With the passing of time, it only seems these brands have gotten more and more creative with their sponge shapes; How many times have you walked into a beauty supply store and thought, What the hell is that even supposed to do? Turns out all those wacky curves and crannies have very specific purposes. Here they are: The tried-and-true egg shape is simple, but it gets the job done. The curved sides and rounded bottom bounce and blend wide surfaces, and the pointed tip gets hard to reach spots, contours, and highlights. The pointed tip of this sponge is designed to cover small corners like the edges of the nose; the flat bottom is designed to apply cream blush and highlighter; the curved edge is meant for contouring the cheekbones, jawline, and forehead. Just like the last, this sponge offers one wide side for major stippling and a pointed side for corners — but this one has a curved middle for an easier grip. Make For Ever gave its sponge a slanted, circular edge to hit small nooks and crannies. Why such a long sponge, though? It’s so less product gets eaten. The egg-shaped side of this sponge takes care of wide surfaces and small corners, but the sharpened side is ideal for applying contour creams and setting powders. The slanted edge of this sponge is perfect for all-over coverage. Fenty cut off the very tip to create a flat “mini-moon” edge for underneath the eyes. NYX’s take on the beauty sponge, like Fenty’s, has a flat side for even, full-coverage foundation blending. It also has a “precision tip” that’s slanted instead of flat for less finagling in the corners The Cake and Bake sponge’s name says it all. Those sharp corners were designed specifically for applying contour creams and setting powders in super sharp lines. This sponge has one side that’s entirely flat to ensure completely even blending — it also makes creating a sharp contour way easier. Each part of this triangular sponge has a very specific purpose. The pointed tips are solely for applying contour creams, the domed sides blend them out, and the flat bottom buffs out imperfections. Real Techniques diamond shape is odd yet effective — the wide, pointed lower ends blend cheeks, foreheads, and jawlines; the small and wide slanted edges near the top draw sharp contour lines and reach tiny corners. There are so many sides to this thing, you can have one for each product. This sponge’s many curves, according to its product description, are fit for all the different contours of the face. The point at the top fits perfectly underneath the eyes and around the nose, the round bottom fits around the jawline, and the rounded sides fit just about anywhere else. The large side of this sponge is meant for contouring, meanwhile its small side is for “precision highlighting.” Each flat side is for product application, and each rounded side is for blending. Should you need to apply in very sharp lines, down the nose for example, you could use either pointed end. These pointed sponge actually slide onto your fingers for super precise concealer coverage under the eyes. This hourglass shape provides the perfect place to grab hold of the sponge. The single flat edge provides smooth control for product application, and the rounded edge blends everything out. Each side of this sponge is for applying a different kind of product. The flat end is for highlighter, and the curved edge is for contour and blush. Everything else is for foundation and general blending. Revlon’s unique long sponge is ideal for under-eye coverage thanks to its long, flat, pointed tip. The rounded sides and bottom blend foundation and pretty much everything else. Much like other sponges, this pointed sponge was designed specifically to hit small corners – but that unique little stripe in the middle is surprisingly meant to keep your fingers clean.
