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How to clean make-up brushes

May 18, 2020 | Articles, How to ... & Tutorials, Make-up brushes & tools | Leave a Comment

makeup brushesDid you know that certain make-up brushes need to be cleaned once a week or every second week, while you can get away with only cleaning others monthly?  This, of course, applies to your own personal make-up kit and not to a make-up artist’s kit (which gets cleaned after every use).  How should you clean make-up brushes?

Brushes that come into contact with your face are prone to picking up oils, dirt and bacteria should be cleaned weekly, these include:  foundation, concealer, powder and blush brushes.  If you don’t clean these brushes often, it can cause breakouts to spread and pores may become blocked, not to mention that there will be bacteria growing on your brush bristles.  Brushes used on or around your eyes should be cleaned every second week and all other brushes can be cleaned monthly.

It takes about half an hour to clean make-up brushes, especially if you’re doing a deep clean, and it will take your brushes at least 24 hours to dry completely.  Have the following 4 items ready before you start to clean:  a paper towel, make-up remover wipe or baby wipe; a bowl of warm water (not too hot); mild soap or baby shampoo and a towel.

Begin by removing any excess product from your brushes by wiping them on a paper towel, make-up wipe or baby wipe.  Once this is done, carefully wet the bristles in the warm water, taking care not to immerse the metal casing called the ferrule.  Brush bristles are glued to the base of the brush handle inside the ferrule and if the glue gets too wet, it will soften and the bristles will start to fall out!

L'Oreal Micellar WaterPlace a few drops of mild soap (I prefer to use baby shampoo) in the palm of you hand and one at a time, swirl the brushes around gently to lather, alternatively, put a few drops of the soap or shampoo into the bowl of warm water and carefully swirl the brushes around in there.  If you do put the soap in the bowl water, you will need a second bowl of clean water to rinse your brushes in, or carefully rinse the bristles under a running tap, just don’t get the ferrule wet.  Micellar water can be used to clean make-up brushes instead of soap, but they still need to be rinsed with clean water.  Micellar water is great to use on brushes with oil-based product as it removes foundation, lipstick and concealer really easily.

Gently squeeze out any excess water using the towel.  Reshape the bristles so that they’re not flat and line the brushes up on a counter or over the sink, with the bristles hanging over the edge, to dry.  Leaving your brushes to dry lying flat on a towel could cause the bristles to go mouldy and one side of the brush will be flattened (especially the fuller powder and blusher brushes).  Once the brushes are completely dry, store them upright in a brush holder.  Storing them upright too soon, while wet or damp, will cause the glue to soften and the bristles to fall out sooner.

If you don’t use your brushes all that often or you’d like to give them a quick clean in between the monthly deep cleans, use some brush cleaner and a paper towel.  Spritz the bristles with some brush cleaner (or isopropyl alcohol) and then wipe them off on the paper towel.  Brush cleaners have a high alcohol content so the brushes will be dry in a few minutes, once the alcohol evaporates.

Replace your brushes when the bristles become splayed and out of shape, or if the bristles are falling out.

Other tools in your make-up kit should also be washed or sanitised regularly.  Make-up sponges, cosmetic wedges and powder puffs should be washed frequently with mild soap or baby shampoo and water, squeezed out in a towel and left to air dry.  Replace them when they fall apart.

Tweezers and sharpeners can be cleaned with Surgical Spirits on a cotton pad.

For more info on how to remove bacteria from lip and eye liners, see “Has you make-up gone bad?“, and here’s a link to the make-up brush guide, which tell you what each brush looks like and what it’s used for.

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About

Debbie is a qualified nail technician and freelance make-up artist, based in Army Bay, Whangaparaoa (Auckland).

Debbie studied nail technology at Monaco Nail Academy (qualified in 2015), and uses the Artistic Nail Design range which includes Colour Gloss gel polish, Artistic Putty (also known as PolyGel), and Rock Hard LED Gel.

Debbie also holds CIBTAC and ITEC qualifications in make-up artistry, and obtained these in 2010 and 2012 respectively.

Disclaimer

I do not receive monetary compensation for any of the product reviews posted on my blog. All reviews are based on my own personal opinion after purchasing and using the products myself.

If I am approached by a company to review a product for them at any time (or am paid to do so), this will be mentioned in the relevant post. Being given free products, or being paid to promote a product will not change my personal honest opinion of the product.

Please bear in mind that every body is unique, and although I may not have an allergic reaction to the make-up or skincare products that I have reviewed, your skin may react differently. Wherever possible, please patch test new make-up and skincare products on yourself before purchasing them.

Thank you,
Debbie
Rambling Rose Nails & Make-up

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As per tonight’s Covid announcement, Auckland is As per tonight’s Covid announcement, Auckland is going into Level 3 lockdown at 6am tomorrow morning for seven days. This means that I have to cancel all appointments for the next week, and close my business temporarily.  I have already contacted all clients who were booked in from Tuesday to Saturday, informing them of this. 

I will only be able to reopen the salon and rebook appointments once we move into Level 2.  The online booking system will be reactivated once we move into Level 2. 

Thank you for your understanding and ongoing support. 
Stay safe x

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For those of you who can't afford a gel polish man For those of you who can't afford a gel polish manicure every three weeks, we have buffing blocks for sale.  Buffing your natural nails helps to improve blood circulation to the nail plate, it gives them a shiny finish without the use of nail polish, and makes them look pretty and well maintained. 

You can find these buffing blocks (along with a few other at-home nail essentials) in our online store www.ramblingrose.co.nz/shop or use the link in the bio and navigate to the shop on the menu bar.  We ship throughout NZ (rural courier fees apply).

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Do you prefer a matte or shine finish on your mani Do you prefer a matte or shine finish on your manicure?

Me? ... I quite like matte nails in winter and a shiny finish in summer, but that's just my personal preference.

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