If there’s something that I would compare to ripping off a bandaid is buying make up brushes; at least the professional ones. They may be expensive but consider buying them an investment. With good care you won’t need to buy one for at least 5 years! No matter what company you decide to go, whether it’s MAC, Bobbi Brown, NARS, Urban Decay or even Sephora; you’re going to pay at least $30 for a decent brush. A lot of the times the difference in your makeup, is simply the brush. This is why some girls rip the bandaid and just buy their professional makeup brushes. The trick when buying brushes is not to use them until you think they’ve lived out their “life expectancy,” but to take care of them. I have had the same makeup brushes for 3 years and they still look brand new. Professional makeup brushes are made with real hair, therefore need to be taken care of. They need care just like anything else you want to last you a long time. You wouldn’t just not change the oil in your car right? Trust me, you want your makeup brushes to last you a long time. No one wants to spend over $100 a month in makeup brushes. Taking care of your makeup brushes involves washing them. Some of you may already know this, but you should wash your makeup brushes every couple of weeks.
The more prone to acne you are, the more frequently I recommend you wash your brushes. The average times you should wash your brushes are every 2-4 weeks. There are many reasons why you should wash you makeup brushes that often.
I’m always on the go. I’m either at my boyfriends, going home for the weekend or just staying in my apartment at school and my makeup brushes are kept either in my makeup bag during traveling or sit on my desk at school. As much as I like to believe it’s clean in my makeup bag, it’s filled with bacteria. Bacteria is the number one reason why you should wash your makeup brushes. When they are sitting on my desk, they are collecting dust and dirt particles from the air. Think about it, if you don’t wash your brushes, you’re just applying bacteria and dirt onto your face along with your makeup. Bacteria makes your face breakout. The last thing we want is to purposely make our faces break out. Some of us have Mother Nature and our genes to thank for that already. The good news is, if you wash your makeup brushes every 2-4 weeks you will definitely notice a difference in your skin!
The perfect time to wash your brushes is at night time. Why nighttime? Because the best way for your brushes to dry is air dry. We all have to apply our makeup in the morning before work or right before a night out with the girls and we can’t use a wet brush so if you wash them at night, they dry while you get your beauty sleep!
Here are some steps to washing your brushes!
Products:
Look at washing your makeup brushes like washing your hair. You want to apply something to get the dirt, bacteria, and old make up off then you want to dry them. There are many different products you can use when washing your brushes. The most popular way is going out and buying brush cleaner. You can find brush cleaner at any place they sell cosmetics. They range from $6-$20.
If you are prone to acne like me and like washing your brushes every two weeks instead of 4 and want to save a little money, just use a mild shampoo! I use the same Herbal Essence shampoo I use in my hair.
How To Wash Them:
When washing your brushes make sure you get all of the old makeup off.
To do this rub the makeup brush on your forearm, if there is still some color your brush still has some makeup on it.
After you’ve washed your brushes with the product of your choice, lay them flat on a clean towel to dry overnight. DO NOT blow dry them! I have learned the hard way and ruined a couple by blow drying them. You always want to let them air dry!