Jeffree Star is one of the biggest, most controversial beauty personalities out there. In his most recent video, he reviews the the Silisponge, the transparent silicone makeup applicator that's literally been breaking the internet.
Star, who was a makeup artist for 15 years before launching his own indie beauty brand, generally gives detailed, comprehensive reviews. He knows what's good, both as a dedicated consumer AND a professional. Let's see if he thinks the Silisponge lives up to the (considerable) hype.
Star has reviewed dozens of products on his channel, but "I have NEVER gotten this many requests before!"
The Silisponge, made by Hong Kong-based indie brand Molly Cosmetics, has been going seriously viral β so viral that major oral surgery couldn't stop J.Star from making a video about it with 12 stitches in his mouth.
Props, dude. I couldn't even lift my head off the pillow after having my wisdom teeth out.
Before he reviews ANYTHING, he preps his skin with primer.
His primer of choice is Guerlain's LβOr Pure Radiance Face Primer ($74, Sephora). I've tried this, and it's nice. It's very lightweight, almost like a serum β it adds a little hydration and extra radiance to your skin. If you need a primer that adds hold, fills pores, or smooths your skin, you'll need something a bit more hardcore than L'Or. But Star has very even skin and LOVES that luxurybitch life, so I'm not surprised he dies over this primer.
Next, he selects his foundation with care.
As you'd expect, Star has A LOT of foundations β which will be the best with which to test this crazy-ass sponge? He goes with Armani Luminous Silk Foundation ($64, Sephora), which he says he's been using almost daily for the last two and a half years. It's also a favorite of Kim Kardashian. Just FYI.
Now that all the hard decisions have been made, it's time for the grand product reveal!
The Silisponge, which as Star reminds us "isn't REALLY a sponge, because sponges absorb product β I'm just going to call it that because that's what everyone is calling it" β comes sealed in a silver foil bag, inside which is ANOTHER sealable bag. So you know it's clean.
Also, this screencap could not be better. It was pure chance, but I'm keeping it because it's perfect.
Here's the size, compared with a dry beautyblender
"It looks like a chicken cutlet, like for bras," says Star, observing that the Silisponge is quite small and flat β but also that he's not sure which side to use to apply the product with.
Because it doesn't absorb your makeup, the Silisponge promises to let you do your entire face with half the product.
Jeffree speaks for all of when he adds two teeny pumps to the flat side, and says "I'm SCARED, ya'll!"
"So I'm spreading it around," says Star. "And it looks streaky right off the bat."
Granted, the Silisponge's site says that applying it will take "some getting used to" β Jeffree acknowledges that there's a bit of a learning curve. It's not as IMMEDIATELY perfect as a beautyblender, which may be a barrier for a lot of people.
But! When you tap to blend it in, the ~MAGIC~ happens.
"I am PLEASANTLY surprised," says Star. "Now that I'm patting it into my skin, it's definitely spreading out WAY better." He says that it's pretty amazing that he's gotten half of his face covered using only two pumps of the Armani foundation β it usually takes him five or six pumps when applied with a brush or sponge.
Secondary lesson here: it requires A LOT OF MAKEUP to look flawless on camera. I hope that's not a shock.
The application (on the right side) looks really even and natural!
Time to apply two more small pumps of foundation to the Silisponge β this time he uses the slightly rounded side β and finish the other side of his face.
While the Silisponge definitely gives a nice finish, it has some unusual limitations.
In addition to it requiring some practice (or a lot of existing makeup experience) to get right, the Silisponge is also a little tricky to fit into "crevices and corners," as Jeffree puts it. Because it doesn't bend to fit your face the way a sponge or brush does, it's tricky to get foundation coverage around the nose and across the eyelids.
Star also observes that the Silisponge is just for foundation β "I don't think you can set concealer with this." So applying and blending other products β concealer, powder, contour shades β will still require your usual tools. Womp womp.
Star finishes his look with a layer of powder foundation applied with a brush...
(Once again: it takes A LOT of makeup to look good on camera, guys!)
And "It mother effing WORKED!" says Jeffree, clearly surprised.
Let's be real: with products like this, sometimes the hype is all there is. But as Star observes, "The skin looks BEAUTIFUL. I was really, really happy with how this turned out."
Though Star says it takes some getting used to, the pros of the Silisponge FAR outweigh the cons.
"It was weird where I pushed it around," he says. "But then once you pat [the foundation] in, itβs amazing." This MIGHT be a high bar for beauty novices to clear, but if you're OK with a little practice, the Silisponge is for you.
As a makeup artist, Star also says that this will be a game-changer. "It's easy to clean and disinfect β WAY better than a sponge," he says. "If it tears, then you have replace it." But you don't have to throw it out after every client (or video), which is kind of amazing.
All in all, the Silisponge gets the Jeffree Star seal of approval!
"You guys HAVE to try this," says Star. "I'm SHOOK."
He adds that he never thought to use a silicon pad to apply his makeup, but now that it's here, he's SO glad. "I didn't touch up or do anything off camera," he explains. "It looks like how I normally do my makeup."
Relatively easy to use + easy to keep clean + beautiful results = Jeffree Star approved. According to him, the Silisponge is a beautyblender killer.
Watch the entire review right here.
Are you guys going to try the Silisponge based on Jeffree's glowing review?
I'm not yet 100% sold on it, tbh β I wonder how it works when the end result ISN'T super-heavy coverage. I definitely see the advantages of a Silisponge for artists and people on camera (me, one day a week), but I have concerns about this product for every day use.
BUT THAT'S JUST ME. Tell me YOUR thoughts in the comments, or over on Facebook!
