Cleaning Makeup Brushes.

As wonderfully emailed…

After reading Beauty Marked! Online Beauty Magazine and your blog daily, I was inspired to race out and purchase a lovely set of make-up brushes, -and what a difference this has made! Thank you. Now that I have this “you beaut” set of brushes and one kabuki, how do I care for them?

I am so pleased you enjoy Beauty Marked! and welcome back. Now, let’s see about these beautiful brushes. Aim to wash your frequently used brushes at least once a week, if you’re the only one using them. You may have to wash them more regularly if they have been used for wet types of makeup, such as cream or liquid foundation, concealers, block mascaras and wet eyeliners.

Makeup brushes can successfully be washed with baby shampoo, non creamy, non glycerine or glycolic free gel facial cleansers, or very mild sulphate free shampoos. What you do is, while holding the brush by the handle so that the bristles are pointing downward, gently run luke warm water over the hairs only, taking care not to get the handle wet or allow water to run up into the ferrule (the ferrule is the metal part of the brush designed to hold the glued hairs of the brush together and also joins the hairs to the brush’s handle).

Once the hairs are wet, swipe the wet hairs through a pea size blob of cleanser which is easily placed in the palm of your other hand. Then gently rub the cleanser through the brush’s bristles. You might find your palm a handy place to swish the soapy bristles back and forth to loosen the make-up for optimal cleaning. After a minute or two of gentle massaging in of cleanser, rinse the brush hair under running luke warm water while continuing to hold the hairs downward and massage the bristles until the water runs clear. Shake the brush and reshape the brush’s bristles and set the clean brush aside, just over the edge of counter or table to dry.

The bristled end of the brush needs to be placed over the edge so that the bristles are open to air on all sides for proper drying. I like to fold a clean face washer into a square and place it on the edge of the area I am drying the brushes on. I find that the flannel will elevate the brush from its drying surface as well as keep them from rolling of the counter! Leave the brushes to dry overnight. Once dry, I gently fluff the hairs and return them to there usual home for safe keeping in readiness for their next call to duty.

Now to Kabuki brushes. How do you wash those confounded little cuties do you ask? Well, here’s a little Beauty Marked! tip: Wash them in the same method as you would do the longer handled babies, but the only difference is in the drying. Sticky tape the handle to the very edge of the counter or table to allow the hairs to air on all sides. Fluff when dry. We have also heard of folks wrapping an elastic band a few times around the stubby little handle and then tying one end of string or ribbon to the elastic band and the other to a doorknob to dry overnight. But honestly, do whatever works best for you, as long as the bristles are allowed to dry free from touching any surface and that water doesn’t run into the base. Too easy!

Lastly, when cleaning synthetic brushes that have been used for gel or wet & dry eyeliners or any similarly tenacious eye makeup, Beauty Marked! recommends quickly dipping the bristles into a small amount of eye makeup remover. Rub in thoroughly, rinse and then wash them as you would wash your other cherished brushes.

The above suggestions should help you keep your brushes in good nick. Well cared for brushes should last a very long time and serve you well. Be sure to let us know at Beauty Marked! if we can help you with any of your other beauty questions. BM! is always all to glad to help.

July 12, 2007. beauty tips, beauty tools. No Comments.

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