A lot of good eyeshadows sadly come with rubbish makeup sponge applicators or brushes. More often than not, we often chuck these makeup applicators and brushes in favour of our own. It's such a waste, isn't it?
Instead of throwing them away, or storing them in your drawer, why not put them to good use? I found a great use for those mediocre makeup brushes I get for free as gifts with purchase.
I use them to clean my notebook keyboard!
Our computer keyboard traps a lot more dirt than we think, and if you were to remove the caps, you'd be disgusted at how filthy it would be. The small eye shadow brushes are fantastic in removing dirt and dust that settled into those nook and crannies of your keyboard.
Just give the in-between holes a good swipe with your makeup brush (depending on the area of need; for a keyboard, you'd most likely only need a small brush), and then wipe the brush clean with a damp cloth. Do not wet your brush when cleaning the keyboard when the computer is turned on. If you wish to use a moist brush, remember to remove all excess water, and turn off your computer before you commence with the cleaning.
You can even use the makeup brushes to clean your audio and photography equipment as well, e.g. dusting your hi-fi set, your camera, etc. See, you don't have to waste those lousy makeup brushes. They have a good use to them after all, if not for makeup.
Have fun!
Instead of throwing them away, or storing them in your drawer, why not put them to good use? I found a great use for those mediocre makeup brushes I get for free as gifts with purchase.
I use them to clean my notebook keyboard!
Our computer keyboard traps a lot more dirt than we think, and if you were to remove the caps, you'd be disgusted at how filthy it would be. The small eye shadow brushes are fantastic in removing dirt and dust that settled into those nook and crannies of your keyboard.
Just give the in-between holes a good swipe with your makeup brush (depending on the area of need; for a keyboard, you'd most likely only need a small brush), and then wipe the brush clean with a damp cloth. Do not wet your brush when cleaning the keyboard when the computer is turned on. If you wish to use a moist brush, remember to remove all excess water, and turn off your computer before you commence with the cleaning.
You can even use the makeup brushes to clean your audio and photography equipment as well, e.g. dusting your hi-fi set, your camera, etc. See, you don't have to waste those lousy makeup brushes. They have a good use to them after all, if not for makeup.
Have fun!
Labels: Makeup Brushes
Poll: How Often Do You Wash Your Makeup Brushes?
7 Comments Posted by Tine on Aug 13, 2008 at 8:07 AM.
Photo Credit: Mostly Lisa
Before I started buying good makeup brushes, I used the cheapo ones that either came with the makeup product, or I'd just use the ones that come free with the purchase of something else. Suffice to say, I never washed those (eeeuuuww). When I bought my Body Shop brushes (for only 1 pound each - sigh, how I missed the 1 pound Body Shop sales in the UK), I tried to get into the habit of washing them more often. Embarrassingly though, I only washed my face brush and blush brush once every two to three months. Ooops. And I leave them out in the open too, instead of putting them in a drawer. So can you imagine the amount of dirt and crap that goes on my face everyday back then?!
I still shudder at the thought.
Once I started buying better makeup brushes, I began to get into the habit of washing them once a week. I keep my makeup brushes in my makeup drawers, away from dust. I'd wash my kabuki, flat top and blush brush once a week, and eye shadow, eye liner, etc brushes after I've used them. These babies go on my eyes; I have to use clean brushes on my eyes.
So there you go. Wash those brushes, if you haven't already. See that greyish muck that is your water from the brushes when you rinse them? That should scare you into washing them regularly :p Makeup brushes that are well taken care of can last you for years and years to come.
Be honest now. How often do you wash your makeup brushes? ;)
The poll will close in a month.
Labels: Makeup Brushes, Polls
I have a thing for makeup brushes. I especially like good quality, synthetic brushes, because I find them softer and easier on the skin compared to natural-haired ones. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of great natural-haired makeup brushes out there. Synthetic brushes are just a personal preference of mine. Natural-haired brushes tend to scratch my skin.
I love the makeup brushes from Everyday Minerals (EDM). Except for the eye kabuki brush which was recently launched (I can't wait to get my hands on it), I have all the brushes. They're incredibly soft and work so well with mineral makeup (not just the ones by Everyday Minerals). By the way, the EDM makeup brushes are all synthetic-haired.
1. Baby Kabuki
USD6
This is just about the tiniest kabuki brush I have ever seen. It's only 2" long. You'd have to work a bit more in applying your mineral foundation with this one since it's so small. But the quality of the brush is not compromised, and it's great for traveling. I call this my Little Willy :P
2. Long-Handled Kabuki
USD10
This was the first kabuki brush I used with the mineral foundation I bought from Everyday Minerals. It has a good-sized wooden handle, and applys the powders well. And it's soft, so soft. Hmmm ...
3. Flat Top Brush
USD10
If you're looking for a kabuki brush for your mineral foundation, I highly recommend the EDM flat top brush. This performed much better than the long-handled kabuki, giving you great coverage in an instant. It takes a little more effort to reach places with the flat top brush, like the sides of your nose, but that didn't bother me at all. Again, beautifully soft bristles.
4. Angled Blush Brush
Can't recall the exact price of this brush. It's definitely less than USD10.
I really like that the brush is angled, as it gives you better control when applying and blending blush on your face. Other than using the brush to apply blush on the apples of your cheeks, the angled hair can be used to contour your cheeks too, giving it more definition.
At the time of writing, the angled blush brush is currently not available on the EDM website. I reckon it's sold out, since it's quite a popular product.
5. Everyday Eye Shadow Brushes
USD5
The eye shadows brushes pick powder up pretty well. The tightly-packed bristles gives you good control of the colour. It's also soft, which is what I like. Still, as far as all eye shadow brushes go, I wouldn't say these packed a punch, but they're all right.
6. Oval Concealer Brush
USD6
I admit that I bought this brush to complete the collection, rather than out of necessity. Its angular shape makes it easy to apply concealer powder under the eyes and to cover up blemishes. For some reason, I found the hairs on this brush rather limp, compared to the rest of the brushes.
A good thing about the EDM makeup brushes is that they do not shed. I read somewhere that the first generation of makeup brushes by EDM were lousy, and that the hairs shed like crazy. Not these babies, not the newer ones anyway. I wash these brushes once a week; not just wiping them with brush cleaners mind you, but actually scrubbing them out kinda thing. Only a hair or two (if not at all) falls off each time, which I think, is quite natural.
It's too bad that EDM does not sell makeup brush cases as well, or else I'd snag one just to put my babies in. All of them, even Little Willy, need a home :p
So yeah, I highly recommend EDM's makeup brushes. For their quality and low prices, I think it's a great deal.
I love the makeup brushes from Everyday Minerals (EDM). Except for the eye kabuki brush which was recently launched (I can't wait to get my hands on it), I have all the brushes. They're incredibly soft and work so well with mineral makeup (not just the ones by Everyday Minerals). By the way, the EDM makeup brushes are all synthetic-haired.
1. Baby Kabuki
USD6
This is just about the tiniest kabuki brush I have ever seen. It's only 2" long. You'd have to work a bit more in applying your mineral foundation with this one since it's so small. But the quality of the brush is not compromised, and it's great for traveling. I call this my Little Willy :P
2. Long-Handled Kabuki
USD10
This was the first kabuki brush I used with the mineral foundation I bought from Everyday Minerals. It has a good-sized wooden handle, and applys the powders well. And it's soft, so soft. Hmmm ...
3. Flat Top Brush
USD10
If you're looking for a kabuki brush for your mineral foundation, I highly recommend the EDM flat top brush. This performed much better than the long-handled kabuki, giving you great coverage in an instant. It takes a little more effort to reach places with the flat top brush, like the sides of your nose, but that didn't bother me at all. Again, beautifully soft bristles.
4. Angled Blush Brush
Can't recall the exact price of this brush. It's definitely less than USD10.
I really like that the brush is angled, as it gives you better control when applying and blending blush on your face. Other than using the brush to apply blush on the apples of your cheeks, the angled hair can be used to contour your cheeks too, giving it more definition.
At the time of writing, the angled blush brush is currently not available on the EDM website. I reckon it's sold out, since it's quite a popular product.
5. Everyday Eye Shadow Brushes
USD5
The eye shadows brushes pick powder up pretty well. The tightly-packed bristles gives you good control of the colour. It's also soft, which is what I like. Still, as far as all eye shadow brushes go, I wouldn't say these packed a punch, but they're all right.
6. Oval Concealer Brush
USD6
I admit that I bought this brush to complete the collection, rather than out of necessity. Its angular shape makes it easy to apply concealer powder under the eyes and to cover up blemishes. For some reason, I found the hairs on this brush rather limp, compared to the rest of the brushes.
A good thing about the EDM makeup brushes is that they do not shed. I read somewhere that the first generation of makeup brushes by EDM were lousy, and that the hairs shed like crazy. Not these babies, not the newer ones anyway. I wash these brushes once a week; not just wiping them with brush cleaners mind you, but actually scrubbing them out kinda thing. Only a hair or two (if not at all) falls off each time, which I think, is quite natural.
It's too bad that EDM does not sell makeup brush cases as well, or else I'd snag one just to put my babies in. All of them, even Little Willy, need a home :p
So yeah, I highly recommend EDM's makeup brushes. For their quality and low prices, I think it's a great deal.
Labels: Makeup Brushes
Fancy this for Christmas?
Ten hand-crafted brushes from Bobbi Brown, with 24-karat gold accents and ebony handles. Now THAT is luxury, my dears ;)
Brushes in set: Eye Shade, Eye Shadow, Ultra Fine Eye Liner, Eye Brow, Face Blender, Bronzer, Blush, Powder, Foundation, and Concealer.
It's available at Bergdorf Goodman and priced at $650.
Double ouch!
Ten hand-crafted brushes from Bobbi Brown, with 24-karat gold accents and ebony handles. Now THAT is luxury, my dears ;)
Brushes in set: Eye Shade, Eye Shadow, Ultra Fine Eye Liner, Eye Brow, Face Blender, Bronzer, Blush, Powder, Foundation, and Concealer.
It's available at Bergdorf Goodman and priced at $650.
Double ouch!
Labels: Makeup Brushes
I love my makeup brushes to bits. I won't exactly call them the love of my life, but I do treasure each brush I bought (I bought a lot of my makeup brushes from The Body Shop, when I was studying in the UK. It was during one of their many sale periods, for ONE POUND each!), and treat them with care. Do you know that with proper care of your makeup brushes, they can last up to ten years?
Anyways, today I'm going to introduce another Elianto product to you, which is the Elianto Brush Cleaner.
Description:
Ingredients:
Water, Alcohol, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Hexylene Glycol, Isopropyl Alcohol, PEG-32. PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Methylparaben, Triclosan, Fragrance, C142090
Makeup artists use professional brush cleaners as they need to wash their brushes in between makeup jobs, and most importantly, they need the brushes to dry very quickly.
What I like about this brush cleaner is that it does not only clean the brushes out real well, the brushes dry really quickly too. I normally use shampoo and water to wash my brushes, but they take a significant amount of time to dry. If you want to prolong the lifespan of your brushes, I'd recommend using a proper brush cleaner. Elianto's does quite a good job.
To clean your brushes, pour an optimum amount of the brush cleaner liquid into a cup or a small glass. Dip the tip of the brush and swirl gently, avoiding any liquid on the metal area or the handle. Softly press the washed brushes on tissues or a soft cloth to shape the tip. Allow to air-dry naturally. After the washed brush dries completely, use as normal.
Okay, with the pros, come the cons. Well, I do have a small gripe about the brush cleaner, and that it is too little! Each time you clean your brushes, it takes quite a lot of brush cleaner liquid. I normally clean my brushes once a week, and a 255ml bottle lasts me only a month. I'd prefer if they sell it in a much bigger bottle; that would be a lot more economical.
A 255ml bottle of Elianto's Brush Cleaner retails at RM18 at all Elianto counters.
What I like about it: It cleans brushes effectively, and the brushes dry really quickly.
What I did not like about it: A tad expensive for such a small bottle.
Oh, and here's a video tip by Tricia Sawyer on how to clean your brushes. It's not of the same brand, of course, but the method's just the same. Enjoy!
Anyways, today I'm going to introduce another Elianto product to you, which is the Elianto Brush Cleaner.
Description:
The cleaner that specifically works for makeup brushes, it cleans, disinfects and conditions the brush fibres so that the brushes will last longer. It is convenient to use and is specifically designed to extend the life of high quality brushes. The brush cleaner leaves your brushes clean, and helps shorten their drying time.
Ingredients:
Water, Alcohol, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Hexylene Glycol, Isopropyl Alcohol, PEG-32. PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Methylparaben, Triclosan, Fragrance, C142090
Makeup artists use professional brush cleaners as they need to wash their brushes in between makeup jobs, and most importantly, they need the brushes to dry very quickly.
What I like about this brush cleaner is that it does not only clean the brushes out real well, the brushes dry really quickly too. I normally use shampoo and water to wash my brushes, but they take a significant amount of time to dry. If you want to prolong the lifespan of your brushes, I'd recommend using a proper brush cleaner. Elianto's does quite a good job.
To clean your brushes, pour an optimum amount of the brush cleaner liquid into a cup or a small glass. Dip the tip of the brush and swirl gently, avoiding any liquid on the metal area or the handle. Softly press the washed brushes on tissues or a soft cloth to shape the tip. Allow to air-dry naturally. After the washed brush dries completely, use as normal.
Okay, with the pros, come the cons. Well, I do have a small gripe about the brush cleaner, and that it is too little! Each time you clean your brushes, it takes quite a lot of brush cleaner liquid. I normally clean my brushes once a week, and a 255ml bottle lasts me only a month. I'd prefer if they sell it in a much bigger bottle; that would be a lot more economical.
A 255ml bottle of Elianto's Brush Cleaner retails at RM18 at all Elianto counters.
What I like about it: It cleans brushes effectively, and the brushes dry really quickly.
What I did not like about it: A tad expensive for such a small bottle.
Oh, and here's a video tip by Tricia Sawyer on how to clean your brushes. It's not of the same brand, of course, but the method's just the same. Enjoy!
PS: By the way, Elianto sure needs someone to proof-read their product descriptions before marketing them; the grammar's horrendous!
Labels: Makeup Brushes
