Long gone are the days where people rely exclusively on brushes to apply their makeup. While brushes are still an incredibly useful tool, alternatives like the Beauty Blender sponge have become staples in every beauty aficionado’s arsenal since the product was launched in the late 2000s, and other companies have repeatedly tried and failed to recreate that success with their own alternative applicators.


One such applicator is the LEIA Ultraflesh Blender, which, in addition to having a disconcerting name — “flesh” evokes such horrible images — is shaped like the tip of a penis. Unlike Beauty Blenders, this blender is made of a material closer to plastic or silicone, a closed cell polymer. To make matters worse, the tip of the blender is textured, so the overall effect is akin to slapping a floppy dildo against your face as you try to apply your foundation.



The product made the rounds on Beauty TikTok back in 2022, and one of those videos recently broke containment and found its way onto Twitter, where people were equal parts bemused and horrified by the video of an influencer attempting to apply makeup using the tool.


@leiabeaute LEIA BEAUTE. Easy to clean. Better for the environment. No brushes to wash. OK may be a couple. Blends seamlessly! #beauty #makeup #leiabeaute #leiabeauty #beautyblender #getleiad ♬ original sound - LEIA Beaute


Mikayla Nogueira, one of TikTok’s best-known beauty creators, reviewed the blender at the time, laughing all the while, as did dozens of other creators, almost none of whom could keep a straight face. In the months since the blender burst on the scene, however, most TikTokers can be found still using traditional Beauty Blenders to apply product; much like the Silisponge promoted by the likes of Jeffree Star in the mid-2010s, the Ultraflesh Blender didn’t have what it takes to usurp the Beauty Blender’s crown.


Either way, Twitter users had a field day, with one person tweeting, “Borrowing my bf’s tip to do my makeup. Tutorial coming soon,” while others argued that it had to be fetish content. It’s not clear that the original product was developed with fetishists in mind, but it’s hard not to assume the shape was a deliberate choice, even if the company argues that it’s “ergonomic.”


Not to mention, for $59, you really would be better off using your boyfriend’s tip, or using a dildo you already own, or, indeed, using your fingers. Paying $60 to whack a penis-shaped applicator against your face repeatedly as you try and fail to apply foundation properly is just undignified.