Alix Earle Triangle Powder Puff: A Review of Her Signature Beauty Tool
Bazaar Arabia’s Laura Kell attempts a flawless finish with social media’s must-have make-up accessory: a little triangular sponge made popular by TikTok’s newest It Girl
Alix Earle Triangle Powder Puff: Is it really worth the hype? Bazaar Arabia investigates.
I’ve been influenced, as the kids nowadays are saying.
A few nights ago during a late-night shopping marathon on Amazon, I spontaneously added a pack of beauty sponges into my online basket, feeling slightly ridiculous that a 22-year-old New Jersey native and University of Miami college senior, had convinced me to buy another item I surely didn’t need in my make-up bag.
I entered adulthood during the rise of the Beauty YouTuber – the golden age of MAC Cosmetics and Morphe make-up brushes, when the release of themed collections had us all running to our local beauty hubs to stock up on limited edition formulations and colours. Everyone had the Laura Mercier Translucent Powder and NARS Laguna bronzer. Make Up For Ever concealer would have been my desert island pick and I washed my face at night with a Clarisonic Face Brush (RIP).
After years of buying into the products hyped by the OG influencers I, like so many other Millennials, began to learn there is little difference between the latest and great products and trends, and what really works. Techniques may vary and technology evolves, but rarely do we come across life-changing products or hacks.
@alixearle YAYYYYY let’s go #grwm #superbowlwknd #umiami ♬ original sound – alix earle
Enter BeautyTok and creators like Alix Earle. Relatively relatable young men and women who… don’t actually seem to be trying to influence us in any capacity, yet have us all searching for a particular product in the dead of night? The beauty scene on the short-form video platform is completely different to that of YouTube’s informative videos and Instagram’s aesthetically pleasing tendencies. It’s quick and dirty, to the point, as the platform only allows for a maximum of 3 minutes of video.
Alix is famous for her Get Ready With Me videos. She applies her make-up whilst sharing insight into her day as a student and influencer. There isn’t anything particularly unique about the formula – except Alix is an exceptionally beautiful blonde with tanned skin and brilliant blue-green eyes. Think all-American girl next door, if she joined a top-tier sorority at university and had a major glow-up.
And the triangle powder puff has become synonymous with her regime, almost always making an appearance in her videos. Bought from Amazon, relatively accessible and clearly not sponsored, the puff appears to help her achieve that flawless Miami beach glam look.
Which Triangle Powder Puff Does Alix Earle Use?
Fortunately, like many Gen-Zers, Alix does not believe in gatekeeping. She’s listed many of the products in her beauty regime in her Amazon storefront, including the brand of triangle powder puff. The ones she uses come in a variety of colours and can be purchased in a pack of 12 on Amazon.
While the TikTok sensation uses it to apply loose powder (possibly the Huda Beauty Easy Bake Loose Powder?), the puffs can be used with both dry and wet products.
Alix Earle Triangle Powder Puff: An Honest Review
I’ve always been partial to applying pressed products with a brush however, in the name of journalism, I immediately busted out a container of loose powder the moment I had the pack of triangle puffs in my hot little hands.
12 Pieces Triangle Powder Puff Makeup Sponge, Pimoys Store, Amazon
After applying primer (Rare Beauty’s Always An Optimist Illuminating Primer), Foundation (DIOR Forever Skin Glow mixed with a bit of Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter), and concealer (Tarte Shape Tape Concealer) I went in with a bit of Make Up Forever Ultra HD Setting Powder to set the look, delicately pressing the puff under my eyes and on my eyelid. Whilst it felt a bit cakey, the result did give me a very finished look, one which surely would have looked even better on camera. Think matte Hollywood starlet more than a healthy, natural complexion. I understood immediately why the full-coverage girlies adored this technique. The puff was particularly useful for pressing powder onto my eyelids, keeping them matte and oil-free.
Did my make-up look significantly better than when I applied it with my regular old make-up brush? I can’t say I saw a huge difference. Would I have achieved the same effect with a round powder puff? Probably. Does the type of product used with the sponge affect the outcome? Absolutely.
The puffs are a useful tool to have in one’s make-up bag and, arguably, could be the most hygienic way to apply powder on the go; though they may appear to be disposable at first glance, the puffs can be washed and reused.
Whether you love a full face of make-up or prefer a natural look, Alix is clearly on to something.
Alix includes all of the products she uses in her Amazon storefront. Follow her on Instagram and TikTok.
