So…when was the last time you cleaned your makeup brushes? Did you know that you should clean them and do it on a “regular basis” which I know is a relative term but that does NOT mean once a year! I recommend cleaning any brush that you use with wet products like liquid or cream foundations, concealers, highlighter, lipstick, lip gloss, etc at least once a week as they can harbor and grow bacteria. Brushes used with powder products can go a bit longer like every 2 weeks. I’m being super realistic here and I think those are totally do-able timelines although i’m sure you’ll hear others say to clean them every single day. Of course I do that with my professional use brushes and no brush is ever used on more than one face just like my products never get double dipped! Hello hygiene! Herpes is forever ya know! I don’t want you to have a science experiment on bacterial growth on your hands so keep reading for my full instructions on how to do it right using several different methods! If you can’t remember the last time you’ve cleaned your brushes and you’re experiencing unusal new breakouts and/or your brushes just look really beat up, it’s time to give them some TLC and a good cleaning.
There are several ways to clean your brushes using various products. Whatever you use do not immerse your brushes underwater from the metal (ferrule) part up. Only the brush hair should get wet, nothing else!!
Another important thing is to choose whatever product you feel comfortable using on your face to clean your brushes. If you have very sensitive or acneic skin you probably wouldn’t cleanse your face with your hair shampoo, Woolite, dish soap, hand soap, etc. so you may not want to use it on your brushes either. makeup brush cleaningYou can use shampoo and even conditioner on brushes. This is a great way to thoroughly clean and condition your brushes but make sure to choose products that will not leave behind any residue. Just fill up a bowl or your sink with luke warm water (keep it shallow) and shampoo. Take each brush one at a time and only immerse the brush hairs into the soapy water. Swish until all the makeup comes out. Once they are all clean rinse them with clean water, gently squeeze out the excess water and lay flat to dry on top of a towel overnight.
Video on how to use the shampoo method:
Makeup Tip! ==>***It’s very important to never dry a wet brush standing up because water/moisture will trickle down and loosen up the glue that holds the brush hairs to the handle. Over time your brush will shed more and the ferrule/metal will loosen away from the handle shortening the lifespan of your expensive brush! This method will require time for your brushes to dry completely so I suggest doing it at night so they will be dry by morning.
Personally, I’m really busy (okay, a little lazy) and it takes me forever to wash all my brushes since I literally have hundreds so I prefer to use a makeup brush cleaner that works and dries instantly. Cinema Secrets is by far my favorite because you literally use teensy droplets of the cleaner and it instantly disinfects, removes all traces of makeup/residue and also conditions your brushes.
Cinema Secrets Brush Cleaner is a professional strength product that is extremely concentrated so it truly lasts a very, very, long time especially for personal use. For instance, compared to Smashbox or MAC brush cleaners which you have to use 4X’s as much product to get the same effective cleaning you get with the Cinema Secrets you pay way less in the end. FYI, there is a very subtle vanilla scent to the cleaner that dissipates quickly after you clean your brushes. It doesn’t linger for long unless you use too much product. Remember it’s highly concentrated so don’t waste it by using too much! Plus it doesn’t contain any Triclosan (google it!) which is a very controversial ingredient and found in many other brush cleaner brands. cinema secrets.
How do you use Cinema Secrets brush cleaner? You can actually use it in two different ways. The way I use it most of the time is to dispense a small amount into a little glass bowl or Cinema Secrets also makes their own brush tin which is just $6! ! You’re going to need this for your small brushes.
For your larger brushes I highly suggest buying the spray bottle from Cinema Secrets and refilling it because not all spray bottles especially most plastics like the ones you find in the travel section at Target for $1 will work with this cleaner. It has to be a brush cleaner spray bottle (Japonesque/Parian Spirit works great) because this stuff breaks down some plastics after you keep cleaner in their for a few weeks. Better yet, get one of these ingenious Menda brush cleaner dispensers! It’s what the pros use! You can find it here on Amazon or many professional beauty supply stores that carry nail supplies. They are a little pricey at around $25 but i’ve had mine for well over 10 years!
So with your little bowl and your small brushes (brow, eyes, liner, etc) you’re going to barely dip the very tips of the brush into the cleaner. DO NOT DUNK!! All you need to do is touch the very tip to the cleaner and then go back and forth on a lint-free paper towel or microfiber cloth until all the color comes out. That’s it! Again the key is to not soak the brush hairs into the cleaner. For the larger brushes (cheek and face) spray the brush on both sides of the brush and go back and forth on paper towel or microfiber cloth. If you’re cleaning off cream products or water resistant/proof gel liners you may have to use a little more product. There is virtually no dry time with this product which is why pros love to you use it and your brushes are ready to go when you’re working on lots of talent back to back to back.
Video on how to use Cinema Secrets instant brush-off cleaner:
If your brushes are really dirty or you prefer to shampoo them I recommend creating a brush cleaner bath which is the second way you can use Cinema Secrets. Mix 1 part cleaner with three parts water and soak/swirl the brush in the solution for no more than 30 seconds. Rinse clean with luke warm water and lay flat to dry over night. Foundation, concealer and lip, basically synthetic hair brushes tend to hold onto a lot of the residue inside the brush so make sure to look to see that all the product is cleaned out towards the center of the brush.
Now where the heck do you buy Cinema Secrets brush cleaner? Well, if you’re in the LA/Hollywood/Burbank area you can find it at any of the Pro MakeUp Artist supply stores like the MUD Shop in downtown Burbank, Cinema Secrets store near NBC studios on Riverside Dr. or at Naimies in Valley Village. For the rest of us, it’s now it’s available online at Sephora (yes! Finally!) and they have a great price on the giant “value” size that I always get! Click HERE to check it out!
*Bonus Pro Tip! Another time saving tip between the major brush cleanings that you can do on a daily basis is to use microfiber cloths or dye/fragrance-free Natural Baby Wipes! This will get the color off your brushes so that your makeup will not go on looking “muddy” from the next day. Of course this won’t thoroughly clean & disinfect the brushes but your makeup brushes will not get excess color/product build-up!
High quality makeup brushes are an investment so take good care of them and they will last you for years and years.
Muah Tiffany xoxo!
P.S. You can find many more of my “Quickie” Beauty & Fashion tips as well as a couple of random time saving cooking tips by clicking =>FACEBOOK page as well as on Instagram and Snapchat!!
Hello Coach Glitter! Thank you so much for this–very helpful because I have a new foundation that was not washing away properly. Just ordered a bottle of the cleaner.