Expert Eye Makeup Tips

Easy Tips & Techniques For Cleaning & Caring For Professional Makeup Brushes

Taking good care of your new cosmetic brush set will prolong the life of the brushes. Makeup brushes are an investment and if you clean makeup brushes on a regular basis they can last indefinitely.
Basic Makeup Brush Cleaning:
Daily cleaning is a necessity if you are a makeup artist and will be using your professional makeup brushes on clients. However, daily brush cleaning can also be beneficial for your personal makeup brush set. This will prevent product build-up and will provide a clean, healthy application of your cosmetics.
Technique #1:

• Spray both sides of the brush with a makeup brush cleaner.
• Take a paper towel and wipe the brush. You can do this by wrapping the paper towel around the brush. While applying pressure with the thumb and fingers on one hand, pull the brush through the paper towel with your other hand. You can also sweep the tips of the brush across the paper towel, as if you were trying to paint the paper towel. You should continue wiping the brush until the paper towel is clean and you can't see any makeup or color being transferred from the brush to the paper towel.
• Repeat the process as necessary.
• As a professional makeup artist, this type of quick cleaning should be done both before and after working on a client. You can never be too careful with the cleanliness of your professional makeup brushes.

Technique #2:

• Fold a paper towel in half and then in half again. Pour your favorite makeup brush cleaner directly onto the paper towel. Lightly sweep the brushes back and forth between the fold of the paper towel until all make-up residue is removed and the brush hair is completely clean.

Deep Cleaning:
Every two to four weeks you should perform a more thorough cleaning of your brushes. If you are a makeup artist, or someone who will be using your professional brushes with clients, you should do a deep cleaning of your brushes at the end of each day.
Technique #1:

• Start by wetting the brush hair.
• Pour a small amount of mild shampoo or antibacterial soap in the palm of your hand, or on a plate.
• Swirl the brush around in your palm so that it mixes with the shampoo. Rinse the shampoo out of your palm and keep cleaning until the water and shampoo in your hand is clear.
• Apply more shampoo to your palm and repeat the process as needed.
• Rinse the brush thoroughly at the end to make sure that all of the soap and residue has been removed. Be careful when rinsing your brush so that only the brush bristles are under the water. Rinsing the entire brush can lead to water being trapped under the ferrule and compromising the glue that attaches the brush to the handle.
• ** Turn the brush upside down and place the brush handle between the palm of your two hands.
• Spin the brush between your palms so that the brush fibers spin and release the water.
• Use your fingers to reshape the brush.
• Lay the brush handle on a counter top, vanity, bureau or anyplace where the brush handle can lay flat and the brush bristles can hang over the counter. This will allow air to circulate the brush and to dry it more quickly. Let the brush dry completely overnight.

Technique #2:

• This technique is good if you have a full makeup brush set that you need to clean.
• Fill a sink, or large bowl, with warm water.
• Mix a small amount of mild shampoo or antibacterial soap with the water.
• Dip the brush hair into the water and shampoo mixture. Swirl the brush around, using your fingers as needed, to work the shampoo into the bristles and to release the makeup from the brush.
• Rinse the brush under the faucet until the water runs clear and all residue has been removed.
• Follow the steps above (from the ** on) for how to dry the brush.

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