beauty-by-tellie-kristel-yap

Hi.

Iā€™m Kristel. I vlog. I blog. Professional makeup artist based in Manila. 300 hours training in Make Up For Ever Academy, Seoul, South Korea. I live makeup, you have no idea.

Review: Nippon Facial Cleansing Sponge

Another way to deal with dry skin is to have a cleansing accessory to aid in the "scraping off" of dry flakes. Here I review a sample I got ages ago.
Nippon Esthetics Facial Cleansing Sponge
Forgive the picture. It was "back in the day." lol.



Cost: The Nippon Esthetics Facial Cleansing Sponge costs Php 325 / 10pc. pack. Free 2pc. pack care of my November BDJ Box. Nippon Esthetics is available online.


Product Information:
It is a stiff, white sponge about 1cm thick. There's not much more to say, it's not even indicated on the pack if it's natural or synthetic. Here's a picture of me pushing the sponge down on my pillow to show just how stiff it gets.
The Nippon sponge, when it's dry.

How to Use:
Soak or hold under running water until soft. Spread the cleanser over your face and lather it up using the sponge. If you put the product directly on the sponge, too much of it gets absorbed and you end up needing to use a lot more product than you normally would.


Performance:
It's great for everyday use. It's just abrasive enough to exfoliate those little flakes of dry skin but not abrasive enough for your skin to feel raw. How do you know what's abrasive enough? You shouldn't feel any roughness nor be reminded of sandpaper, in any way. Your face has such thin skin that the a soft material is enough to exfoliate it.

It's also great with heavy make up. Even if I use bb cream, I don't have to scrub hard to get it off.
The right side is dirty, having cleaned off heavy makeup.
Cleanup is a breeze. Even with that kind of staining, the sponge is easy to rinse off especially with a mild soap. Come to think of it, the sponge actually takes even longer to soak up than to clean up.
A couple of squeezes here and there and it's like brand new again.
It's just a little bit of a hassle that it dries up really stiff and you have to soak it before using. On the bright side, it does ease me because I feel like it's more hygienic that way. Dark, moist grooves (i.e. wet sponge pores) are ideal breeding grounds for bacteria. I just rest a little bit easier knowing that these sponges dry up and don't hold onto water for very long.


Edge:
Perfect texture for everyday use.


Lasting Power:
It gets a little softer with every week's worth of use. By six weeks, it already feels... schlumpy. I'm not sure how long you're meant to use a facial sponge but I'll just keep using it 'til it's uncomfortably schlumpy.


Rebuy:
Probably. Up to now, I still can't decide if it's essential to me. It's a great benefit for my flaky, dry skin but I'm also a little hesitant 'cause I don't like adding things to my routine. Hand-washing my face is faster, especially since this sponge requires soak time.


Beauty by Tellie score:
4/5. I rarely feel that facial sponges ever hit the mark. It's always too rough and I'm like, whyyyy? Having something is enough, you don't have to make it super rough. This one gets it.


Subscription Boxes: January Roundup

BDJ Box: Shiseido 7-Day Challenge, Day 7