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Tuesday, April 26, 2011

DIY Makeup Brush Cleaning

  
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Let's talk DIY makeup brush cleaner, shall we? I’m sure most of you probably already know this, but maybe not. Legit makeup brush cleaners can get pricey, and cleaning your makeup brushes frequently is a necessity. I know it’s sick, but they harbor dirt, bacteria and skin oil. Barf. If you don’t keep them clean, they can lead to break-outs and a clumpy application. I know you don’t want that. Right?

A few years ago I bought a bottle of brush cleaner from Ulta and it was over $20 (what was I thinking?), so I looked on their Web site and these days Ulta's brush cleaners range from $11 to $30. I’m pretty sure you know I’m not paying $30 when I have a DIY system that will cost you less than $4. My bargain solution? Baby shampoo.

It’s gentle and will keep your brushes lasting for years, which is a great investment if I do say so myself. Look, I’m as lazy as the next girl, but the thought of spreading bacteria all over my skin makes me shiver. Here is my easy step-by-step guide to keeping your brushes soft and squeaky clean:

1. Run your brush under warm water

2. Work a small amount of baby shampoo into a lather

3. Rinse thoroughly and repeat as needed until water runs clear from brush. Try to keep your brush pointed down during this process.

4. Reshape and allow to dry on a clean towel.

[Do this process a minimum of once a week to all your brushes. Technically any liquid make-up brushes should be cleaned every day (um, yah right) and powder brushes can go a little longer between cleaning.]

Hope this helps. If you have any questions or additional tips, I'd love to hear them in the comments!
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24 comments:

  1. would you still be my friend if i told you that i only clean my make-up brushes like once every 6 months. :( i PROMISE to clean them tonight.

    and i use my makeup remover. it works WONDERS...but i'll def try baby shampoo next time. i got this brush shampoo one time from sephora...what a piece of shizz that was.

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  2. Thank you for posting this! I just switched over to Chanel's makeup line and invested in a few of their brushes which means I want to take extra good care of them- I was meaning to google how to clean them and how often but I never did. Now I don't have to :)

    Erin

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  3. Thanks so much for this!! I was looking for a good make up brush cleaner just the other day. Thank goodness I hadn't bought anything yet! Baby shampoo it is :)

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  4. I think I needed this post... Liz/Libby scolded me pretty badly the last time we saw each other because of the state of my makeup bag... (everything is like 50 years old and what the heck do you mean I have to clean my brushes???)

    I have since updated some of the makeup itself, but perhaps I should consider cleaning my brushes now...

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  5. This is literally the best way to clean your brushes. Even when I worked at Ulta as a makeup artist we cleaned our brushes with shampoo... Brush cleaner sprays are great for traveling because they dry much faster, however get the generic brand, it's the same exact formula as a BE, Smashbox and other brands. :-)

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  6. Lindsey dear, try living in Phx in the middle of Aug...I don't even go out when the Sun is up. Swear!

    & OMG, I do the same thing. I used to buy MAC brush cleaner thing, just because it was MAC...But since last time my sister left my nephews stuff here, I used the baby shampoo, works fine, I likes. Under 6$ bucks from Wal-Mart, I am sold.

    Where is the Wedding/PHX post? I want to point to my computer & say, "hey, I know/been there"...

    xo $ARMIN

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  7. thanks for the reminder. my brushes are in some RARE form right now. I always just use a hand soap or something fairly mild.

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  8. ok so yeah, I only wash my makeup brushes like, three times a year? That's nasty. I need to do it more often. DEFINITELY not washing them every day, and probably not every week, but once a month I can deal.

    AND I already have the baby shampoo so I guess I'm ahead in that department, yes?

    However, I do still have a big bottle left that I bought at Sephora. I have a feeling that you are going to teach me a lot and help me save some major $$$!!!

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  9. Yikes. This is something I definitely forget to do... but I don't want nasty bacteria all over my skin, especially my face!

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  10. Yup, this is what I use to clean make-up brushes...when I use them, which is almost never. I don't wear any sort of base or foundation, and I apply eye shadow (bare minerals and/or MAC) with my fingers. If I use blush, that's with fingers too. Who needs brushes?!

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  11. fab tips girl! i have a very strategic method for cleaning my brushes, but i spend WAY too much money doing so..and have been looking for a cheaper way! im gonna give this a shot! <3

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  12. You're so knowledgeable and always give the best tips! I should try this! It definitely is a cheaper way! Good job, bargain blonde! ;)

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  13. thanks for the tip! havent heard of this "cleaner" for brushes before but would be much happier using this than 30 dollar cleaner ha! :)

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  14. I use baby soap to clean my brushes too! lol

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  15. I'm so bad about keeping my brushes clean. I usually don't do it until they are obviously dirty (bad, I know). I use Philosophy's Purity facial cleanser, and it works great double duty as a brush cleaner. Your daiy shampoo and conditioner works too!

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  16. or... have a roomie that works at MAC and steal her brush cleaner! she gets it by the gallon! then its FREE! hahahaha...

    what am i gonna do once i move out... thank god for your tip! keep 'em comin' girl!

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  17. In the summer it gets to be 120 degrees!!! 1 2 0!!!

    I am kinda slow, & I don't know what dry heat means...Does it mean, if your in the car, you have your window down, & all you get is hot air in your face? Or now that I am writing this, I think you mean heat with rain, cuz that's dry, right?

    Thank god I am not a Pre-Med student.

    xo $ARMIN

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  18. seriously love your blog! can we be friends?! make sure to check out what i wore for wardrobe wednesday!!! xoxo

    kelseyannesmith.blogspot.com

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  19. I just tried this trick today and it worked like magic! I shared the tip with my roommate, too! Thanks for this one! :)

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  20. I swear by MAC's brush cleaner b/c it cleans the brushes and it dries in like 2 min. I try to clean them w/ soap every week, but since I have my brush cleaner I usually end up cleaning them once every 2 weeks

    Xo

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  21. Ah! So glad you linked up to this past post! I have NEVER cleaned my brushes... I just end up buying new ones. So thanks! Going to do this tomorrow!

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  22. Great advice, thanks! We'll do it before putting on our prom dress! :)

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