Catrice

Catrice It Pieces Even Better Make-Up Sponge Review

By Maychiri's Thoughts - July 27, 2025

Let’s check out one makeup sponge, this is the Catrice It Pieces Even Better Make-Up Sponge!
 
 
Let me be completely honest, the It Pieces Even Better LE was quite a bit of a disappointment. I previously ordered two brushes from this LE and they... weren’t good. To say it politely. So why, then, did I go and buy a makeup sponge from this LE, if it was such a disappointment to me? Well, because I was just too curious, and I found it at a marked down price. I was looking for stuff to wrap for Christmas and I found this sponge and, having already bought a couple other makeup sponges, I thought that this one would be a nice addition and round out the set nicely. I have no idea where DM found it, this LE was already ancient (by Essence/Catrice standards, at least) by December. But hey, I love to use makeup sponges and they, unlike brushes, have a short shelf life, so I am always looking for new ones. Is this one going to be bad like the rest of the LE or is it actually going to be good? Let’s see!
 
 
 
 
Packaging: the sponge came in a cardboard packaging. The packaging is light peach like the rest of the LE; it looks modern with the bold black text. One side of the packaging has an illustration of the sponge, while the other sides have information about this sponge. The sponge doesn’t have any protective bag or anything to keep it safe, it’s just put inside the cardboard box as is. This isn’t very hygienic tbh.
 
 
 

 
 
Firstly, the shape. This sponge is a classic pear-shaped makeup sponge that has one wide end and one pointed, precise end. It is narrower in the middle section which allows you to grip it tightly. This shape is generally good for applying products over a larger area, like, say, applying foundation across the entire face. But, since it also has one pointed end, it is also good for precise application, such as applying concealer under your eyes or blending out contouring. It’s average size for a makeup sponge when it’s dry, but it expands to a much larger size when it’s wet. The material is very stretchy, it absorbs a ton of water. As for the colour, it is peach-coloured, which is always a nice colour. And it helps conceal stains from liquid products, which will be a problem later on, you’ll see. So, pretty much, standard shape and size, and not at all an unusual colour.
 
 
This sponge is finely textured; the material feels slightly rubbery but very soft. I like this texture, it is just textured enough to have some grip but not too textured so that it feels rough.
 
 
 
I find it interesting how much this sponge stretches out when it’s wet, it’s literally more than double the original size! It’s more than large enough when you wet it, it’s the perfect size for my small face. Now, of course, you don’t want to use it completely wet, thankfully, it’s easy to squeeze the excess water out. Once it’s moist, it’s ready to use; some sponges can be used dry, but this one really doesn’t work well at all when it’s dry. It makes liquid products pill like crazy and it doesn’t blend at all when it’s dry. However, when it’s moist, it blends much better. But it’s like it needs a few uses before it blends the way it should because it blended really badly the first few times I used it. It legitimately made me annoyed; I was ready to give up on it after I saw how much my foundation pilled with this sponge. 
 
 
 
And it’s not really the foundation’s fault, not completely, at least. I know that the NYX Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Foundation is a bit tricky to use, but it applies just fine with brushes. However, after maybe 5 uses the sponge softened up and it started to blend better and better each time. Now it blends very well, and doesn’t cause any pilling, even if the sponge isn’t properly moist. Of course, it can overblend if it is too wet or if you blend too much, but usually, it makes foundations and concealers look really nice. That said, it easily achieves a high coverage finish, and that really surprised me! Sponges usually have a slightly lower level of coverage compared to brushes, but not this one! I love this! I am always looking for high coverage to conceal all the acne and imperfections, although, if you are looking for a sheer finish, this sponge likely won’t be good for you. Of course, this all depends on how high coverage the product you are using is. I did also notice that my foundation and concealer often look very textured; I don’t mind this too much, but it is worth mentioning.
 
 
 
I like how soft this sponge feels while I’m using it. It feels soft but firm, and never hard. Well, never, as long as it is moist. It feels quite hard when it is dry. But when moist, it feels gentle and supple on my skin. This is great news for anyone with sensitive skin! It doesn’t feel very bouncy, though, which is a shame. It feels too loose, like it’s stretched too much (even though it obviously isn’t). Eh, I can live with it not being as bouncy as I’d like. It’s also pretty easy to use given its size and shape; it’s easy to blend out smaller parts with the precise tip or blend out larger parts with the rounder, larger end. I like to use the small tip to blend out concealer under my eyes and the larger end to blend out foundation and concealer all over my face. 
 
 
 
Although, it is very flexible and stretchy, so the large end can also be used to blend out undereye products. 
 
 
Well, this sponge actually lasts a very long time! I have already washed it at least a few dozen times by now, and it still retains its shape perfectly. It didn’t become loose or stretchy and the material still feels pretty much the same as when I first used the sponge. However, it is prone to getting tears; even when my nails aren’t very long, it still gets torn every time I press my nails into it. And I don’t mean literally sinking my nails into it, just holding the sponge with the tips of my fingers with my nails gently touching the sponge. It has numerous small tears in various places, which really isn’t good as these tears can be a breeding ground for bacteria. 
 
 
 
Washing this sponge is a mess. I know that sponges are (typically) more difficult to wash compared to brushes, but at least they can be washed! This one somehow can never be fully clean again once it’s been used at least once. It’s relatively easy to wash in general, although it does absorb some shampoo/soap, so I need to keep rinsing it out again and again. But that’s actually not the issue here (I’m used to sponges being like that), the issue is that it is permanently discoloured from my foundation and concealer. When I wash it, clean water comes out, so it appears to be clean, but I still think there’s product residue inside it. And this is just not at all hygienic. No matter how much soap I add, it stays discoloured. But things like eyeliners or eyeshadow are easy to rinse out and remove the stain?? 
 
 
I don’t get it... I just hope it’s surface-level discolouration. Anyways, it’s not too hard to wash and get it ready for the next use, although it does take its sweet time to dry. And since it absorbs so much water, it takes some time to squeeze it all out. 
 
 
 
 
All in all, honestly, it’s not really that great. This whole LE (It Pieces Even Better) has been... problematic, to say the least, and this sponge also has its fair share of problems. To start, it’s not very resistant to scratches, so if you have any sort of longer nails it will be full of cuts in no time. Although, it is fairly durable otherwise; I have washed it many times by now and it’s still in the same shape as when I first used it, not at all stretched out or anything. The sponge is fairly textured, but it’s a soft texture that still has a bit of grip. It is certainly soft enough for my sensitive skin. It feels very dense and hard when it’s dry, but it becomes soft and almost fluffy when wet. Now, I’ve had problems with how it blends out pigments. It’s tricky in this regard, requiring a very specific range of moistness, or it will either absorb too much pigment and leave a patchy finish or make the foundation/concealer pill a lot if it is too dry. This seems to have improved the more I used the sponge; it appears that it needs to be broken in before it would blend well. Because, now, it blends actually really well. I have no problems blending out liquid formulas without them pilling or being uneven, and this sponge can do that pretty fast now. However, it absorbs so much product, so there’s a lot of product waste. I love how easy it is to get a full coverage look with this sponge! Remember, sponges usually give a more sheer coverage finish compared to brushes, but this one allows me to conceal alllll the blemishes I have! And it’s pretty easy to use thanks to its pear shape, which allows it to be precise and blend out pigments on a larger area at the same time. But really, the only thing I hate is how much product it absorbs, because it can never be completely washed out. And this is frankly a hygiene concern, especially if you have reactive, acne-prone skin. So yeah, quality: mid. But actual results? Pretty good! Still, I won’t recommend it because it has too many issues.
 
 
 
Rating: 6/10
 
 
Would but again? Probably NO (even though I blindly bought another one before I even used the first one...)







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