Meet the mum-of-two who’s made millions by selling SPONGES… and even Kim Kardashian’s a fan

A SAVVY mum-of-two has racked in millions just by selling sponges.

Rea Ann Silva, from Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, dreamed up the Beautyblender – the world’s first edgeless make-up sponge that promises flawless application of any complexion product – in 2002.

The make-up artist, who has worked with the likes of Mariah Carey, the Rolling Stones and Whitney Houston, has made a reported £99.1m thanks to the pink, egg-shaped tool.

Rea Ann was working on a television show, which was shot in high-definition, when she decided to cut up a regular sponge and use it to flawlessly apply foundation to the actor’s faces.

“So there I was cutting up make-up sponges in my trailer and I had a thought that there must be a better solution – so the idea for beautyblender was born,” she told .

“I knew this tool had to be completely edgeless, reusable (the amount of sponges I tossed in the garbage each day was a travesty) and able to apply makeup in hard to reach parts of the face.”

Rea Ann thought the sponge might be popular amongst fellow beauty professionals but she didn’t expect it to become a global success.

She told : “I thought I’d be able to make a little supplemental income and sell a couple of sponges and help out with my kid’s college fund.”

She started off producing them in her garage before taking on permanent premises to meet demand.

Celebrity fans include Kim Kardashian and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.

The sponge, which can be used wet or dry, can do multiple things like cover blemishes, contour and highlight.

In March, Racked reported that since the tool has sold in excess of 6.5 million sponges since 2007.

“Each sponge retails for around $20 (£16) – do a bit of quick math, that means $130 million (£99.1m) in sales,” they said.

Rea Ann, who has also devised sponges to help apply fake tan and cream, believes anyone can follow in her entrepreneurial path.

She added: “If you have a dream and drive you can accomplish anything.

“While I thought beautyblender would help me make some supplemental income at the time, it has turned me into a CEO and my brand into a household name.

“Now I get do makeup because I love to do it; not because I have to. That is nirvana for me.”