First, to begin we need dirty brushes (check).
Next two products we are going to be using are normal household products, no need for a fancy brush cleanser. I like to use Extra Virgin Olive Oil (say what?!) I know, you're probably thinking I've gone a bit off the deep end but fear not, I promise you this stuff works miracles. Next thing you will need, well...you dont NEED it but if you want your brushes squeeky clean and sanitized like mine, then use this next product. Dawn Dish Soap with Olay hand renewal. Again, WHAT?! I promise, I'll explain as the blog goes on...just bear with me :)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil is like the magic oil when it comes to washing brushes, it breaks down the makeup that is packed tight into your hair of your brushes. Without this, my brushes don't come out half as clean. I don't use this on all of my brushes, only on ones with heavy, built up makeup. Such as, eyeshadow and eyeliner brushes. As for the dawn, I use this A) because its antibacterial, B) because it has the olay hand renewal which serves as a conditioner for my brushes and leaves them soft/fluffy. I love fluffy. C) because I wash my dishes with this and I don't have to go out and buy a fancy, expensive brush cleaner that doesn't work as good! Yay for household items with multiple uses! :)
Now, lets begin cleaning...shall we?!
Take your dirty brush, and dip it in a little bowl that has a small layer of EVOO at the bottom...
it should look like this...yum
Next thing you are going to want to do is grab a paper towel, fold it in half (so the oil doesn't seep through to your table) and GENTLY swirl your brush onto it. I emphasized gently because you don't want you be too rough with your bristles, prolonging the life of your brushes is good for saving money. What you will see is something like the picture below, kinda gross to think that stuff is being distributed onto your face, huh? Pimples, breakouts, blackheads, noooo thank you !! Moving forward...
Once this step is finished we can move on to the washing part, so we will need to go over to the sink...the first thing you should do is make sure you use luke warm water. Not too hot, not too cold. Give the brush a good rinse to get the oil loosened up, (on the brushes that don't have oil, its still a good idea to get them damp before using the dawn). IMPORTANT; do not get water in where the metal meets the handle of the brush. This can cause the wood to rot and your brush can fall apart right before your eyes :'(
Next, I take my dish soap and fill a bowl (small one like the one I used for my oil) a little at a time. With my damp brush, I dip it into the bowl with my dish soap. After that, I again, gently swirl the brush in the palm of my hand then rinse it clean. Give a thorough rinse because you don't want any oil or soap left over on the brushes. If the brush feels slippery or isn't rinsing clear water then repeat the cleansing step and rinse a little more. There is no such thing as too much rinsing...scouts honor. :)
The final product should look like this. . .
squeeky clean lookin' right? told ya...
last but not least, squeeze excess water out of brushes so that they look similar to their original shape and lay them babies out to dry!
Happy brush cleaning :)
