Beauty 101 - Deep Cleaning Makeup Brushes

It's been a while so I may be a bit rusty at all this blogging business but I'm gunna give it a shot! To me, cleaning my makeup brushes is one of those mundane tasks that I put off for as long as possible *slap on the wrist* but I aim to clean them every Sunday (although this can occasionally be alternate Sundays if life is hectic). I've had many a discussion with people who have used the same brushes over and over again and never thought to give them a cheeky clean. Now, I'm not a germophobe generally but that does make my stomach turn a little. You're creating a bacteria breeding ground which can lead to clogged pores and spots. Many people use a brush cleanser (such as the MAC brush cleaner) and think that they're good to go. However, watch out because although thiss 'spot cleaning' is good for chopping and changing colours on eye brushes, it won't thoroughly cleanse your brushes and will leave residue in your brushes. This can really impact the application of your products and the brush will be less able to blend products in to your skin.

Now, what you wash your brushes with is important. I would say go for a cheap, clarifying shampoo(yet not too harsh, we don't want do damage the brushes and end up with a baldy brush!). Johnsons Baby Shampoo and Herbal Essences Clarifying Shampoo are some of my particular favourites. There is always the more organic route which uses honey and extra virgin olive oil but that's for another post. :)

So here's my step by step guide to squeaky clean brushes:

1. Lay out all your dirty brushes and cleanser of choice

2. Dampen the brush slightly with lukewarm water. (Thanks to the Real Techniques Blush Brush here for being such a good sport). Be careful not to get the water into the brush 'ferrule' (fancy name for where the handle joins the brush hairs) as this can break down the glue and cause shedding.

3. Squirt a small amount of shampoo in to your palm and swirl the moist (ewwww...) brush into your hand, it should lather up slightly.

4. Squeeze out excess water/product (this is really satisfying as you can see the colour dripping out!)

5. Shape and lay brushes out to dry leaving the head overhanging. This will not only dry them quicker but will allow them to keep their shape more. I usually leave them over night to dry but how long it takes depends on the size and density of the brush!

I hope you enjoyed and feel inspired to do a spring clean of your own brushes!

Daisy x