The best beauty sponge I have EVER tried (better than a Beauty Blender)

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Best dupe for a Beauty Blender- the L'Bri Flawless Blending Sponge...and it's only $7.50!

Ever since the original Beauty Blender came out years ago, I have been an avid user. Before that, I used a foundation brush, but I love the way a damp egg-shaped sponge diffuses my makeup. It’s quicker, it’s less streaky, and all in all I’ll never go back to using a brush. The one problem? Not all beauty sponges are created equal, and my favorite one that I’ve never found a perfect dupe for, is $20. Yes, for a sponge for my face. By the way, you have to replace them every 3 months or so, so it’s not even like it’s a one time purchase! Finally…I’ve found a replacement dupe that I actually like a little better (!!!) and it’s only $7.50.

Ok, so what am I looking for in a beauty sponge? And how do I use it? Typically, I like to apply my skincare and any makeup primer I am going to use, then I dot my foundation on my face. I use a dampened beauty sponge to “bounce” the product around. Where a foundation brush drags across the face, an egg-shaped sponge bounces. When used damp, I don’t find myself using nearly the amount of product I otherwise would. I fill the sponge up with water under the faucet, and then I squeeze it out to use it damp.

I know I’m being extra but bear with me because your makeup will never look better than when applied with a damp sponge.

So…here is what I am looking for…

I prefer my beauty sponge to come in a dark color because once they stain with foundation they never look as nice again after the first use.
I like the egg shape. A round bottom and a pointy tip make it easy to bounce the thing on my face and get into the little crevices like under my eyes and around my nose.
Since I use it damp and to diffuse makeup on my face, I like it to be soft, not hard. Strangely enough, some beauty sponges don’t absorb water well because they’re not porous enough, and as a result I don’t think they “bounce” very well.
Speaking of being porous- I can tell at first touch if I’m going to like the sponge or not. If it is hard and doesn’t squish when I squeeze it, I know it’s not going to spread and diffuse makeup well. You can feel at first touch if a sponge has a lot of give when you grab it. Something hard with no give is going to be difficult to work with.