Washing Brushes

This really should have been up first, but, well, it just didn't. So here's a link on how I dry my makeup brushes.

How I wash them, well, I'll try to show you. Sorry for the grainy pics, the bathroom is poorly lit (oh, how I wish this entire house is armed with studio lighting, LOL)



These are my only dirty brushes.

For this recipe, we will need- dirty brushes (duh!), your choice of brush cleaner OR mild baby shampoo, a clean towel, and if you want to take the extra step of pre-rinsing, a small bucket and some lukewarm water.

The pre-rinsing step with lukewarm water is not that necessary, in my opinion. I only do it if I have brushes that are especially gunky! Oh, and if a brush has something that's quite stubborn to remove, like lipstick (honestly! You really have to work those bristles to get all the residue out! Is there some technique to this that I'm missing? I'm so happy I no longer use lip brushes, thank you MAC)

Before we get things going, let me make a few things clear:

1. Do not, at any point, wash, soak, or soap your brush handles. Not necessary, and frankly, damaging.
2. As much as possible, don't let water get in between the ferrule and the handle.
3. Always wash at an angle- bristles pointing down. You don't want water pooling in the ferrule.
4. Don't pull on the bristles.

Glad that's clear, let's start!

Pool some warm water on the bucket. If you have a water heating system installed on your sink, well woot for you! I don't, so I have to collect the water in a bucket.



Lukewarm water for pre rinsing- optional.

 You really only need a little bit of warm water- just enough to dip the bristles in. No more than an inch deep. Maybe half an inch to three quarters of an inch. I filled this bucket all the way because apparently, shallow water and tiny bucket does not a good photo make :P



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Add a bit of brush cleaner to your SHALLOW pan of water. Again, this is only deep for photo-op purposes. I can't get a good angle if the water's half an inch deep. So just pretend, ok?

Have you added some brush shampoo to the water? Mix. Tada, warm soapy water!



Oooh, gunky Sigma F50 Stippling brush!

 Get your extra gunky brush out, and give it a swirl in the warm solution.



Just the bristles!

You'll see some of the makeup residue wash away already! Be very careful not to soak the whole head of your brush, or the ferrule. Normally (when the water is but a centimeter deep), I'd run the brush over the surface of the bucket. Swish it around.

Yes, on the bristles. That's just how I roll.

To make lathering more easy, you can wear those oven mitts that have grooves. The bumpy surface will help getting the shampoo in the packed bristles. I haven't bought the cleaning mat I want, yet.

Kaya ng buhok ko yan!

Instead, I run my fingers into the core of the brush head. Yep, I do. I swipe the brush along my fingers. I shampoo all my brushes, one after the other, then rinse them that way. I find that this is just more efficient for me. You can opt to shampoo then rinse each brush before moving on to the next. That's fine! Just make sure that the brushes are standing, head down, when they are not in the wash.



Foamy! It took a while for me to get the photos on the previous brush, the foam run out LOL! This is ELF Studio's Small Stipple Brush. I use this for blending in concealer. It's a multipurpose nook and cranny brush. Currently loving it! :)

Check that out! I use this foundation brush with Maybelline's Age Rewind Under Eye Concealer. This is Sigma's concealer brush, and it's packed so tightly- look at all those concealer hiding inside! It turned the liquid beige!

I gave this TWO shampooing. Just to be sure. After this first one, where I've got the concealer run out, I gave it a quick rinse and another drop of shampoo. Lathered again.

Time to rinse! I don't need the showerhead or the bucket here. I just rinse straight from the tap.

I swirl it around my hand. This will loosen the bristles and get the water all in between them.

For some brushes, I scrunch it up with my hand. Thick brushes that might have residue hiding in the core. Then I swirl the brush on my fingertips.

If your brush is holding quite an amount of water, gently squeeze it off. Don't pull out the hairs! Just ease the water off. Then run the bristles through the clean towel. Hmm.. I'm not very sure if this step is necessary. Is it? If you have loads of time to dry them, then maybe this is a skippable step.



 

I swirl and turn the round brushes.

That's about it!! Washing done- drying next! Check out my separate post on drying brushes here, click me!

Toodles!