TOFU LOVE Professional Makeup Sponge 380yen
Can you believe that Beauty Blender isn't officially available in Japan? I seriously wonder why, because Japan is one of the 'advanced countries' when it comes to beauty. I have heard countless beauty bloggers and youtubers raving about Beauty Blender for years, but I have never tried it myself. I liked Miracle Completion Sponge from Real Techniques but hearing everyone saying 'There is nothing like the original Beauty Blender', I still am dying to try it.
But what can I do, it's not available in Japan unless I order on Sephora or something. So, I picked up this sponge called Tofu Love. How cute is that? I thought it's just a heart shaped sponge, but actually it's a heart shaped sponge divided in half. Meaning one pack comes with two sponges.
The sponge is thick but not too soft when it's dry. It feels very condensed. You can use it dry or wet according to your liking, but I never use it dry because it doesn't do anything special that way. But once it's wet, it expands and becomes much softer and kind of like Konjac.
The left half is dry, and the right one is wet. It feels so soft on the skin when it's wet, and blends foundation and concealer seamlessly. I blend foundation with my Real Techniques Buffing Brush, and then pat with this sponge. It evens out the layer of foundation beautifully and makes my skin look flawless. Then I apply concealer, and blend with this sponge so that it doesn't look heavy or cakey. It does not absorb foundation and concealer too much, but definitely controls the amount that goes on the skin if that makes sense.
The only downside is the shape. I wish it was round or heart shaped so that there is no edge. The tip of the heart (is that what it's called?) is too thin that's breakable. The round part is then too thick that doesn't fit anywhere on my face. Apparently they used to have a pentagon shaped version as well but I haven't seen it anywhere recently.
If you are sensitive like me, you would think it's not a good idea to buy a white makeup sponge. But this one cleans amazingly for some reason, every time I wash it with Magic Soap, it looks like brand-new!
I cannot compare this sponge to Beauty Blender, but I am pretty satisfied with this for now. Of course I will try to get my hands on the original Beauty Blender when I can, though. Considering the price, I think it could be a good dupe!