Makeup Brushes: Cleansing Tutorial

It may have never occurred to you, but it's so super important to make sure you're cleaning your makeup brushes on a regular basis.  Go take a look at them right now and I'm sure you'll see eyeshadows and bronzer dusted over the tops, and probably even caked in deep within the bristles if you've never cleaned them before.  But today's the day you start taking care of them as you would the hair on your own head.  Two reasons why it's important to take good care of your brushes are:

1.  To prolong their life!  You paid so much for that really awesome set of brushes that polish off your look perfectly, so cleaning them regularly will help them last way longer than they normally would.  A well kept makeup brush can last anywhere from six months to two years, so you should want to get the most life out of each of your expensive little beauty tools.

2.  For your own health!  With the constant buildup of makeup day after day, this can cause bacteria to grow, leading to clogged pores and unwanted breakouts. If you're all of a sudden noticing an array of acne popping up and can't pinpoint the culprit, take a close look at your brushes and you might find that they're long overdue for a cleaning.

Don't put it off any longer, because it's so super easy to clean them.  You can either buy a brush shampoo at beauty stores like Sephora or Ulta, or you can mix one of your facial cleansers with water and create your own wash. I like to use Sephora's Purifying Brush Shampoo available in stores for $6.

1.  Gather up all your brushes that are due for a cleaning.  You definitely want to grab the ones that you use everyday, and all others that have any makeup caked up in them.  If you've never cleaned your brushes before, definitely clean all of them now.

2.  Focusing on just one brush at a time, dampen it lightly with warm water.  You don't want it to be soaking wet, so just run it under the faucet for a few seconds.

3.  In a small bowl {I like to use my mini latte bowls from Anthropologie}, squeeze out some brush shampoo.  A little goes a long way so I only use two pumps for each brush, one if it's a smaller one like my eyeshadow brush.

Swirl your brush around in the bowl rotating between clockwise and counter-clockwise.  You'll start to see all the makeup coming out of the brush and collecting in the bottom of the bowl.

4.  Run your brush under the faucet again {using warm water} and use your fingers to rub the bristles to get off any excess makeup that may still be in them.

5.  Use a paper towel to squeeze out all the water from the brush.  Make sure it's as dry as you can get it!  Reshape the bristles and lay your brush flat to dry.

It'll be a while before your brushes dry completely, so an ideal time to start is right after you've applied your makeup in the morning so that they'll be dry and ready for you to use the next day.

Happy cleaning!

Monday Mantra: Love Your Imperfections

I had some time to kill before work yesterday so I stopped into Barnes & Noble and found myself wandering towards the self help section.  Among the many "how to quit smoking" and "why you are the way you are" books, I noticed one called "Beautiful You".  I didn't read any of it but it did catch my attention, as I never would have even thought that people would consult a book to cope with self-esteem issues.

It's really disheartening how so many people have such a negative self image these days.  It reminds me of a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt that my friend Michelle once told me and has always stuck:

"Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent".  

Why should anyone's perception of you be any reason to feel pity on yourself?  It shouldn't.  Everyone  has something about themselves they wish they could change.  But the truth is, these little imperfections are what make you different.  From the big ears that your mom promised you'd grow into, to the freckles on your cheeks that your grandma proclaimed "give you character". I know it's cliché and it's not what you want to hear, but I'm not going to tell you that you can somehow magically change the way you look.  The only thing to do is to love your imperfections & embrace your flaws. Because what may seem like the worst quality to you, just might be what will make somebody fall head over heels. Happy Monday :)

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