My Everday Makeup Brushes and Cleaning Tips

People are always asking me what my favorite brushes are.  I have high end, mid range and low end brushes.  However, the brushes I reach for on a day to day basis come from this Make Me Cool Kit by Sigma.  The name signifies the color which has aqua blue handles and a blue/green duo crome metal ferrules.

I have had several brushes that were high end that either shed, the ferrules came loose, or the bristles irritated my skin.  When I tried my first Sigma brush kit which is the same kit (please refer to my 2010 favorites) in a pink brush roll, I was amazed at how soft yet functional these brushes were. This is a basic starter kit that can take you from foundation all the way to the best eyeliner brush ever created in my opinion.  You get several face and eye brushes with this kit that allow you to complete whatever look you are going for like a pro.

When I got the Make Me Cool kit, I realized how functional the new barrel container was.  Not only does it act as a brush holder when I am at home, but it is very sturdy and makes traveling with your brushes even easier than a regular brush roll.  Particularly if your bags are getting tossed around.  This past summer I took a road trip and everything in my trunk seemed to get smashed or bent...but this brush barrel really kept my brushes in great form.

The one brush in the kit I would say I was getting the least use out of was the eyeliner brush.  Now it is my favorite. One day I was watching a tutorial by Michelle1218 and she mentioned that she got her eyeliner perfect everytime by using the E05 which comes in this kit. I have used it with Mac Fluid Line, Tarte Clay Pot Liners and Bobbi Brown's gel liner and each of them go on quick and easy with this brush. 

Prior to this discovery, my favorite two brushes in this kit were the F50 Stippling Brush which I use for highly pigmented blushes (Like Tarte's Flush or Nars' Mata Hari and Desire), or the F40 Large Angled Contour which I use primarily with matte bronzers to contour, but I have used it for blushes as well. 

I never put foundation on with my hands and haven't since I was a teen for fear of transferring oils and bacteria even from freshly washed hands to my face.  I was reading an article the other day that said even primers should be put on with a brush or sponge as well to prevent "balling up" and breakouts.  I believe I will use the F60 Foundation brush for this moving forward. All of the brushes mentioned are in the Make MeUp kits found here. There are four colors to choose from; black, purple, coral, or aqua (like mine).

I want my brushes to last, be in good condition and ready for use at all times.  I do a spot cleaning every time I do my makeup using Sephora's Brush Cleaner for spot cleaning (I can't remember the exact name...but it is not the shampoo).  For deep cleaning which I do every 1-2 weeks to make sure that I am not putting any bacteria on my face that can cause breakouts I use baby shampoo.  Originally, I was using regular Johnson & Johnson's original formula.  Then I found a Johnson & Johnson's baby shampoo with lavender in it.  It may be my imagination, but I feel as if the lavender version makes my brushes softer.  I plan on trying the alcohol brush cleaning method as soon as my Sephora brush cleaner runs out as well.

I hope this helps you to look at basic brushes for every day use and gave you some information on how to clean your brushes.  When it comes to brush cleaning, everyone has their own preferences regarding frequency and products to use. Sometimes it is a process of trial and error, but the most important thing is to make sure you are only getting the hairs/bristles of the brush wet and that no water is getting into the ferrules.  As with any type of brush whether it is makeup or a paint brush, getting water into the ferrules is the quickest way to ruin your brushes as it will loosen the glue.

I wish you all a happy Sunday Funday!

xoxo
Dani