The Glamorous Stuff : How I Clean My Brushes

How nice is it to have lovely, clean, fluffy brushes?  It is the task we all love to hate but really is there any better feeling when it is done?

In years gone by I have always just used an old cleanser or one I didn't get on with to clean my make-up brushes however, I recently bought the The Pro Hygiene Collection Make Up Brush Cleaner from FeelUnique and in light of that I thought I would share a little 'how to' post.

I just want to start by saying that if you have ever picked up a cleanser which either didn't work for you or didn't give you desired results then don't just shove it away in a cupboard never again to see the light of day, try using it to clean your brushes. 

Unless it's a really expensive one I will always use cleansers that I have found which don't work for me (and by that I mean broke me out) to clean my make-up brushes.  Make-up brush cleaning products are great but they are a bit of a gimmick as cleansers are designed to do exactly the same thing for your skin so if you're a girl on a budget, buy a cheap cleanser or dig out an old one and give it a go. 

Step One - Cleanser

As I am sure you already know some brushes like foundation and powder brushes need a little more attention then say an eyeshadow brush when it comes to cleaning.  My first step for these is to run under the tap and then grab my Palmer's Cocoa Butter Gentle Daily Cleanser (which kept breaking me out - at the time I didn't realise that shea butter is a no-no for acne prone skin) get a huge dollop and then dip my brush in, working to a lather and then rinse.  For the heavy duty ones I repeat this step twice.

Step Two - Make Up Brush/Sponge Cleaner

Next up is the Pro Hygiene Brush Cleaner which is a really great product for getting brushes squeaky clean and white again.  Repeat the same steps as above until water runs clean of any product.  I find this product particularly excels at cleaning sponges which I find immensely difficult to get back to their original condition. 

Step Three - Anti-Bacterial Soap

It is really important as I do suffer with blemish prone skin that I have a really clean brush when it comes to foundation, powder, blush and concealer brushes and so to finish off, I like to just swirl my brushes in a bit of anti-bacterial soap to ensure that all the nasties are well and truly off.

And there you have it, I know I have included a specific brush cleaner in there but for years I did not bother.  Any skin cleansers, shampoo and soap will clean brushes just as well and just as gently as any cleaner made specifically so if you can't afford a £10.00 bottle of brush cleaner then why not give a bottle of shampoo and a few squirts of soap a go?

Emma xx