Two of the questions I get asked the most on Instagram are"What are the best brushes and sponges?"and "How do I clean them?"
Today I'm finally getting around to answering those questions (sorry it's taken me a year!)
Brushes and Sponges: Cost, Quality, and Type
As I'm sure you already know, there are a million makeup brush brands out there ranging from pennies on the dollar to hundreds of dollars a piece. My love stands somewhere right in the middle. I've purchased quite a few "cheapo" makeup brushes and they typically are not worth the $1. They usually end up losing their brush hairs quickly or the brush handle breaks or they just don't apply makeup as they should. So save your money and don't bother purchasing really cheap brushes. I've also purchased a few pricey brushes and while they definitely do their job and last a long time, apply makeup beautifully, etc, I've found that a much less expensive brush will do exactly the same thing.
My favorite brands are MAC, Sigma Beauty and Morphe. MAC is about the most expensive brush I'll purchase. I've had the same brushes from these three brands for YEARS. I take care of them, yes, but they don't shed, the handles have not broke, and they apply makeup really well.
Sponges are just a little different, in my opinion. I started out ONLY swearing by Beauty Blender. Maybe that's because in the beginning, they were the end-all-be-all of makeup sponges. Now, you can purchase a fairly inexpensive knock off brand, and get pretty good quality. It will never be as good as the Beauty Blender, but it will come close. I get it, it's tough to spend $20 on one beauty sponge, but honestly, they still are the best IMO, and while I do have several other brands, I always go back to Beauty Blender and they never disappoint. Some other brands that I also use and like are Morphe and Real Techniques. Taking Care of Brushes and Sponges: Taking care of your makeup brushes is super easy...the hardest part is taking the time to wash them regularly!
I have sworn by this method of washing my brushes for years - and they always come out perfectly clean and it never bothers my skin.
Bring your brushes over to your bathroom counter (or to the kitchen sink).
Grab some blue Dawn dishsoap - I can't vouch for ANY other brand of dishsoap - only Dawn and only the blue stuff.
If you have one of these handy guys, grab that too.
Take your brush and get it very wet, then swirl it around on the towel, alternating between rinsing the brush head (NOT the entire brush) and swirling it on the towel. Rinse and repeat until the water turns clean. Note: I say not to soak the entire brush in the water because most brushes have a wooden handle attached to a metal piece that holds the brush hairs. Often, if this part gets really wet, it will break down and end up coming apart - I think it destroys the glue that holds it together.
Once you've thuroughly cleaned the brush head, take a clean towel and press the brush hairs flat and gently squeeze the water out. Then take the brush and lie it flat on a clean towel or counter to dry out.
Once the brush is dry, you can fluff out the bristles and stand it upright again.
Cleaning a makeup sponge is essentially the same except you will just apply soap directly to the spong and work it into the sponge under running water, rinsing and repeating until the sponge is mostly clean and clear of makeup residue. (I say "mostly" because there will be some staining at some point.) What you don't want, is to see any black or dark spots left - if you do, its beyond time to throw out your sponge and get a new one! It's probably not makeup, its mold! (note: the best thing you can do for your sponge is to leave it out where it gets air. If you put it away while its still damp, it will get moldy). Hope this was helpful!
XOXO
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