How to Properly Care for Makeup Brushes
There are plenty of reasons as to why you should not only care for your makeup brushes but do it properly. If your brushes aren’t cared for properly it can cause unwanted things to happen to your skin. You may feel that you don’t have time to clean your brushes, but you definitely don’t have time to deal with acne or bacterial issues. It’s best to clean your brushes at a minimum of once a month unless they’re stored uncovered in a bathroom, it should be more often. Learning How to Properly Care for Makeup Brushes is a skill every lady should learn.
Clean your make up brushes
You want to keep clean brushes on hand because they pick up better on pigment and powders, and hold a longer lifespan. When cleaning your brushes the best thing to clean them with is a gentle shampoo or try this easy DIY makeup brush cleaning solution. Do your best to keep water from getting inside of where the bristles are held. Water exposure inside of the ferrules, the connection between the bristles and the handle, can cause mold, and bacteria build up, and if the handles of your brushes are wooden, the excess water can cause warping.
When drying your brushes it’s best to lay them flat on a clean towel or paper towel or if possible hang them upside down. When starting out I once made the mistake of trying to dry a cheap plastic brush set with a blow dryer. I learned two important things that day. Cheap brushes won’t last and well sometimes a little patience goes a long way. Having a spare set of brushes for when one set is drying is ALWAYS a good idea.
You should always wash like brushes together. Brushes that have been used for creams should be washed together because of the oily consistency. Brushes used on powders will take less work to clean. You can use your hands and fingers to wash brushes, but it’s more efficient if using a washing mat/board with ridges and bumps to really get deep down into the bristles. you can make your own makeup brush cleaning mat easy.
Choosing quality brushes
As we all know there comes a point where we just give up and buy new brushes. When really is a good time? It all depends on the quality of the brushes. If your bristles start falling out and the brush starts falling apart, that’s really when you need to replace them. How do you know if your brushes are good quality? It’s not always a price tag that defines the quality. A good material and structure make for a better brush. If your brushes are aluminum or plastic, chances are they’re not going to last very long. If your bristles shed frequently and in clumps, that’s a sign of poor quality as well. Denting and corrosion on brushes can lead to them falling apart and cleanliness problems. Some of the best brushes are made from brass, nickel, and steel, have a tight seal between the ferrules, bristles, and handles to keep from shedding and falling apart. There are many types of brushes for different parts of your face, but there are 2 kinds of bristles. There are synthetic bristles, which are best for cream and liquid makeup. The other type is hair fibers, that are good for powder based makeup.
Makeup sponges can be disposable and some can be reusable. Reusable makeup sponges should be washed often as well because foundation sits inside and also soaks up oil. You can use almost any kind of soap to clean them with warm water. Dish soap works best, especially if you have oily skin.
Caring for your brushes will make them last longer and keep your skin in better condition. Do you take care of your brushes? Will you take better care of them now?
a while back I got my hands on some great Sephora PRO makeup brushes. The PRO Essentials Brush Set came with a nice, sturdy zip-up carrying case, 11 brushes, and a box to put the carrying case into. The brushes that came in the set are as following: Complexion Fan, Featherweight Complexion, Foundation, Contour, Small Blush, Concealer, Tapered Crease, Shadow, Blending, Brow with Spoolie on the other end, and a Tapered Liner brush. These Brushes are super soft, even after washing them. Sephora’s brushes are definitely great quality brushes. The wooden handle sits wonderfully in your hand. The Metal ferrules are attached perfectly, and the bristles to these brushes are amazing.
The eyeshadow brushes are my absolute favorite in this set and the concealer brush. The shadow brush picks up shadows well, making every look nicely distributed, and well pigmented. The tapered shadow brush is great for the crease, I also love it for the outer corners of my eye.
I was never one to use color correcting products until recently. The concealer brush helps smooth out the color corrector and doesn’t make the product look patchy like some other brushes do. I also really enjoy the Brow brush. The bristles on it are soft, but still firm, making shaping your brow easy and efficient.
The Complexion fan is perfect for a soft highlight, or added definition, also great for brushing away eyeshadow fall out. The Complexion brushes are great for a sheer foundation look, so more of an airbrushed natural look is what it provides.
The set sells for is $170 with a value of $312. It’s a great deal to buy it as a set, for all of the brushes and the carrying case. Most definitely worth the price. I highly recommend this brush set. I feel as if they will be very dependable and hold up for years to come with proper care and treatment.