My Favorite Makeup Brushes

Here are my favorite brushes....and they're all cheap!

From top to bottom:

1. ELF studio powder brush- It is antibacterial, synthetic haired takalon brush. It is very dense and very soft. I've washed it several times and it has yet to shed a single hair. It is great for buffing in powder or liquid foundation. Vegan and cruelty free. Available at http://www.eyeslipsface.com/ $3

2. Everyday Minerals long handled kabuki- A synthetic haired brush that is dense and soft. Also great for buffing in powder or liquid foundation. Vegan and cruelty free. Available at http://www.everydayminerals.com/ $12

3. I believe the brand is Studio Basics- it is a eye blending brush at one end and a pencil brush at the other. I think these are synthetic. The blending brush is good for blending out eyeshadow or applying a wash of color to the lid. It can also be used to apply and blend concealer which is how I use it. The pencil brush end can be used to apply shadow to the outer V or to smudge shadow or liner in the lash line. I bought this in a set at Walmart. I don't know if they still carry it or not. I'm sure the set was under $10.

4. ELF essetails eye shadow brush- This is the perfect brush for packing on shadow to the eyelid. Available at www.eyeslipsface.com $1

5. Mary Kay eye crease brush- This brush is the perfect size for my eye crease. I like it to apply color and also blending it out. It came in a brush set that I got as a free gift. You cannot buy this brush seperately. The set is available at www.marykay.com or through your Mary Kay represenative. The set is $48

6. Coastal Scents small oval eye detail brush- I love using this brush to apply shadow to my inner corner, it is the perfect size! I also got this one in a set.  This is the set I got at www.coastalscents.com it is origanlly $39 but I'm sure I got it on sale.

These are all brushes that I've accumulated over time. If you are in the market for brushes I suggest looking at ELF or Coastal Scents for inexpensive brushes that will get the job done!

Thanks for reading and have a great day! :)

How to Clean Makeup Brushes

A few days ago on the Beauty Broadcast facebook page, there was a discussion on how often you clean your makeup brushes. I admit that I don't deep clean my brushes nearly as often as I should. In fact, it wasn't until I began watching makeup videos last year that it even occurred to me that they needed to be cleaned. Gross, I know.

This is how I deep clean my brushes. I did not invent this method. I got it from youtube :) You will need:

Baby shampoo, dirty brushes, olive oil. and a clean towel. Glass of wine optional :)

The olive oil works at drawing out the makeup and conditions the bristles while the soap cleanses.

I put a small pump of baby shampoo and a small drizzle of olive oil in the palm of my hand 

Then wet only the bristles of your brush and swirl it in the palm of your hand. Some brushes will leave a lot of product in your hand and some won't. Take care to not get water passed the ferrule (metal part) of the brush. If water gets in there it can cause the handle to warp and/or rot.

Keep swirling until the brush no longer leaves makeup on your hand and the water is clear when you rinse it. For really dirty brushes you may need to rinse your hand and add more shampoo and oil and swirl a second or third time.

Once your brush is clean squeeze out the excess water and lay flat to dry. Do not stand upright to dry, as water can get down into the ferrule, and let dry overnight.  

I try to deep clean my brushes once a month, but in reality do it every couple of months and spot clean with a cleansing spray weekly or as needed.  I like the daily brush cleaner from ELF.

How often do you clean your brushes?

Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!