BEAUTY TOOLS | Real Techniques Miracle Diamond Sponge vs. Miracle Sculpting Sponge

Using a sponge has been the only thing that has made me unafraid to use foundation. When I see people using brushes, I am always in awe, but from watching YouTube and other makeup artists, using a brush is preferable to a sponge. I have been told it's something about how much more absorbent a sponge is leading to wasted foundation. It IS a sponge after all, but honestly I just love how much faster I am at applying my face in the mornings! I love the "bouncing" motion to deposit product and though I have loved the Beauty Blender over the years, Real Techniques has been the only other company that has made sponges that I find even remotely comparable to this pink beauty sponge conglomerate.

Over the last two months, I have been using both the Miracle Sculpting Sponge* ($10.49 CDN) and the VERY pretty Miracle Diamond Sponge ($12.99 CDN) from the Bold Metals Collection to see if one was better than the other even though their marketed purposes differ. The Sculpting Sponge is intended for contouring and highlighting, but rules are just guidelines right? 

Real Techniques Miracle Sponge Review

The Bold Metals Collection is on the more luxurious end of the Real Techniques spectrum and I have yet to try any of the actual brushes as I have been happy with the classic RT brushes. When I first saw the Diamond Sponge, I of course was attracted to it purely by its shape because I had never seen anything like it before! Knowing RT, there had to be some specific purpose for the 13 faceted sponge so I looked up the YouTube tutorial by Nic of Pixiwoo on how to use this and my mind was ever so slightly blown.

The first thing that I have been doing with sponges is bouncing to press the product into my skin which can still be done with this sponge if you want extra coverage. What Nic was doing was gliding it along her skin LIKE A BRUSH so starting with foundation, I applied this in downward strokes along my face. I thought application would look streaky, but it looked seamless! Where this sponge really stood out was when I went to apply cream blush/bronzer along my cheekbones because it was so easy! Cream products can be terrifying to use because it's all about blending, blending, blending! This sponge really did a beautiful and quick job of diffusing both blushes and bronzers so if you are scared of cream products, this sponge makes applying them foolproof!

Real Techniques Miracle Diamond Sponge Review

Watching Nic apply concealer effortlessly with the super pointed tip just did not work at all for me. I would start at the inner corners of my eyes, swipe and then go back to blend out the concealer only to have the product apply in a streaky way. I much prefer a rounded tip in this case.

Real Techniques Miracle Diamond Sponge Review

The Miracle Sculpting Sponge has been one that I have been using more for foundation application than contour and highlight because of the wide, flat base on the bottom. The angled narrow tip on the other end has also been really nice for applying concealer as it perfectly hugs the curve of the eye socket.

As for using this for actual sculpting, it feels maybe a touch easier to use than the Diamond Sponge because of the larger surface area for blending at the bottom and "pinchability" at the top of the sponge for more narrow areas like the nose. The hourglass figure of the sponge gives my thumb a place to nestle for optimal grip.

Real Techniques Miracle Sculpting Sponge Review

Real Techniques Miracle Sculpting Sponge Review

Real Techniques Miracle Sculpting Sponge Review

Final verdict: Hmmm, well I certainly wouldn't recommend having BOTH because they pretty much do the same things. They both feel the same, can apply foundation and blush (though if you prefer brush-like application, go for the Diamond Sponge) and can be used for sculpting. I found the Sculpting Sponge slightly more comfortable to hold and though the Diamond Sponge is visually very pretty, for price and functionality the Sculpting Sponge is going to be the winner! 

Real Techniques Miracle Sponge Review

Both sponges are available now at select drugstores everywhere.

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