blender Tester

"It's a no-fuss blender that does what you'd expect."

Best Set

Beauty Bakerie Organic Eggs Beauty Sponges

Beauty Bakerie Organic

View On Amazon $16 View On Ulta $18 View On Beautybakerie.com $20

What We Like

Great value
Dense yet soft
Easy to clean

What We Don't Like

Absorbs lots of product
All one size

Material: Latex-free foam | Shape: Egg | Size: Large

With this six-pack from Beauty Bakerie, you can designate one blender for each step of your glam routine. Each egg-shaped sponge is made from latex-free foam and features a narrower tip for easy, seamless application and blending of liquids or powders.

We liked the dense yet soft and bouncy feel of the foam. While they're all one size, the sponges get really big when wet, and the smaller end is great for getting into the corners of your face. They're easy to clean, too, but bear in mind the absorbent material soaks up a lot of product.

Byrdie / Tamara Staples
Byrdie / Tamara Staples
Byrdie / Tamara Staples

What to Look for in a Makeup Sponge

Density: The denser the makeup brush, the less porous it is—which means it’s less likely to absorb all your products. A high-density brush will be great for seamlessly applying a full-coverage foundation. Lower-density sponges are better for blending light to medium-coverage foundations.
Texture: The ideal makeup sponge has a soft texture so that it’s comfortable to use, and it should also be flexible so that it can bounce and bend to distribute the product.
Cleaning Ease: This factor is super important. A great makeup sponge will be easy to clean and keep dry to avoid product buildup and bacteria.
Size: Size really does matter with makeup sponges. It comes down to preference, but large sponges can cover a larger surface area, making them great for blending. Smaller sponges, on the other hand, can be great for precision application and hard-to-reach areas.

FAQ

How often should you clean your makeup sponge?

Loiz recommends cleaning your makeup sponge weekly to keep bacteria at bay with soap and a cleansing pad.
How do you clean your makeup sponge?

“First wet the sponge, then rub in the soap (bar soap is OK, too), gently rub fingers through the sponge to mix soap around, and then gently scrub the makeup sponge on a cleansing pad to remove the product. Run under water to rinse and repeat the process if necessary," says Loiz.
When should you use a sponge versus a makeup brush?

“Powders are better applied with makeup brushes, but liquid and cream products blend best when applied with a sponge," says Loiz. "Often, liquid and cream products look streaky when you use a brush, but sponges give you more control to pat the product evenly into the skin.”

Why Trust Byrdie

Theresa Holland is a commerce writer specializing in beauty. She interviewed a professional makeup artist for this story, compiling their product suggestions and insight into techniques. Before landing on the final selections, she pored over specs and combed through user reviews of dozens of makeup sponges from various retailers. She has personally used Beautyblender, Wet n Wild, Beakey, Real Techniques, Sephora, e.l.f, and Fenty. Theresa has been contributing to Byrdie since 2020 and covers makeup products, haircare, and skincare. She interviewed two experts for this story.

Sophia Nawabi is a makeup and hair artist with 17 years of professional experience. She is based out of San Francisco and offers on-demand mobile and in-home services.
Renée Loiz is a celebrity makeup artist and the founder of Color May Vary, an extensive guide to today's best Black-owned brands.

Updated by Ally Hirschlag