Cleaning Brushes

I was going to combine my previous post on brushes with this one on how to clean them, but I decided against it because it was just too long. Plus, it makes me look like I'm posting more frequently. Definitely a win-win situation.

First and foremost, you must must must must must must must MUST clean your brushes. It's most important with your liquid/cream products, like liquid foundation, concealer and cream blushes because they're the most moist to begin with, and if you pair that with a nice, dense brush, you've got a really nice habitat for bacterial colonisation. And you're going to be wiping that all over your face. All. Over. Doesn't that sound lovely?

Good brushes are an investment. Most of the time, a very expensive investment, so please look after them. Many high quality brushes will maintain their brand new-ness for years if you care for them properly. Years and years.

I try to clean my brushes every time I use them. Like most people, I use two methods to clean my brushes: spot cleaning and deep cleaning. I spot clean every day, which takes literally about 15-20 seconds per brush. Once a week, I deep clean my brushes so that they're product free, which preserves the original condition of the brushes as much as possible.

For spot cleaning, I use the MAC brush cleanser. It's $20 from Myer/David Jones/MAC in Australia. It's about half the price for all you Americans. If make up were the same price here as America, Australia would be perfect. Clothes too.

Daiso Detergent for Puff & Sponge

Today, I present to you one of the most highly coveted brush cleaners in the makeup world: the Daiso Detergent for Puff & Sponge.

Finding an effective way to clean your makeup tools is almost as important as possessing the right ones. If you don't clean them properly, you may as well be placing your brushes in an entire culture of bacteria and letting them infest your brushes overnight.

Not a pleasant thought, right?

That's exactly what happens if you don't clean your brushes, especially those with liquid products. Poor cleaning means a poor face, promoting pimples and those other nasties. Poor cleaning is less harmful, but if you're going to dedicate the time, then you may as well do it properly.

Plus, I think cleaning brushes is quite therapeutic. Actually, that's a lie. It really depends. Before I bought the Puff & Sponge, it took me so long to clean my foundation brushes. I was really hesitant to use them after that, because I couldn't be bothered cleaning. And that, my friend, is the problem.

Since the Puff & Sponge entered my life, this lack of bother is no longer a barrier between me and my perfectly cleaned brushes. Seriously.