Random Rant: Brush Cleaning Obsession

One thing that I learned from Pro Makeup Artists...if you really want to save money, I have to invest on good quality brushes and not buy cheap ones. I learned this the hard way...

I've been cleaning this brush forever and I cannot remove the stains. Well, the Pro

MUAs said that cheap brushes 1) shed 2) stains bristles 3) gets damaged easily

Since I got my loot from Luxola, of course I tried using my new brushes...I'm so happy with the Zoeva 104 brush...not only was it fast to clean, it also did not shed...the picture above, the brushes were already used and cleaned...I cannot remove the stains in my other brush :( 

I <3 LUXOLA

That was really quick. Finally received the brushes that I ordered from Luxola. Shipment only took a day. They packed my stuff yesterday and it arrived today. I am so giddy with my package.

They also gave me a sample conditioner and a free elastic band with I <3 LUXOLA on it. Pretty neat. 

Here's a sneak peek of what I bought: 

Beauty Blender Pro Editon (black with the solid cleaner). RM 120 = PHP 1,680

Sigma F82 Round Kabuki Brush RM 74.50 = PHP 1,043

Zoeva 104 Buffer Brush RM 57.50 = PHP  805 

Best part about my Luxola haul is that I got a 30% discount on my items because of the Labour Day sale here in Malaysia. It's like I got the Zoeva brush for free. Hihihi :) I'm soooo happy with my order. I'm definitely ordering again from Luxola. 

I will be giving an in depth review of the brushes in my next entry :) 

Perfect Spot-On Brush Cleaner: Cinema Secrets Professional Makeup Brush Cleaner

In the light of finding the best brush cleaner, I stumbled upon a thread online which recommended good spot cleaning solutions. I've been very meticulous when it comes to cleaning my brushes every time I use them. I need a brush cleaner for everyday use just because it is time consuming for my makeup brushes to bathe everyday. I mean, all you makeup junkies know this for a fact. It takes so much time for the brushes to dry when you let them soak in shampoo and water. I cannot afford to wait for a day for them to dry up and then ending up using it again making them dirty. Like what I've said before, I've been vigilant with the cleanliness of my brushes because I saw that my acne problem started from it.

So far, I've used the Parian Spirit and the Sephora brush cleaner. The Parian Spirit was a good cleaner but it gave a very harsh smell that I cannot tolerate plus the bristles of my makeup brushes became stiff. The Sephora brush cleaner was a let down. I do like the smell in all fairness but my bottle was empty after having at least 4 rounds of cleaning. It takes that much liquid to clean brushes meaning it's not an effective brush cleaner for me. 

Some Pro Makeup Artists suggested to use Cinema Secrets Professional Makeup Brush Cleaner. Luckily, I saw a shop here in Malaysia that offers the item.

Here's a breakdown of the product

Brand: Cinema Secrets

What it is: Professional Brush Cleaner

Price: RM 52.00 (when converted to Philippine Peso = PHP 754) / $8.00 plus $10 shipping fee (more or less PHP810 total)

Size: 2 FL. OZ. / 59 ML

What it does: Santizes Makeup Brushes

What I like about the product:

- It breaks down makeup residue immediately. 

- You only need a little amount for your brushes to be clean 

- It doesn't have the annoying smell

- Makeup brushes will smell like powder when dry

What I don't like about the product:

- It's not readily available in Manila. 

- You need to go overseas or order it online and wait for your product.

- A bit pricey. Compared to the Parian Spirit and the Sephora brush cleaner, it costs more.

Will I repurchase this product? Yes! Definitely! Even if it costs more than my other makeup brush cleaners, I think I found my Holy Grail. 

Where to buy this product:

Online:

http://camerareadycosmetics.com/

or

http://shop.cinemasecrets.com/tools-supplies/professional-brush-cleaner-1/brush-cleaner-group.html

Malaysia:

Nica Professional Makeup

Lot 1-54 & Lot 1-55 Fahrenheit88, 1st Floor, Box No. 1-54, 179 Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

First Look: BH Cosmetics 10 piece Pop Art Brush Set

Another purchase from the Vanity Zon. Thank you so much Ms. Bea and Tess Labilles for the smooth transaction. You can visit their online shop at TheVanityZone .

I'm actually crazily hoarding a lot of brushes. I don't know why. It has become an addiction to hoard brushes even if in reality I really don't have much use for them because I haven't started my makeup stint per se. I mean if you don't do the make up of other people it is fine to at least own a set of good brushes. I have a lot. I don't know. Maybe because my first brush set came to an obligatory goodbye a year ago that's why I am buying a lot of unnecessary make up brushes. 

Going back, I ordered this from the Vanity Zone. I just find the brush and the casing cute. The casing reminds me of Sigma. The brushes are way way cuter. I love the colors. The brush itself is really soft. If I may add, the brushes are synthetic, meaning, it is cruelty free. I just like the notion of items that are cruelty free because I am an animal lover. I just hope they don't turn hard like my Real Techniques brush.

The BH Cosmetics Pop Art Brush Set contains 10 pieces.  

I think this is a good set of brushes to bring when you travel because all of the essentials are included in the set. I always travel and I need things that are handy and compact.  

I'm excited to bring this baby along with me in my adventures.

Makeup Brush Cleaning Rant

I've actually been very meticulous about my makeup brushes ever since I had that acne breakout problem last year. Like what I've said before, my skin is not really prone to acne. I got stressed out that my face was popping zits everyday and I realized that my makeup brushes, sponges, applicators were the main cause of my acne problem.

I have this problem with being Obsessive-Compulsive but it's not yet the freaky OC disorder. hahaha :)) I'm still on the norm. Well not really OC but I just want things organized. Cleaning makeup brushes with shampoos takes a long time. You need to shampoo each brush one at a time. You need to dry them out for like 6 hours. Lucky if you get to dry them for 4 hours at least.

Since I'm impatient and I don't like to wait 6 hours for the brushes to dry, I bought this brush cleaner called Parian Spirit. You can buy it from Suesh. Costs around P850 for the 237 ml. Too bad, the Parian Cleaner Solutions here does not come with the small container. So I just use a plastic container to pour some solution for cleaning.

Downside of always using the Parian Spirit : My brushes are not as soft as before. I'm a little sad that my Real Techniques brushes are a little stiffer than when I first used them.

There goes my rant. I'm just upset with the condition of my makeup brushes.

Cleaning your Make Up Brushes 101

Recently I have been having skin problems specifically on my face. I'm usually not prone to acne and I am not used to having my skin breakout. I realized that my brushes, sponges and whatever I use to put on makeup has been very dirty and of course, I need to clean them up.

It takes a lot of time and effort to clean makeup brushes. You need to clean them with soap and water and then have it dried. It usually takes a lot of time for the brushes to dry up. Makeup brush solutions are quite expensive. Most of the makeup brush cleaners costs around P900 to P1000. It's very expensive if you ask me.

Most of these makeup brush cleaning solutions have one component that cleans the brush bristles and that is Isopropyl Alcohol. So what I do is I clean all my brushes with Isopropyl Alcohol. The solution should at most be 99.9 percent. I mean it should kill bacteria. That's primarily the purpose of it - clean the brushes and kill the bacteria in it. This is very economical especially to Make Up Artists. It is a fraction of a cost of those branded cleaners, plus it takes only 60 seconds to clean the brushes. Well at least for small brushes it takes 60 seconds to dry up.