How to Clean Your Makeup Brushes

I once heard a makeup artist say you should clean your personal brushes once a week, but he cleaned his pro brushes in his kit for clients daily after each use. I wondered if not washing my personal for a whole week was ok after using them daily. Not that I'm very good at that. But I do notice that I will break out THE VERY NEXT DAY if I have used a foundation or blush makeup brush that hasn't been washed in over a week, even if I only used it once.

But don't you ever feel too lazy to clean them? Or do you clean them at all? Hmm that's the real question?!

Why you should clean your brushes

*to prevent bacteria buildup & clogged pores

*to extend the life of the bristles

*they accumulate acne-causing bacteria, dead skin cells and oil

*smoother application

How often you should clean your brushes (recommendations)

I personally would say clean them after each use, but there are some industry experts who say you can wait some time based on the type of product and brush:

*foundation & concealer brushes at least once a week (recommended by dermatologists)

*eye shadows at least every other month (according to Bobbi Brown)

How to clean your makeup brushes

My favorite brush cleanser is the Makeup Brush and Sponge Cleansing Balm by Sonia Kashuk, which I usually find at Target for about $12. It gets the stubborn foundation and concealer out perfectly with warm water. It also comes with scrubbing pad so you don't need to purchase an additional product.

1. wet the brush with warm water

2. twirl it in the balm first, then the scrubbing pad

3. rinse

4. use a paper towel to pat dry

(make sure it's the type of paper towel that won't leave white fibers on your brush)

5. air dry overnight

During covid, on my professional makeup brushes in my kit, after washing them, I spray them with 99% alcohol - just in case!

Selena-Inspired Makeup

Netflix is releasing their new anticipated series on SELENA tomorrow at midnight PST. Can't wait! So I felt inspired to mimic her traditional makeup look and infamous Latina red lips.

Here's how I made it happen.

EYES

Eyeshadow:

Selena never overdid it on the eyeshadow. Her standard look was a light lid and brow bone, with a warm or taupey crease. I used only 2 colors from the Smashbox Cover Shot palette called Minimalist.

Lashes:

If she wore lashes, they were never dramatic. I would suggest individual lashes if you want to add some fullness with a natural lash look. I chose to just double up on the mascara here with no faux lashes.

Eyeliner:

If you look closely to her performances, the focus was on her eyeliner, which wasn't much of a wing, but more of a cat eye. This is actually much easier to achieve if you're a beginner to upper eyeliner. With a liquid liner, draw a line directly from your upper lash line (on your lid) straight out, stopping no further than the end of your brow. My fave liquid liner is the Epic Ink Liner by NYX.

LIPS

Selena was known for her staple red lips so it was only right that MAC Cosmetics launch her own red lipstick, Selena La Reina, which I used. (Tough to find now.) Overdraw that pout with a lip liner for a juicy, full pucker.

BLUSH

She also stuck to a warmer peachy blush. I'm wearing one of my favorites by Tarte - the Amazonian Clay 12-hour Blush in the shade Blissful. You can actually get one for FREE (and a mascara) with Tarte's current promotion below. Just click the image to start shopping.

Throw on some hoop earrings and you've got a Selena Quintanilla look!

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