How To: Clean your makeup brushes

Makeup brushes.... ah yes we use them, we abuse them.... and now I'm going to show you how I clean them! I feel it's important for the life of your brushes to keep them clean. Some makeup can be very drying, and can make your bristles brittle, and break. Some makeup, like foundation, or cream based products, can weigh your bristles down. This in turn makes the application of your makeup somewhat less than desirable, causing streaking, or clumping (that's sexy!) Then there are those rare occasions when we decide to wear a different color eye makeup, then when we switch back and our eyelid is multicolored.... you can say you are just trying to explore the color wheel, but we all know the dirty truth! So, here's what you'll need...

1.) Dirty Makeup brushes... (or brand new ones. You should ALWAYS wash a new brush before use. It keeps the bristles from falling out)

  

2.) A plastic cup... (or for you super green people out there a glass cup, or something more biodegradable, whatever, I'm for it!)

3.) Baby shampoo... ( your brush is made out of hair, rather it be synthetic or natural animal hair, it's still hair and needs to be cleaned with something that is gentle. Now, you can purchase soap that is made just for cleaning makeup brushes, but in my experience it's the same thing. So, I say save yourself a buck or two where you can!)

4.) A sink... (or a hand pumped well if that's the how you roll.)

Ok! now we are ready to start washing! Here's a little step by step action for ya...

1.) Put a small dime to nickle size drop of shampoo in the bottom of the cup. (don't over do it! Just like your hair, the more shampoo you put in it, the longer it takes to wash out.)

2.) Fill the cup up with water, just below the brim. (Caution: it will be bubbly!!! I LOVE BUBBLES....)

3.) Insert dirty brush.

4.) Scrub a dub dub...( I feel like I get more makeup out of the brush if I push the brush into the bottom of the cup kind of in a back and forth motion-ish.)

5.) Remove brush, look at it, is it clean? If so, rinse it off in the sink. ( or the hand pump well.... if that's how you roll)

6.) Repeat! ( with a different brush of course! Now, if your brushes are super dirty, like mine were, you may have to change the water. You want the water to be clear, it will of course have color to it but you should be able to see through it. Otherwise your just going to make your dirty brush....dirtier.)

Dirty water

7.) Last but no least... Lay them out to dry. ( I have found that laying the brushes out on a flat surface with the ends hanging over the edge is the best option. It's not a rule carved in stone, but I feel like it keeps the bristles in their normal shape. 

That's it! I have found that it typically takes a few hours for the brushes to dry, so my advice is to wash them at night and leave to dry overnight. In the morning I just "fluff the bristles on my hand, and then use!! 

Hope this helps.....

Until next time,

Jen