Drying Makeup Brushes



Trying out the whatnot I bought from Japan Store, P88.00

I'm not gonna talk about washing brushes here, though I've already blogged about 'spot-cleaning' them. This is about drying brushes. Plain and simple. If you don't have makeup brushes, you probably think this post is a joke. C'mon, how complicated could that be, right? Sic. I used to think so, too, before I started buying makeup brushes.

 

Also, don't wash them in such a way that the water
is running towards the handle. Not like this
either,  this photo was totally staged!

I've mentioned how caring for makeup brushes is important. Dirty brushes = bacteria. Bacteria = acne. Acne = NO THANKS. Properly drying brushes can also help them remain cleaner. Not just that, it extends your brushes' lifespan. Yep. You don't want dead brushes. That's $$$$$$$ down the grave :P You've invested enough in this pile of glorified packed bristles, so make sure you get your money's worth.

 

Aside from deep cleansing, spot cleaning, and proper storage, drying is also a key factor to healthy, happy brushes!

 

I'm not an expert at makeup brushes, but I do know that you do not, by any means, blowdry them. No. No. Noooooo. That's one way of ruining them. Some bristles could melt due to the sheer heat of the hairdryer. The quality and texture of the brush would get altered. Direct heat is a no-no for drying brushes. That includes letting them out in the sun to bake.



This picture is actually here to portray my Spelling Bee credentials. Nice, ei

 

You also shouldn't dry them laid flat. I know that's the most convenient thing, but try not to do this. Just look at how the brush is made. The brush bristles are coiled together inside the ferrule (this is the metal thingy that's directly next to the brush hairs), and the ferrule is glued to the handle (uhm, pretty obvious what that one is). Drying them flat means the liquid or moisture from washing the bristles can pool inside the ferrule. This can cause the material holding the bristles together to loosen- thus, hairfall! Or in WoC, shedding. A bit of shedding is not out of the ordinary when prepping new brushes, but it should be insignificant. Shedding due to damage inside the ferrule is like brush cancer! That brush's days are numbered. The water there could also weaken the glue between the ferrule and the handle,  AND of course can be an ideal ground for harboring bacteria.



DONT dry them this way.

Following the same principle, you shouldn't dry brushes upside down. Or is it right side up? Just don't dry them standing up with the bristles on top!

 

Tada! Brush to Guard. Guard to Hook. Hook to Hang...er.

The ideal way to dry makeup brushes is to invert them, handle side up and bristles pointing down. This is quite an unnatural state for these brushes, I know. That's why you're gonna have to get a bit creative.


That'll do!




just keep rolling.

You can buy drying racks or rolls, which have slots and elastics to keep your brushes in the right position til they dry. You can roll your brushes on a towel (like you would if you were doing a cinnamon roll? What's that, you don't make cinnamon rolls? Me neither.) with the brushes inside, and prop the entire roll up so it stands. There are many tricks to drying brushes. Here is mine.

 

Just a wee bit of the guard covering the bristles

I use mesh brush guards that are at least an inch longer than the brush it holds, hang on end to a hook, and hang the hook where ever it's good to have it dry. In my case, the terrace. I prefer this method because it seems to be the most 'breathable' option for the brushes. And as an added bonus, the brush guard can hold the bristles in place, so they don't dry flaring out. Take note some brush bristles hold the shape they dry in. I get a bit OC with this.

 

 

To dry, just pop the brush (again, bristles pointing down) through the bottom tip of the brush guard, and find a good place to hang them. When they are dry, pop them out by pushing them upwards to the top end of the brush guard, so the brush glides out without going against the direction of the bristles.

 

I purchased the brush guard by 40inches over at Amazon (the Wilderness, as I call it) for $5. If you were to make 8-inch brush guards, that's 5pcs. There are also pre-cut brush guards available. You don't necessarily need a brush guard for EACH makeup brush you have. Just make sure you wash them by batch, so the guards can accommodate the brushes that need drying.

 

I over-purchased the brush guards, not sure what to do with my spare.... does it mean I need more brushes???? Nooooooooooooo :P Maybe I should give one roll away? Hmm..



A Family Portrait.

Handy Organizers!

 



Loving this purchase! Hope to put it to good use!

 

So I've been acquiring a lot of trinkets lately, mostly skin care and cosmetics products, and they are starting to PILE UP!

 

It's so sleek, I wonder what to put inside it..

I hate clutter. Hate it! I feel really irritable when I'm surrounded with it. No matter how much I organize, I never seem to have enough space for anything! Gah! Can't wait for the day I've gotten my vanity table- yes please!

Hmmm, it can do this...

 

Til then, I must make do with what I have. Here's a couple new products that I think you might find handy as well!

 

This acrylic organizer was bought from our local Japan Home, for P88. Acrylic organizers from Landmark start at, oh I think P180 and up, so at half the price, this was a steal!

 

It has four separate comparments on one side, and two wider compartments on the other.

 

I'm not quite sure what to put in it... face products? Mascaras and liners? Brushes? Hmmm.... it'll come to me.

 

Or something like this..

The only downside (which is not so much as a downside but more of a tradeoff for the price) is that it's not completely clear. It has a hint of tint! If you've started up a collection of perfectly clear acrylic organizers, this might not mesh well with them. Oh, and there were no other sizes or shapes (is that what you call it?) aside from this.

 

 

Great buy! Some friends actually got 3 each. Hoarders!

 



Oh the possibilities!!

This second one is from a local online seller, Smart Mum, and it's this nifty organizer bag. It's the right size to fit shoulder bags and handbags, so you can transfer your things easily.


Sure, you can do that with those bag in bag organizer thingies (you know what I'm talking about, those rectangular things that's full of dividers), but certain things that will fit here, may not fit there. Plus, provides decent protection since it closes all the way through.




See? Full sized brushes fit right in!

 

 

You can put all sorts of whatnots here, it's quite generous. Books, notebooks, tablets, etc. A bunch of my friends, all currently being sucked by the World of Cosmetics (WoC) bought this for one purpose- as a brush holder. Travel brush bag. And I must say, it does the job QUITE WELL!


It's ten inches tall and six inches wide (unopened). It's over an inch thick, and you can really pack items inside. There are two pockets and an elastic guard for EACH side. Very ideal for makeup brushes! I'll ask my friend how much brushes she was able to pack in hers. She brought this to our Makeup Class, and it was FULL OF BRUSHES! I should have gotten a photo!
 

 

Since we pooled out orders together, we got it at a steal for P180 only. If you order just one piece, that's gonna set you back P250. Order at least six pieces and get a discount. :)

 

My brushes are currently drying, so no demo for that.

Well, that's that!

ELF Daily Brush Cleaner



ELF Daily Brush Cleaner, $3, eyeslipsface.com

So this is a WoC post. I have made mention of my current love- cosmetics. yes, sucked into the world of cosmetics. Tragic. What does that involve? Lots of reviews, colors, swatches, brands. That goes for both face products, and tools. Brushes. Makeup brushes. MAKEUP BRUSHES! Yes, I just want to shout it out! They're the fizizzle! The shizzle dizzle!

.... ohmmm... ohm... ohm... ok. Back to earth.
 

Directions and ingredients.

I've acquired a few brushes- will post about those soonish. Should've posted about those first, I guess. My bad :P

 

Makeup brushes can be quite an investment, and to get the most out of them, you're gonna have to give them a bunch of TLC. Proper care of these brushes can not only extend their lifespan, but could also lead to better makeup application and healthier facial skin. Let's face it, dirty brushes = bacteria. Bacteria = pimples. Pimples = ...no. Simple as that.

 

It's not like you're gonna wash and shampoo your brushes after every use, unless you use them, oh, say once or twice a week. They take a bit long to dry, and using them damp is also a no-no. So what do you do after using them? Spot clean.

 

Spot cleaning doesn't completely and thoroughly clean your brushes, but they do help kill germs. They sanitize the brushes to some extent, to prevent it from harboring bacteria.

 

 

Ready, aim, fire!

Spritz, spritz!

I may not know much about makeup or brushes, or skin care, but I do know that I breakout easily. And I'm still enjoying my foray to WoC to let pimples get in the way. Hence, I bought myself a nifty makeup brush spot cleaner- ELF's Daily Brush Cleaner.

 

ELF Daily Brush Cleaner. I am quite happy with my few ELF brushes, and at $3 a pop, they're a steal! The brush cleaner is also $3, so I didn't really have to think about it. It's packaged in a sleek plastic bottle, with an atomizer cap. The mist spray thing means you use only little of the product. Bang for your buck, baby.

No tripod, by myself. Yeah, I wasted a bit of the product for this shot.

 

The water-based brush cleaner is meant for daily use, or however often you deem needed. Just give your used brushes a few spritz, no need to get stingy on the product, now. Don't spray too close! Give a few inches distance, that way, the cleaning solution is well distributed all throughout the brush bristles. After that, run your brushes on a clean cloth, to remove some of the cosmetic product from the bristles.

Run the brush over a clean cloth, while damp from the cleaner.

 

The cleaning solution smells quite good, which is a plus for me. Others may not appreciate the fragrant scent (I'm trying to figure out which essence it is, but it's there), I like it. It has alcohol, but not so potent that it would damage your makeup brush bristles. The disinfecting quality should help with possible breakouts/bacteria.

 

It doesn't remove ALL the makeup off your brushes, especially if you're using oil based liquid foundation. Only deep cleaning or shampooing can do that. But you do see that it breaks down some of the makeup that's left on your brush, and leaves them in the cloth after. (common sense? yeah)

Just give it a swirl on the cloth

 

The brushes airdry quickly. You don't have to hang them upside down. Just store them as you usually would, bristles up.

 

This is the first brush spot-cleaner that I've encountered, so I can't compare it with other products. I've been using it for a few days now and I'm pretty happy with it. Let's see if it becomes a staple on my vanity. :)



Yay! Done spot cleaning!