Since yesterday's post was about brushes, I thought it only appropriate to make today's about KEEPING THEM CLEAN! Brushes aren't inexpensive and proper maintenance can extend their lives exponentially. In addition to that, a clean brush will ensure gorgeous application and will help in the fight against skin you hate!
There are 2 primary ways to keep your brushes up to snuff:
1. Daily Maintenance
2. Deep Cleaning
Let's start with DAILY MAINTENANCE! I'm a big fan of the JAPONESQUE® Makeup Brush Cleaner (Rosewater Scent is my favorite) spray for keeping your tools clean and ready for duty. It's a gentle cleaning solution for daily cleaning, conditioning and disinfecting fine brush hair. This environmentally safe cleaner dissolves all types of makeup products including powder, liquids, wax based and adhesive. After I'm finished with my make up application, I simply spritz 2-3 pumps onto a paper towel or clean microfiber cloth and gently make figure-eights until there is no more pigment left on the cloth. Then I stand them in their little cup until the next day. This is why I have 15+ year old brushes that are still as useful today as they were when I got them! It's at Ulta Beauty right now buy one/get one 1/2 off...get up on it here: http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp…
About once a month (or more often, if you use a lot of moist mediums) your personal brushes should receive a DEEP CLEANING. I have been a devotee of London Brush Company's Chemical Free Brush Shampoo for as long as I can remember. It is a solid shampoo specifically designed to clean and condition your makeup brush with tea tree to add additional anti-bacterial elements. They have balanced their recipe very carefully so that the integrity of the brush hair is not disrupted. LBC Brush Shampoo cleans deeply and does not over condition. The developer of the original brush "cake" soaps, Siân's philosophy is amazing when it comes to her incredible brushes & shampoos and it truly makes sense to my sensibilities! All her ingredients are food grade and they smell AMAZING. To get a good deep clean on your tools, simply wet your brushes in hot water. Remove the lid and swish the wet brush around on the solid shampoo until it lathers - You'll see makeup lift. Gently work the brush through with your finger tips, or on the palms of your hands, then rinse clean. Press out excess water in a paper towel and leave to dry flat. Larger natural hair brushes will dry in around 35-40 mins, small brushes such as lip brushes can dry in 10 mins. (Synthetic brushes may take a little longer.) I like to buy directly from the source here: http://www.londonbrushcompany.com/collections/lbc-essentials
Some tips for successful brush maintenance:
-NEVER immerse your brushes in water. The handles can warp and the adhesive could be compromised. Use just enough water to moisten the bristles and create a good lather.
-Dry your brushes laying down. Standing them upright to dry (in a cup, for example) can allow water to seep into the bottom of the bristles where it can become trapped creating a perfect environment for mildew or worse...
-Do not use baby shampoo on your brushes. It's not as mild as you think and can easily dry natural hair brushes.
Hopefully this is helpful in your quest for better make up...if you ever have questions, you know where to find me! XOXOX