Comments on How to Make a Makeup Sponge Last Longer

Take this direct from a professional makeup artist: If you use a makeup sponge to apply liquid (ESPECIALLY cream) foundation -- you need a new one every day! Even if you wash it out immediately with soap and water, you cannot remove all of the makeup. Thus, it becomes a breeding ground for bacteria -- which you then apply to your face the next time you use it. (Yuck!) You can buy great quality cosmetic sponges in bulk at beauty supply stores for pennies apiece. (If you really want to be frugal, you can use one side one day, turn it over and use the other side the next day and then throw it away.)

Put a small amount of liquid foundation on your fingertips and dab over your face; then take the damp sponge to smooth in evenly.

Since makeup sponges are so inexpensive, I prefer to use them a few times and then use a fresh one. However, I also find that the denser the material the makeup sponge is made from, the longer they last. Also, when you wash the denser type, they hold less water, which means they hold fewer germs, which is also a protection against bacteria.

Put a small amount of liquid foundation on your fingertips and dab over your face; then take the damp sponge to smooth in evenly.

What I do is place the sponge under water and then squeeze as much of the water out as possible. This helps the makeup gently slide off the sponge without staining it; you also don't have to put as much on!