New Makeup Brushes at a Bargain

It has been a couple years since I even thought about my makeup brushes. But recently, I noticed that my blush brush had become a little stiff and no matter what color blush I applied, they all kind of looked the same. Well, after a little research, I know better than to let so much time pass by. Here's what I learned about makeup brush maintenance:

The beauty experts recommend replacing brushes about once every year if possible and cleaning them once a month. Gently wash them with a clarifying shampoo or even baby shampoo, Woolite or dishwasher liquid. Then squeeze out excess water by laying them down flat between a towel and let it air dry. There are also some cleansers specially formulated to clean brushes which sometimes contain disinfectants or alcohol to help dry the bristles faster. These can be purchased online at Nordstrom.com - the one by MAC seems to be a popular choice.

http://shop.nordstrom.com/

Once the bristles grow really rough or start falling out, it's time to throw the brush away. Also, sharing make up brushes may lead to infection so make sure they are replaced or cleaned more frequently, especially ones that are used around the eyes or lips. Storing the brushes in a roll-up bag with separate slots instead of throwing them in with other makeup helps them stay clean longer as well.

Now that I had a refresher on how to maintain my brushes, I decided to purchase some new ones. I knew that I didn't want to spend a lot of money. However, there are some fantastic all natural brushes made of sable or goat hair that do last a long time if they can be maintained well. With a coupon from Ulta in hand, I visited their store while on vacation. As I walked around, I noticed they had several lines on sale but the real find was their clearance section. I found a fairly good quality Ulta blush brush on sale for $5 and even an eyebrow brush for $2.50. I love a good sale. And they even have some that are earth friendly made of bamboo and Taklon bristles http://www.ulta.com/ulta/

One other tip I have is to make sure each brush passes the Triple test: 1) Feel the brush on the back of your hand. If it's soft and light, buy it. If it's stiff, forget about it. 2) Brush your hand again going back and forth with the bristles and see if any strands fall out. If they do, don't buy it as the hairs are probably not glued very well. 3) Finally, pull some on some of the bristles lightly. Again, if the strands fall out, it is loosely glued so don't buy it.

I'm not sure if every Ulta store has a clearance section but hopefully the one near you does.