Beauty Tips Tuesday - Wash that Brush!

Having problems with breakouts? When was the last time you washed your cosmetic brushes? If you answered "I'm supposed to wash my brushes?", then there is a good chance that they are to blame for your skin woes. Proper skin care extends far beyond your daily dose of lotions, potions, and serums! It is also ensuring that the tools you use to apply your make-up are well kept and clean. Your brushes can harbor insane amounts of bacteria, aggravating sensitive and problem prone skin. Good brush care equates to washing your brushes at least every two weeks with a cleanser specifically made for brushes, (once a week if you are acneic). Not only does washing your brushes rid them of ick, but it also prolongs the life of the tool. Brushes are not cheap, so why not protect your investment? Any quality brush should last you upwards of 3 years with proper care, not to mention clean brushes have softer bristles and apply make-up more evenly. So suds up!

Follow these simple steps and beat the blemish blues!

* with very warm (but not hot) water, wet your brush (do not soak)

* put a dime size amount of brush shampoo in the palm of your hand (this is enough for multiple eye brushes or a larger kabuki style brush)

* "paint" the brush back and forth on your hand and use your fingers to work the cleanser through the bristles to fully emulsify the dirt and debris (do not swirl or mash, as it can cause bristle damage)

* holding your brush at a downward angle, rinse until the water runs clear

* using your fingers, squeeze any excess water from the brush (make sure there are no suds remaining), reshape (closed tulip shapes for face brushes), and lay flat to dry.

Eye brushes will dry in just a few hours and face brushes should dry overnight. It is important to not use water that is too hot and to hold your brushes at a downward angle, in order to prevent damage to the binding glue. Additionally, using clarifying shampoos made for your hair on your brushes can strip natural bristles and make them dry and feel straw like on the face. It is best to stick with one that is specifically made for brush cleaning, as these cleansers often have moisturizing agents to keep bristles s o f t.

Coordinated Finds!

1. candyglam (shadow trio) 2. punchanella (brush roll) 3. LaLa Bloom (face brush)