How to Clean Make-up Brushes

If you recall my Beauty Commandments, you’ll know that keeping clean make-up brushes will help lead you to healthy, clear skin. I personally like using a special brush cleanser, such as this one from Bare Minerals.

Not only does it clean them thoroughly, but the conditioning factor keeps them soft on my skin. Others swear by baby shampoo, mild dish detergent, and oily-skin face wash, but these might be too harsh on your brushes, leading to shedding and a decrease in quality.

So what’s the best way to wash them? Well, here’s what I do:

Step 1:

Get your dirty brushes wet.

Step 2:

Add a little dollop of soap to the bristles.

Step 3:

Gently massage the soap into the brush. Little by little, you’ll start to see the left-over make-up beginning to lift. Aren’t you glad you’re not gonna get all that oil and dirt on your face???

Step 4:

This is a little trick that helps me remove some of the more stubborn layers of grime. I add a little more soap and I use the brush as if I were applying make-up to the palm of my hand. You’ll see more and more stuff come out.

Step 5:

Rinse your brushes.

Step 6:

If you press them against a surface and the water doesn’t run clear, repeat the above steps until it does.

Step 7:

Leave your brushes to dry, facing down. This will keep water from collecting in the metal part and causing rusting and weakening of the glue that holds the bristles. If this is not possible for whatever reason, at least lay them horizontally, never with the brush part facing upward. Allow them to air-dry and try to put something under them to absorb the moisture, like the paper towel I’m using. Keep in mind that you should replace it with a fresh, dry one every so often, especially if you’re drying much thicker tools, like body powder or kabuki brushes.  

Notes:

- This tutorial works just fine on sponge-tip applicators, sponges, and powder puffs.

- While I want to say that you should do this every time you use your brushes, let’s be realistic. Try to do it no less than three times a week, if you’re a make-up-everyday kinda gal. If not, adjust accordingly. If you find yourself unable to do it more than once a week, invest in a spray cleanser or baby wipes, along with your brush shampoo. These won’t get them as thoroughly clean as an actual soap would, but you can quickly use them after every make-up application to stave off some of the dirt. Just don’t forget to give them a thorough wash when you can!

Stay beautiful. 

Throwback Thrillers: Tokidoki Cosmetics

It’s always sad when a favorite product is discontinued. But even worse than that is when your entire line gets taken completely off the shelves. That’s how I’m feeling about Tokidoki no longer producing their line of products at Sephora.

 I’m gonna be honest, not everything was mind-blowing in terms of quality, though I didn’t find anything unusable. And there was a decent handful of amazing items. What really had me head over heels for this line was… well… it was so darn friggin’ cute!!!

On to the items:

(Not Pictured) The Lion Poppa palette-

Good for neutrals with a very natural blush that would compliment most skin tones. The best part about this little palette was how slim and tiny it was, making it a travel essential. 

Tokidoki eyeliner in Sabochan and Tokidoki Punk Lash Mascara in Cactus Rocker-  

Again, these were not out of this world, but they did the job, and you got to show off the cute little packaging to your friends!

Prisma Lipgloss-

Very light hint of color and all-around pleasant texture.

Cromatico eyeshadow (in order: Carnivora, Soya, Adios Star, Skeletrina, Diamante, Romeo)-

These were a lot of fun! Some of them could get a little bit chalky, but like with Ulta eye shadows, it wasn’t anything a little high quality primer couldn’t fix. They also came in really exciting, vibrant colors, great for dramatic gals.

And now, my favorites, BY FAR… drum roll, please…

Tokidoki Make-up Brushes! So cute, I could die!!!! (They’re also 100% synthetic, so animal-lovers, fear not!)

Pittura Brush Set-

These three brushes are ridiculously adorable, each topped with a Tokidoki character (Donutella, Adios, and Mozarella, in order.) There is a flat lid brush that applies color seamlessly, a fluffy crease brush that is soft and blends beautifully, and the tiniest, cutest little angled liner brush. The best part about  these is that you don’t have to worry about using any kind of make-up on them and damaging them. As of yet (and I use this set CONSTANTLY, with all types of colors) I’ve been able to wash all the product off and keep my brushes looking new and pretty. 

Kabuki brush-

This beautiful kabuki brush is super soft and is awesome for applying highlighter or powder. Like the eye brushes, it cleans off very well and I haven’t experience any shedding whatsoever.

Siberia Blush Brush-

I had to track this one down and now it’s one of my favorite cosmetic trophies. This angled blush brush fits my cheek bones perfectly, deposits color evenly, and appeals to my love for all things pink. It’s so princess-y and cute, how could anyone resist?