clean brushes = healthy skin

As we all know not cleaning your brushes is a very big mistake, its like not washing your face at the end of the day. Once you've used them everything gets trapped and when you use them the following day your reapplying oil and bacteria which tends to lead to brake outs :S and then that's just something else you've gotta worry about and cover up.

So i thought id share a couple of different ways you can clean your brushes :)

The first and most basic way that everyone is aware of is using Brush Cleanser, but I've been told that the manufacturers create this product to slowly erode and eat away at the brushes also causing the hairs to become brittle and full out resulting in having to buy more brushes and cleanser. I'm not sure of how much truth is here but i don't wanna risk it! You can also use soft facial cleansers though I've never used this before so I'm not to sure of the results. Plus i wash most my brushes everyday so this could get very priceyyy.

The second option you can use is baby shampoo. You pretty much use this exactly the same way you would use a brush cleanser. Squirt a small amount on to a piece of paper towel or on to small dish, swirl the brushes around until the make up and pigment begins to come out then using warm water rinse them and swirl in your palm under the water until it becomes clear, then squeeze out the remaining water.

(DO NOT use hot water as it will damage your brushes)

Also with this the brushes that are meant to be soft like your foundation brush etc.. you should also use baby conditioner on them to keep them soft and smooth :)













And lastly this is a way that I've just discovered and having been using for about 2 weeks or so. It's basically how oil painters cleaner their brushes plus it disinfects the brushes too, which i love.
You'll need anti-bacterial dish washing soap and extra virgin olive oil.
the anti-bacterial dish washing soap will remove EVERYTHING - oil, pigment, dirt plus kill the Bactria. The only con being it strips the hair of its natural oils and drys them out, which is why you use the extra virgin olive oil :)

On a plate pour around 2 -3 tbsp of the dish washing then add about 1 tbsp of the extra olive oil. With your brush stir in a circular motion, you should be able to see some of the dirt coming off the brush, then wipe back and forth in the palm of your hand, then leave the brush on a piece of paper towel while you don the rest of your brushes. Once there all done you gotta rinse them, so rinse them under warm water swirling in your palm and squeezing out the water until the water comes out clear. Then wipe them dry with paper towel.

And wah la done :D

Now lastly a note about drying your brushes a lot of people dry them upright or on there side which you shouldn't really do as the water runs back in to the brush with germs and such, which can ruin the glue causing the hairs to fall out and become brittle, so if you can dry them upside down in a cup for an hour or so just to draw the moisture out. I do this by putting my protective brush covers on and putting them upside down in the cup cause this way the brushes don't touch the water :)

I'm not really to sure of what brush protection and storage is out there at the moment so ill look into it and get back to you, cause i need some myself :)
Or if you have any suggestions?

I wash my foundation brush, and blush brush everyday and my eyeshadow brushes every time i want to use a new colour.
so how many times a month do you wash your brushes?

that's all for this afternoon so always take care of your brushes and i wish you beautiful skin.
Amanda xx