What Do You Wash Your Makeup Brushes With?
What to wash makeup brushes with is more down to personal preference than being incorrect. In the past few years, there have been more cleaning gadgets — silicone cleansing pads, high-powered machines — introduced to the market than actual brushes. OK, maybe not quite, but there are more and more gizmos (such as the StylPro cleaner and dryer) that've launched to help make cleaning as quick and effective as possible for all makeup enthusiasts.
But one of the best products to wash your brushes with might be sitting right on your kitchen sink. "I use dishwashing soap, like Fairy liquid, for my face and eye brushes," Young said. "Think about it; Fairy liquid is meant to be gentle on hands and cut through grease. Your brushes pick up natural skin emollients so you need something to cut through that quickly." And the speed at which something cleans your brushes is just as important. "Cutting through the grease quickly ensures that you're not overcleaning, which can damage the bristles over time." For things like eyeliner and lip tools, Young sometimes prefers a simple bar of soap. His top tip is to look out for hotel soaps that often have an uneven texture to them; this creates the ideal surface to break the buildup of product and dissolve it quickly.
Martin also uses various products to maintain a pristine brush collection. To wash away eyeliner, she uses a cream face cleanser, which is perfect if your skin is sensitive to various products. For a deep clean, she loves to use the Amanda Harrington Gentle Care Brush Shampoo (£14) — but also notes a mild shampoo works well — paired with a Beautyblender Keep.It.Clean Rubber Mitt (£17) to get right into the root of the bristles.
In between clients, and on set when Martin and Young don't have time for big cleans in between models, they both turn to makeup brush cleaning sprays. Young prefers to use the MAC Brush Cleaner (£12.50) because "it doesn't leave the bristles soaking wet, making it a great option to clean in between [makeup looks on set] to remove the superficial product." Martin uses Cinema Secrets Brush Cleaning Spray (£11) and a kitchen towel, which doesn't require rinsing.