Beauty editor Nicole Emmerling has some tips today for caring for and extending the life of your make-up brushes. -- AP
Thanks, Anastasia! Many of us have moved away from cosmetic wedges and are now using brushes to apply everything from foundation to powder to lipstick to liner and shadow. Good make-up brushes can be pricey, so you want to treat them with care. If you don’t, you’ll be replacing them often.
Here are some tips that will help extend the life of those brushes:
For brushes where you change color often (eye shadow, liner, and lip brushes), you’re going to need to remove the color after each use. The easiest way to do this is to place a moist paper towel in the palm of your hand. With the brush in your other hand, twirl the brush around the paper towel until you’ve removed all the color. Place the brush on a clean towel to dry.
With repeated use, bacteria and oils will build up on make-up brushes. To sanitize your brushes use a make-up brush cleaner every week or two. Follow the directions on the brush cleaner.
Every few months you want to give your brushes a deeper cleansing. Wet the bristles with warm water and massage a small amount of your face cleanser into a lather. Swish the brushes around in warm water to rinse off the cleanser. Use your fingers to squeeze out any excess water from the bristles and reshape them. Place on a clean towel to dry.
Thanks, Anastasia! Many of us have moved away from cosmetic wedges and are now using brushes to apply everything from foundation to powder to lipstick to liner and shadow. Good make-up brushes can be pricey, so you want to treat them with care. If you don’t, you’ll be replacing them often.
Here are some tips that will help extend the life of those brushes:
For brushes where you change color often (eye shadow, liner, and lip brushes), you’re going to need to remove the color after each use. The easiest way to do this is to place a moist paper towel in the palm of your hand. With the brush in your other hand, twirl the brush around the paper towel until you’ve removed all the color. Place the brush on a clean towel to dry.
With repeated use, bacteria and oils will build up on make-up brushes. To sanitize your brushes use a make-up brush cleaner every week or two. Follow the directions on the brush cleaner.
Every few months you want to give your brushes a deeper cleansing. Wet the bristles with warm water and massage a small amount of your face cleanser into a lather. Swish the brushes around in warm water to rinse off the cleanser. Use your fingers to squeeze out any excess water from the bristles and reshape them. Place on a clean towel to dry.
Hmm…sounds quite similar to the way I care for my watercolor brushes. Thanks, Nicole! Readers, do you have any similar tips you’d like to share with us? Let’s hear from you! Post a comment to win a book from our Book Club Friday guest author. -- AP
I am so bad about doing this and my brushes have really suffered. I'd always heard that you use your facial cleanser, but I recently read that someone was saying to use shampoo. Which would be better?
ReplyDeleteShampoo would work if it's a mild one, Teresa. I'd suggest baby shampoo. Definitely don't use any of the specialty shampoos, like the ones for volume, curly, straight, or dyed hair.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
ReplyDelete