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The Makeup Artist Handbook – by Gretchen Davis and Mindy Hall

“The Makeup Artist Handbook” is a great book for the professional makeup artist and aspiring makeup artists as well. Inside you’ll learn everything from hygiene and sanitation practices to working on film sets and building a portfolio (although not sure how relevant the last one is, with the advent of social media and websites).

You can explore all facets of makeup artistry and learn about creating different looks for film, theater, and television. The Makeup Artist Handbook covers the basics of building a professional makeup kit and provides step-by-step instructions for creating a variety of looks for different mediums.

Written by two incredibly accomplished and talented makeup artists, this book gives you informed insights to put you on the right path to a career in film and television makeup.

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Special Makeup Effects for the Stage and Screen – by Todd Debrecini

“Special Makeup Effects for Stage and Screen” is the newest and most up-to-date book available for special effects make-up artists and enthusiasts alike.

And while it might not be most valuable for a beginner (there is an awful lot to learn in the early stages of makeup), as an investment in your future, if special effects makeup is where you’re heading, then this MUST be added to your home collection.

Highlights for me are the overly-generous list of worldwide suppliers and makeup effects products. And, of course, a photo demonstration of a makeup designed and created by yours truly!!! If you want to know what it is, you can see what it is right here!

I’m thrilled to be a tiny contributor to this modern-day makeup bible and more so, to call author Todd Debrecini a friend, too.

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The Art of Makeup – by Kevyn Aucoin

The Art of Makeup is the perfect coffee table book. For lovers of makeup, this is a sumptuous visual guide of the who’s who of fashion and modern-day (as in 90s modern) celeb beauty, as made up by the one and only Kevyn Aucoin.
Don’t buy this book if you’re looking for a written makeup introduction or education, as it’s purely a book that celebrates the art of makeup.
You will get the odd snippet and a wide range of looks, as well, but best to just sit back and savor the prolific career of artist extraordinaire that was Kevyn Aucoin, who, in a way, bought contouring and the public knowledge of sculpting the face, to the masses (in my opinion, anyway).

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Fashions in Makeup – by Richard Corson

Fashions in Makeup, on the other end of the educational spectrum, you’ll find heavily detailed classic makeup descriptions, diagrams and info.

Part history book, part makeup school, this book is an absolute must-have in your collection, regardless of where you are in your makeup journey. It is bursting with information at your fingertips and provides an excellent wealth of information and a complete resource in its own right for historical time periods that you may be required to work on in the course of your own career.

And even though it was written over 50 years ago now, Fashions in Makeup will provide a solid backbone to your makeup library.

I should mention that Corson is well-known amongst us makeup artists for his books that many of us began our makeup journeys with decades ago. While I love Fashions in Makeup, it was a difficult decision to mention this, as he has produced a number of well-regarded books that all deserve screen time in their own rights.

Other books of his worthy of checking out include Fashions in Hair, and of course, Stage Makeup which is now in its 11th edition. Keep a keen eye out for the rustic, highly-detailed illustrations that for me, make these books extra special.

I highly recommend this as one of the best books for your makeup education.

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Special Makeup Effects by Vincent Kehoe

Special Makeup Effects is yet another stalwart in makeup years gone by, I felt compelled to mention as much from a sentimental point of view as a resourceful one.
Written decades ago and not updated, it may be worth focusing on the theoretical applications inside Special Effects Makeup, as technology has undoubtedly come a long way in the decades since the book was applicable, gosh even in the last few years.
Nevertheless, this is a must-have for horror movie fans and old-school makeup effects lovers alike.

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The Complete Guide to Special Effects Makeup – by Tokyo SFX Makeup Workshop

The Complete Guide to Special Effects Makeup is an interesting 3-part book series. It includes step by steps and lavish photo imagery.

What I particularly enjoy about this series is the stylistic visuals from a Japanese point of view. Enjoy the elaborate and painstakingly detailed work of Japanese special effects artists, which definitely stands out as a makeup art form of its own, really.

And if you’re more into the cosplay side of things, then this may just be the book you are looking for, as the techniques and applications within may lend themselves more to the cosplay world than to the highly scrutinized world of modern-day high-definition digital movie makeup.

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The Art of Film Magic: 20 Years of Weta – by Weta Workshop

The Art of Film Magic: 20 Years of Weta is a visually stunning 2-book tour of the history of the humble New Zealand-based company and their movie creation, both practical and digital.

In fact, one book focuses on the practical, while the other focuses on the digital.

I think this book in particular, is a great gift for your movie buff or special effects fan, as it exposes us to makeup and digital effects in movies from a part of the world that is incredibly isolated from the rest of us. So while not only a makeup book by any means, it definitely gives us insights to what started out as a small makeup effects company that has grown to one of the forerunners in makeup and digital effects worldwide.

Love this book, and have been fortunate enough to work on a number of Weta-involved movies, and even at their neighboring Stone Street Studios on The Hobbit films over 10 years ago now.

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Face Paint: The Story of Makeup – by Lisa Eldridge

Face Paint: The Story of makeup see author and something of an online celeb Eldridge takes readers on a historical journey of makeup, from ancient times to present day.

Alongside the rich history of makeup, is a plethora of tips and tricks for achieving classic makeup looks.

In this book, makeup artist and Lancome Global Creative Director Lisa Eldridge shares her knowledge and expertise on the art of makeup, providing practical tips and techniques for creating different looks and styles. Another gorgeous book ready for any needy coffee table, that also provides an enjoyable read.

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Fine Beauty: Beauty Basics and Beyond for African American Women – by Sam Fine

Fine Beauty: Beauty Basics and Beyond for African American Women is a go to book for women of color that are looking for professional advice and inspiration.

It celebrates Fine’s artistry over the years, and the beautiful faces he has created as much as it does share techniques to help women with their day-to-day makeup challenges at home. Fine Beauty contains the odd step-by-step guide, and showcases the stunning transformations he has created over the course of his prolific career.

And I for now, can vouch for his genuine, divine soul, having been fortunate enough to work personally with him, I adore Sam and everything he does, so with that said, get this book! He’s a true artist!

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Classic Beauty: The History of Makeup – by Gabriela Hernandez

Classic Beauty: The History of Makeup delves into the history annals of makeup, similar to Eldridge’s book.

However, Hernandez puts focus on the iconic looks of each decade and provides convenient guides on how to recreate them. This fascinating book explores the evolution of makeup throughout history, from ancient Egyptian kohl to modern-day cosmetics.

I love this book and refer to its images quite often. But I also love it because author Gabriela Hernandez herself is a devout makeup history specialist, and owner of THE BEST vintage makeup brand Bèsame Cosmetics. Her lipsticks are heavenly, if you haven’t heard me rave about them before.

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Makeup Is Art: Professional Techniques for Creating Original Looks – by Academy of Freelance Makeup

Makeup is Art is aptly titled. A coffee table book to be looked at for the visuals more than read for the education.

This book is geared toward those who wish to experiment with avant-garde makeup, and to celebrate makeup as a work of art, and more than simply cosmetics. It includes tips and tricks for creating unique looks and inspiring readers to push boundaries. But I must add that the period makeups included might not be the best education for creating looks authentically. I did see things such as modern-day eyebrows on a clear 1930s makeup attempt. And coming from a reputable makeup educational facility, I’m quite surprised by these obvious errors.

So enjoy it for the high-fashion and avante-garde looks, and perhaps look to Richard Corson to get your historical recreations spot on.

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The Beauty of Color – by Iman

The Beauty of Color is written by model and entrepreneur Iman. Inside, she shares her expertise on makeup for women of color. A still to this day, under-acknowledged market in the beauty world.

Inside her book, Iman speaks to the reader about how to identify their own skin type, how to care for it, and how to make it up. She share a plethora of different makeup looks with names such as “The Vamp”, “Ghetto Fab”, and “New Wave Noir” to name a few.

While you may know Iman as a supermodel, or perhaps that she was married to David Bowie, she has also had her own makeup line for many years now – Iman Cosmetics. And I tell you, her powders are divine.

The Beauty of Color also includes tips on the ever-elusive techniques of color matching different skin tones, and skincare and makeup application tailored to various skin tones.

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Makeup: The Ultimate Guide – by Rae Morris

Makeup: The Ultimate Guide by Rae Morris, an super-cool, well known and respected Australian makeup artist, covers all the basics of makeup application.

She introduces us, ideally beginners and makeup novices from skin preparation to different types of makeup. She also stresses the importance of choosing the right brushes.

Makeup: The Ultimate Guide includes helpful expert advice for beginners, and is defintely swayed towards a beginner or completely new to makeup reader.

You get the feeling that Morris is more than comfortable sharing all her top beauty secrets, unlike some, who feel insecure sharing it all. And that’s what I love the most about Rae Morris.

.Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual – by Bobbi Brown

Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual – by Bobbi Brown

Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual is a best seller that covers everything from basic skin care to complex beauty techniques. And for this fact alone, this book stands out from most others. It’s a good read for a beginner and a pro as well.

Brown, a world-famous makeup artist, and now creator of her brand spanking new clean beauty project Jones Road, shares her expertise on achieving a natural, flawless look. And that in itself helps to make Brown stand out on her own with such an anomaly. Putting on makeup to look like we don’t really have any makeup on. But that’s what I love about Bobbi Brown. She shows us the power of makeup and how we can work it to look like nothing at all, but feel and look our best selves in the meantime

The book includes comprehensive walk through information on skincare, tools, and techniques used in the industry, and for you at home as well.

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Making Faces – by Kevyn Aucoin

Making Faces is another legendary book from late makeup artist Kevyn Aucoin. Making Faces explores the art of the transformation with makeup as the medium. And as you would expect is filled with stunning makeovers of famous celebrities.

And while this book is a staple in the makeup world, with iconic images of celebrities before and after Aucoin’s touch, it’s the words coming straight from Aucoin’s mouth that I enjoy the most reading the lessons throughout this one.

Included are step-by-step instructions for achieving looks such as smokey eyes and bold lips, and how to achieve variou complexion finishes on your skin.

Kevyn Aucoin’s Making Faces may well be my favorite book he gifted us with.

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The Little Book of Skin Care – by Charlotte Cho

The Little Book of Skincare is, yes, primarily about skincare, and I know, this is a makeup post, but I just had to include this little gem of a book here.

If all things K-beauty, or Soko Glam (the author Charlotte Cho created it) are not quite on your beauty radar yet, then this is the little book you need to go out and treat yourself with ASAP.

The Little Book of Skincare offers tips and advice for achieving glowing, radiant skin through a holistic approach to skincare. All told through personal chapters that go into depths on topics such as the elusive 10-step Korean skincare routine, sunscreen, where to shop, and so many more aspects to the ever-evolving, growing and infleuntial world of Korean beauty.

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The Complete Makeup Artist: Working in Film, Television, and Theatre – by Penny Delamar

Oh boy, I remember this book coming out while I was in makeup school! I bought it with my hard-earned cash, back then, which was a lot!

But even still, this easy to digest book by British hair and makeup artist and author Penny Delamar is a solid introduction to working in film and television, particularly within the UK.

It covers all aspects of makeup artistry for film, television, and theater, and provides practical advice and techniques for creating realistic and convincing makeup looks. And ranges from character makeups, through historical time periods and fantasy if I recall!

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Makeup, Hair, and Costume for Film and Television – by Jan Musgrove and Bridgette Softley

Makeup, Hair, and Costume for Film and Television provides an in-depth introduction to the world of makeup, hair, and costume in film and television. It also contains interviews with top industry professionals and practical advice for aspiring makeup artists.

I get the feeling this book is part of a larger educational series covering all aspects of film and television making. Especially because anyone working within either of these three vocations know how vastly different they all are, and to round them all up within one single publication suggests a larger educational series.

Nevertheless, I definitely recommend this book to beginners and anyone wanting an overview of roles, techniques and introductions to all aspects of hair, makeup and costume within the fields.

Keep an eye out for out-dated terms that may not be applicable to today’s technology, but nevertheless, this is a great guide if you’re wanting an overview and an idea of what working as a hairdresser, makeup artist, or costumer is all about.

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So there it is, 18 makeup books that bring you unique content and varied intentions to the table.

From historical accounts of makeup to modern-day techniques and self-expression through the art form, each book caters to different interests and goals.

If you’re a makeup enthusiast or professional looking to expand your knowledge and skills, you must have at least a handful of these books in your collection. So don’t forget, when it comes to makeup, there is always something new to learn.

Regardless of where you are in your makeup career, having a collection of the best makeup books at your disposal is essential for maintaining a strong skill set and staying up-to-date with the latest trends and techniques. And also being aware of the past, both in terms of makeup styles, and the ways in which they were documented. Why? Because it helps you become a better, more well-rounded and knowledgable artist in your own rights.

What’s your favorite book? Comment below or send me a DM here.

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Featured Image by Marten Bjork

The post 18 Best Makeup Books Every Makeup Artist Should Read appeared first on The Makeup Refinery.

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This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying links. This means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information.

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Why is it Important to Clean Your Palettes?

Aside from just generally looking after and maintaining the integrity and presentation of your makeup, it’s of the utmost importance to keep your palettes clean, well, because HYGIENE!

If you care about your eyes, your skin, and health, you should be cleaning your palettes.

As you should know, bathrooms can lend themselves to being areas of high moisture – the perfect breeding ground for germs.. And if you happen to leave your makeup palettes in a drawer, or under a sink, they can very easily get wet.

And to remind you, water is bacteria’s favorite nightclub. To hang out, and to grow.

So remember to keep your precious palettes safe, and dry! So important!

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When should you Clean Your Makeup Palettes, and How Often?

The funny thing is, that the more often you clean your palettes, the less they’ll need to be cleaned.

I know, sounds so simple, but it’s like your laundry, your bedroom, and yes, your makeup kit. If you do it a little bit on a regular basis, it will save you from doing a LOT of cleaning, probably not enough.

And sadly, if you leave it too long, the result may be to throw out your palettes instead of having them last longer.

Yes, if you ignore the cleanliness of your makeup, you may have a rude shock when you discover they hold bacteria, or are broken, and unusable.

So, if you are cleaning your palettes on a weekly basis, then you are doing well. If you can’t remember when you last gave your makeup palettes a once over with a sanitizing product, then its time right now.

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Why you should pair this practice with Cleaning Your Makeup Brushes.

If you get into a nice slick routine, you can even pair your palette cleaning sessions with cleaning your makeup brushes.

This way if you can manage a quick weekly cleaning session, you can easily stay on top of having clean and sanitized makeup palettes, and clean and dry makeup brushes all at the same time. Great idea, and great way to get into a routine and keep your makeup hygiene top of mind.

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What happens to a Dirty Makeup Palette?

As we touched on, neglected or dirty palettes can be breeding grounds for all sorts of germs and bacteria.

And I know you don’t want your makeup brushes contacting anything like that. Or have those germ-infested products touch your face!

A dirty makeup palette can cause the following. And I apologize for the drama, but it’s important:

• rashes
• extra pimples after makeup application
• cold sores or herpes around your mouth
• styes in your eyes
• eye infection (such as conjunctivitis, blepharitis, and endophthalmitis)

and more serious things too!

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How to Clean Different types of Makeup Palettes:

Eyeshadow Palettes

First, I like to set up a paper towel to work on. This ensures I don’t make a mess or spill all over the place!

1. Open your eyeshadow palette and spritz it with your favorite makeup cleaner.
2. Then, spritz a q-tip or cotton swab with 70% alcohol in a small spray bottle. I run it around the edges of the palette to clean any overspill between pans and keep the palette looking clean. This should take care of the display of the palette.
3. Next, do the same inside any pans that may look dirty or have mixes of different color eyeshadows in them. I also give each pan a light spray with 70% alcohol at this time.
4. Keep them open and let them dry and a light, clean area. If this is hard to find, leave a clean tissue over the palette and leave it to dry. This shouldn’t take long because of the small amount of 70% alcohol and cleaner you have used. What you are waiting for to dry is the product’s water content. And once it is dry, you should be left with lovely, clean eyeshadow palettes.

Cream Foundation and Concealer Palettes

1. I like to use a wipe that contains around 70% alcohol and give the palette a wipe in between pans first. Cream palettes tend to get messier than powder products. They are more susceptible to germs having higher moisture content.
2. Give them a quick spritz with 70% alcohol at this point.
3. If any colors are messy or have makeup bristles, hairs, or fluff in them (or especially any dirt) use this time to use a clean spatula to scrape out the offenders and leave you cream products prisitne.
4. I then give them another spritz with 70% alcohol.
5. Keeping your cream palettes in a safe place, leave the lid open so the remaining cleaning material can evaporate before closing.
6. I also like to wipe the outside of the palette packaging as well. It’s amazing how quickly a tiny amount of a cream product on your hands can spread and end up all over your precious palettes. Keep yourself clean, and they’ll stay cleaner, too.

Lipstick Palettes

While lipstick palettes can get messy a lot easier than the palettes we’ve already looked at, they don’t have to. By staying vigilant with them, and following the right practices, you can keep them clean and sanitary.

I always use a clean, metal spatula when working from mu lip palettes.

1. Use a q-tip or cotton pad soaked in 70% alcohol to clean in between the pans, and keep the colors in their designated pan.
2. Spritz over the entire surface of the palette lightly, but thoroughly enough to cover all products evenly.
3. If your palette is really messy, use a wet wipe to wipe away the excess lipstick. Sadly this tends to happen with temperature changes if your products melt. Ugh, nightmare, right? Try to avoid this on all occasions. A warm, moist palette is the perfect real estate for bacteria on the search for somewhere to set up camp. Keep your kit cool and dry!
4. Once you have done this, repeat if necessary.
5. One final spritz and it should be ready to leave out to dry in a safe, clean and dry space.

Tools, Spatulas and Palettes

Don’t neglect your tools, either. I know they are metal, but that doesn’t mean makeup build up on them can’t still contain bacteria over the course of time.

So be sure to keep them clean, either with a sanitizing wipe or a 70% alcohol solution on a tissue or paper towel. Particularly your eyelash curler, which can quickly gain mascara and eye makeup build-up.

The best way to keep them clean is by quickly cleaning after each use.

Palette Cleaning Takeaway: try to regularly give your palettes a quick once over to maintain their cleanliness and avoid germs at all costs.

For pro makeup artists, spritzing your makeup products is undoubtedly a part of your daily routine, or after every face. This is almost easier to keep in in some ways.

If you’re looking after your palettes at home, follow the above steps and you should be great.

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Is Cleaning My Palettes Going to Destroy My Makeup?

No. If you use the types of products we’ll discuss here, your makeup should stay intact and last its shelf life.

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Best Practices to keep your Makeup Palettes and Yourself Clean and Hygienic

To go over these, it may seem a little repetitive, but it’s important. And once you grasp some good hygiene habits, keeping them in place is much easier. Your makeup and your face will thank you!

• regularly spritz your palettes with a 70% isopropyl rubbing alcohol or makeup sanitizer spray
• be sure to allow your palettes to dry thoroughly after cleaning
• store your makeup palettes in a cool, dry area
• avoid touching the makeup directly in the palette, but if you need to use your fingers to apply makeup from your palette to yourself, make sure your fingers are thoroughly clean
• avoid sharing your makeup with anyone else at all costs
• if using makeup palettes professionally, always use a clean, metal spatula to decant product from the palette onto a clean disposable or metal artist’s palette
• for eyeshadow palettes where brushes will contact with the palette, only use clean, dry brushes, and clean and sanitize palettes after every use

I know this may seem like a lot of things to remember and steps to follow. But once you are aware of how important it is to keep hygiene at the top of your list of priorities, staying regular becomes way easier.

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What’s the Difference between 70% and 99% Isopropyl Alcohol?

There may be some confusion around these two staples of every professional makeup artists kit. And while 99% is a necessity, it does not necessarily provide a higher level of sanitizing, as you would think.

70% alcohol is a far more effective solution to disinfect a material and break down bacterial cells than 99% alcohol is.

This is because the other 30% of it’s contents is water.

And that water content is vital in the sanitizing process.

Basically, when a 70% alcohol solution is in contact with bacteria, it breaks down and penetrates the cell walls of the bacteria. The water component, which evaporates more slowly than a higher concentration of alcohol, allows time for the bacteria to be killed by the 70% solution.

If you were to use 99% alcohol instead, the germs are actually protected by the alcohol, become dormant, and don’t actually die.

So essentially, the water component of 70% alcohol is vital to its effectiveness. AND make it a far more effective sanitizer for your makeup palettes than 99% alcohol is.

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Best Products to Clean and Sanitize your Makeup Palettes

Beauty So Clean

Beauty So Clean is my makeup sanitizer of choice.

I use it to quickly and efficiently keep all of my eyeshadow, cream, and lipstick palettes clean in between uses.

It is an ethyl alcohol based product that contains capric triglyceride and just a tiny amount of isopropyl myristate (don’t freak out!), just enough to keep from drying out your powder palettes and not disrupting their formulations at all.

Find Beauty So Clean here.

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70% Isopropyl Alcohol

This should be in every professional makeup artist’s kit, or stock. If it isn’t, get some now. This will become your go-to surface and makeup palette cleaner.

As we’ve discussed, this is a far more effective product to sanitize your palettes with than 99% and you will go through far more of it than 99%.

Find 70% Isopropyl Alcohol here.

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99% Isopropyl Alcohol

You might be thinking, “So, what do I need 99% alcohol for then?”

Well, the short answer is yes. But let’s take a look at the properties of 99% to understand why it still has a vital place in makeup.

99% isopropyl alcohol has a far larger alcohol content, and a smaller water content than our 70% friend. So, as far as surface cleaning goes, that makes 99% a great option for cleaning surfaces that aren’t so water-friendly. It also evaporates incredibly quickly, what we call having a high flash point.

And for us makeup folks, what that means is it’s really useful, particularly in special effects makeup and when using alcohol-based makeup.

So it still holds a big place on our shelves, mostly in special effects makeup.

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Find 99% Isopropyl Alcohol here.

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Sanitizing Wipes

The industry standard Wet Ones. Perfect for your makeup station, or home in the bathroom or kitchen.

Wet Ones contain aloe vera, so aside from doing the hard work of sanitizing, they’ll look after your hands, too.

Find the Original Wet Ones here.

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Q-Tips

The standard-shaped q-tip that’s perfect for keeping your makeup palettes in good shape.

Find your Q-tips here.

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Okay, I know that’s a lot to take in. But honestly once you get into a routine cleaning situation, and just being aware of the potential of bacteria and germs in every aspect of your makeup products, brushes, and tools, it becomes much easier to be vigilant and clean.

I hope these steps make it easy to digest, and even easier to implement at home, and at work.

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Featured Image by Siora Photography

The post The Easiest Ways to Clean and Sanitize Your Makeup Palettes appeared first on The Makeup Refinery.

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Why Do You Need to Dry Your Makeup Brushes?

It’s like the chicken or the egg. This question comes hot on the tails of another often asked question that makes me cringe with bacterial fear.

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Why Do You Need to Dry Your Brushes?

Because You Need to Clean Your Brushes!

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And if you clean your brushes, part of that process is them being dry as well!

Let’s face it – nobody wants to use dirty makeup brushes. Ever. Not on themselves, or on anyone else. Apart from being professional in following proper hygiene practices, it’s downright irresponsible.

And at the end of the day, as a professional makeup artist, you want to protect your client or talent as much as you want to protect your own livelihood each day, right?

Yeah, it’s kinda serious.

Think about our little friends, bacteria.

Bacteria thrive in damp environments. In fact, anywhere that’s wet – well, it’s a breeding ground for the little brats.

So if your brushes have been cleaned, and you’ve shoved them into your makeup bag, or stored them in their canister (upside down, aaaargh!!!) then it’s not going to take long until bacteria starts setting up shop inside as well.

I can’t stress this enough – you must dry your clean brushes!

It’s very important!

Products don’t apply as well. Products don’t work as well.

There are no single plus sides to not working with clean, sanitary tools and brushes.

End of story.

Okay, deep breaths as I calm down now. But it’s just really important!

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This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying links. This means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information.

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How to Clean Your Makeup Brushes

The market is flooded with makeup brush cleaners of all types.

What some people like, others cannot stand. And I find that it all usually boils down to smell.

There is a couple of very well-known makeup removers that yes, absolutely remove the most stubborn glue or makeup product from your beloved brushes, but smell horrendous! Yes, I said it.

I have worked in trailers that could not be stocked with certain removers because an artist didn’t like a particular makeup brush cleaner. Hey, we all have our own tastes.

And I know it might sound weird, but I think of my brushes with love. They are very special to me. Some carry memories of when and where I’ve used them, and on what faces, countries, years. Yep, they’re pretty special. And yep, maybe I’m a bit weird for doing so!

Others are just my solid faves.

Nevertheless, makeup brushes and their subsequent brush care is a VERY PERSONAL THING!

Okay, now let’s look at exactly how to clean your makeup brushes – the right way and the best way (and I’m not biased!).

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How to Clean Your Makeup Brushes

Step 1.

Set up a quick absorbent surface to use to wipe off the makeup product from your brushes. I like to use a folded dry paper towel or a clean towel.

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Step 2.

Set up your favorite brush cleaner dish and fill it with your favorite remover. Most of the time, I use 99% alcohol. If I have a stubborn product that just doesn’t dissolve with 99%, I will surrender and head for the Parian Spirit, or Cinema Secrets Brush Cleaner, but this is a rare occurrence.

It is also mainly reserved for my special effects brushes – particularly the ones I use for glue and makeup adhesives. More on that another time.

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Step 3.

Dip your brush into your brush cleaner bowl to soak the bristles.

Pro tip – Aim to only dip the bristles in about 2/3 of their length, and no further. This is because you want to try to avoid having your brush cleaner travel up inside the ferrule and making contact with the brush head – the part of the bristles that is cased inside the ferrule.

Most times the bristles or hairs are held together with an adhesive and the last thing you want to do is disturb this glue prematurely, and possibly shorten the life of your brushes.

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Step 4.

Wipe your brush back and forward on the paper towel or hand towel.

This will soak up the residual makeup and product from your brush. Then only go in a backward and forward motion. This goes in harmony with the grain of the hairs on your brush, and will help preserve your brushes for a long time.

In other words, try to avoid a frenzied scrubbing motion or a circular motion with the bristles. This can bend or break the hairs, and works against the angle that they are held in the brush.

NOTE – I’m not a fan of those gimmicky containers that involve rotating the brush at speed to clean them.

To me, this (there’s that word again) labor-saving device is pure gimmick, and in time, will cause the bristles of your brushes to splay out into the shape that they are forced into while spinning at high speed. Not a fan. But that’s just me.

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Step 5.

Pop your freshly cleaned brush to the side, laying it down. Repeat until you’ve cleaned all of your brushes.

Step 6.

If you’re cleaning your brushes at home, you can lay your brushes on a folded-up towel. I like to try to do this so the angle they lie at is downwards from the hard end of the brush to the bristles. But I have the towel folded so that the head of the brush is raised up off the surface of the table they are on.

This is so the air can get to ALL of the bristles in your precious brushes. And the downwards inclining angle ensures that no moisture travels or ends up inside your brush head.

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Who knew there was so much to such a task? But this is my go-to drying process. Thorough, but thorough with good reason.

But in all honesty and seriousness, I have had some of my makeup brushes since the early to mid 1990s (didn’t you see my cameo in Jurassic Park?) and they are still going strong due to good, thorough care.

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Brush Cleaners

Cinema Secrets Brush Cleaner

The Cinema Secrets Makeup Brush Cleaner is an industry-wide much relied upon makeup brush cleaner. It will dissolve and clean any makeup substance from your makeup brushes.

It is solvent-based and has a very strong scent. However, if you do a lot of special effects heavy work and use a lot of makeup adhesives, this is the makeup remover you should carry in your kit.

Find Cinema Secrets Brush Cleaner here.

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Makeup Brush Cleaning Matt and Bowl Set

I love this set. In fact, in general I love silicon tools and matts for work. They are flexible, hard to damage and sturdy. But this two in one set is a great way to have a bowl and cleaning matt for your brush cleaning, AND to keep your bowl separate from any makeup remover bowls you might use. Love it!

Find the Makeup Brush Cleaning Mat and Bowl Set here.

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How to Dry and Store Your Makeup Brushes The Right Way

Once you have cleaned all of your brushes, the next vital step in the process comes.

Storing your brushes is so important, for so many reasons.

First of all, you want your brushes to be dry the next time you use them, right? So if you take a minute to store them correctly and with care, they will indeed be dry.

It’s also important to dry your brushes so there is no chance of bacteria making their new home inside your makeup brushes. Having said that, I like to store mine out of direct sunlight if I can help it.

I know I mentioned these steps above whilst talking about cleaning your brushes. But I feel compelled to repeat it again. It’s just that important. In case you haven’t been paying attention, DRY YOUR BRUSHES!!!

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Step 1.

I like to fold a dry towel over a few times to make it at least 1/2 inch thick, so it’s still a relatively flat surface.

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Step 2.

Lay all of your brushes with the bristles just popping over the side, so they are not touching any surface. You can even find art store brush stands or holders that will perform this task for you. Or even a nice-looking tray.

Trays with lids became the way of all things in 2020, and honestly, I still use them despite our Covid regulations loosening somewhat. They look tidy, and can hygienically house my brushes at any time through the day, while I complete other tasks. See below for my go-to tray!

But if you don’t have any trays, a towel will do the trick.

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Step 3.

I then like to give the bristles a quick spritz of 70% alcohol to sanitize the brushes. This should be light enough not to moisten the bristles entirely.

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Step 4.

You can also look into hanging your brushes from a brush holder if you like. Personally, I would keep this practice more for at home, and not at work. I like to keep my brushes contained, and once they have been cleaned, popped away and not hanging out in the air….but I just wanted to mention this for home makeup aficionados and hobbyists.

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Some of the Best Drying Tools and Storage Options for Your Brushes

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The Brush Bar Drying Rack

Look at this neat, sleek drying machine! Where has this been all my life?

Finally, a product that encourages you to dry your makeup brushes the right way. All the while keeping out of your way.

Brilliant.

Find the Brush Bar Drying Rack here.

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Makeup Brush Drying Rack

While these may not be your cup of tea, what I like about the racks is that they do offer an option to keep your brushes facing bristles down. This allows all remover to go by way of gravity, and not inside your precious ferrule.

This rack is a brilliant device to easily and safely help your dry makeup brushes. It may be better suited for home use, but nevertheless, a nice way to store your brushes the right way while they dry.

Find the Makeup Brush Drying Rack here.

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Alegory Makeup Brush Stand

Check out this perfectly designed stand for drying your brushes overnight. The compact footprint and vertical design make this a brilliant option to use at home or at work. Love it!

Find the Alegory Acrylic Makeup Stand here.

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Makeup Brush Drying Holder

Find your Makeup Brush Drying Holder here.

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6 Slot Horizontal Acrylic Storage Display

Although I haven’t used this storage tray for storing my drying makeup brushes, I think it looks like a great solution. Let me know by commenting below if you have.

Find the 6 Slot Horizontal Storage Display Tray here.

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Silicon Vertical Brush Holder and Drying Rack

Another innovative design that I am totally into here. I think I’m going to have to try one of these out. I love the idea that it can just pop onto your mirror and do the hard work while you get on with other tasks.

Also perfect for at home as well. Clean your brushes in the evening, slot them into your silicon brush holder, and they dry while you sleep. Sounds like a plan to me!

Find the Vertical Brush Holder and Drying Rack here.

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Magnetic Stainless Steel Pencil Holders

Yet another super cool product I haven’t tried, but I bet there’s some swift “MacGuyvering” to be done with these cool vertical holders, and perhaps, say a coat hanger, or metal strips. They could easily attach to your makeup mirror….just sayin’.

Find these Magnetic Steel Pencil Holders here.

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Sterile Tray with Lid

This is the type of tray that I have been using since 2020. They look clean and sterile, and can also house all of your dirty brushes in case you have to race to set, or jump straight onto one makeup after another, with no time to clean in between.

I have at least two of these trays nowadays, and still love and use them

Find this Sterile Tray with Lid here.

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Spring Cleaning for Your Makeup Brushes?

Every once in a while, or between each production (or more frequently if I can!) I like to do a thorough deep clean of my brushes.

Particularly my beauty brushes. They tend to be made from softer and finer bristles (and some natural bristles, ugh, I know…but I only buy synthetic brushes now!) and I like to give them some extra TLC when I can.

If I don’t have my favorite brush soap on hand, I like to use a gentle shampoo and lukewarm water. And if you’re at a pinch, even a gentle soap. But I prefer a brush soap.

It’s like giving your brushes a spa day!

The process is exactly the same as my step-by-step guide above.

The only difference being once I have rinsed out the shampoo, I then follow with a conditioner.

And regardless of the products you use, be sure to gently squeeze out the excess water once all rinsing is done.

And then store exactly the same way.

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I kinda feel like I’m on the debating team for cleaning and drying your makeup brushes right now. But I really can’t stress how vital following all of these processes really are.

So I hope I’ve shown you the best method to keep and maintain clean makeup brushes. And why.

But with proper care, and the time it takes to carry out these tasks each day, week, month you not only ensure that you are looking after your person’s face, and doing your actual work to the best of your ability, but you are doing so with the professional care and awareness that they deserve.

And you do too.

Would you like to keep on reading about makeup brushes? Click here to learn about makeup brushes – how they are made, what to look for in a good quality brush, and all the brush types under the rainbow!

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Did you enjoy this post? Was there something in there that you learned about? Perhaps you know someone that needs to hear this stuff. Please do me a favor and share this with someone that know has some brush cleaning habits to work on!

Featured Image by lil’ old me!

The post How to Dry Your Makeup Brushes appeared first on The Makeup Refinery.

But once I began researching, I started to learn horrible things about how some of my most prized professional possessions come to be. And how we all need to make a conscious choice next time we come to buy a new makeup brush.

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It’s also incredibly fascinating and morbidly ironic that the beauty industry is leaning ever so more rapidly in time to being cruelty-free, vegan, and ethically aware.

And let’s not neglect a symbol we’ve come to know, love and trust (I speak of the leaping bunny, of course!). One of our most imperative tools of the trade that is sourced cruelly and callously, and we aren’t talking about it very much.

The subject at hand is also a very grey area. It’s challenging to find out specific information about where animal fur originates, how animals are treated if/when caught and also killed. And if at any time humane practices are in place. There are very little to no standards or regulations in place in several regions in which these animals are hunted. Therein lies the dilemma.

According to PETA, animals are often drowned, trapped, beaten alive, electrocuted, gassed, or even skinned alive. All to be sold for their furs and pelts, which in turn become our makeup brushes. And with the workers who carry out these tasks often paid by volume, their concerns are with working quickly, not gently, or with any sort of care or compassion.

Horrifying.

So, my apologies, I always promised myself that everything in my blog would be positive and inspiring. I was inspired to think for a second and to take the time to source synthetic fiber makeup brushes in the future.

There are many, many ranges and brands available nowadays to provide you with everything that animal hair made brushes can do.

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This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information. Having said that, I only ever recommend products or services that I truly love and stand behind!

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Okay, now to the fun stuff. And I will be mentioning animal hair brushes. And I will probably share some of my brushes, and no doubt animal hair will be a part of some of them. There it is. I have animal hair brushes in my collection. I just won’t have any more in the future.

So now, let’s take a nice, objective and in-depth look at makeup brushes!

Brush History

Our ancestors made brushes somewhere around 100,000 years ago. Archaeological findings in Africa date back that far. Early man made their brushes with bristles from animal hairs. They would tie the hairs  to stick; leaves could also be used and sometimes even bones (at least we don’t do that anymore!)

Cave paintings discovered throughout Africa and in Spain show us that brushes created these paintings and artworks. Throughout history, we see the introduction of beautifully tapered brushes for calligraphy and traditional writings throughout Asia.

I’m sure in no small way that we have the Egyptians to thank for creating makeup brushes. As many products and techniques, we are still familiar with, and yet put into practice today. Things that all came from their fascination and ingenuity regarding beauty so long ago.

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Brush-making has long been a craft that has been refined and improved over the centuries, in countries like China, Germany, and Japan.

Nowadays, many brush-making facilities take place in these countries: China, Thailand, India, Japan, Italy.

Brush Construction

Three components make up (pardon the pun!) a makeup brush: a handle, a head, and a ferrule (pronounced ferr-ool).

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Brush Handles

Brush makers can make the handles from a variety of materials. Materials such as wood, metal, plastic, you name it. There is a sentimental tie for me to wooden brush handles. They just feel more hand made, or historical or something, I can’t explain it, but I love wooden handles.

More than just a few of the brushes in my collection are artist’s brushes, bought from art stores. And honestly, if you find a brush you love, go for it. Just have a play on the back of your hand and your face first.

Artist brushes are designed to paint on paper, or canvas; not with going on someone’s face in mind. Therefore they may well be a little rougher and not as kind on the face. However using artist brushes for makeup is not necessarily rule of thumb, so go exploring – it is sometimes where you find gems.

Brush Head

Makeup brush heads (the collection or section made of hairs) comprise of either of the following types that, of course, we have already touched on Natural Fibres and Synthetic Fibres. Or sometimes a combination of the two.

The natural hairs may come from the following types of animals to begin: goat, squirrel, ox, sable, mink, badger.

As I mentioned, the animal hairs can come from fur farmers. The animal’s fur is its primary purpose from the fur farm. Some of my most special brushes are made from animal hair, as I have addressed. Perhaps yours are too. But there truly comes a particular point when you start to question if that is the way to go. If it feels right ethically, or if there are suitable synthetic alternatives that will do the job as effectively (or if not, more so) as it’s an animal-derived counterpart.

I know I lamented already, and I will be sharing my makeup brush must-haves later in this post. I’m sure a great deal of the brushes will no doubt be natural fibers that came from an animal. That’s hard for me to say, and it’s certainly something I’m not practicing anymore, but there it is.

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Honestly, I think animal fur is still somewhat superior in quality and in its ability to ‘hold’ a product, blend a product, and also in its long-term maintenance. But I will do my utmost to avoid animal hair makeup brush purchasing in the future. Honestly, couldn’t tell you the last time I did so.

The good news is that synthetic brushes are getting to be made higher quality and with greater frequency now than ever before. Companies making synthetics can produce them at a faster speed than animal hair brushes. They are also generally more affordable, so there’s plenty of advantages to synthetic options.

Companies can make synthetic bristles from materials such as Taklon and Dupont’s Nylon and Natrafil. And Natrafil, in particular, that Dupont state on their website is of equal or higher pickup quality than other synthetic brushes and brushes made from animal hair. I look forward to this only improving in the future as well.

Ferrule

A ferrule is a metal or rubber tube that is attached to the end of a wooden stick or post. And in the case of makeup brushes, it holds the bristles securely, and based on it’s shape and size, dictates the the shape of the bristles.

The bristles or hairs are tied and/or glued together and in place deep inside the ferrule.

Okay, So What type of Brush Should I be Using?

In the past, natural fibre brushes have tended to work more successfully for powder products. Makeup like eyeshadow, powder rouge, bronzer powders, powder foundation or setting powder. Anything that requires you to beblending the powdered pigment into the skin.

Brushes made from natural hair just have that perfect ability to hold pigment in the bristles with ease. And release it when you transfer the brush to someone’s face or your own that you’re making up.

Having said that, the synthetic fibres of today are really so good at mimicing and recreating the properties and structure of real hairs. It’s quite astounding!

Synthetic Brushes tend to be more applicable for using liquid or cream products. So when you’re applying foundation, whether it be cream or liquid, they can be your go to. Or if you’re applying lipstick to your client, synthetics are ideal.

Foundation Brushes

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A foundation brush should contain a very dense packing of bristles. In fact, looking at my image above of my four ‘best of’ foundation brushes, I see that all four of them are synthetic brushes. Winner!

Why have I chosen these brushes? Let’s start at the bottom.

The By Terry Tool Expert Foundation Brush has incredibly soft hairs. So they have a lot of flex, and it feels great to the touch. It also features a slightly concave surface area at the toe (see you learnt that already!) of the bristles. And what this does is allow your product to deposit there while you blend it around the face. I can buff and blend to my heart’s content with this brush!

The Bdellium Maestro 947 Small Foundation Brush is a workhorse of my collection. It can really do a full face with ease and efficiency. But is still small enough that I can go under eyes and on eyelids if I have to. I love this brush!

The Sigma Precision Angled P84 and Precision Flat P80 are just solid, slightly smaller brushes. The angled one can move around the face really nicely, across different planes. Great for shading and contouring too. And the flat one I use to really buff in a product. And if I have to use extra coverage on a problem area, or blemish, then this is the perfect tool.

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Concealer Brushes

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Pictured are just a ‘handful’ of some of my concealer brushes. The three black handled ones are from the Trekkell Golden Taklon 6″ Handle artist brush series. I believe they are from the Filbert range. These are affordable, soft, and sturdy synthetic alternatives to sable brushes and do a great job for me working as a corrective and concealer brush, particularly for the under-eye region.

Below them is one of my beloved Red Fox brushes. I have had this brush for 25 years now. I was just out of makeup college and treated myself to the beautiful set of about 26 of which this came from.

Sadly I probably only have about 2/3 of the set now. Just lost or discarded over time, unfortunately. But this is one I still use often. You can see the enamel is starting to warp at the base near the ferrule. Not bad for 25 years though! And dare I say, this may be one of the few natural hair brushes to feature out of my collection in this post so far!

Powder Brushes

Translucent Powder

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I love these two brushes. The Sigma Tapered Highlight F35 brush is so versatile. I usually use it for translucent powder. What I love about both of these brushes is that the hairs are just a little longer than standard, which enables a very light touch, and the ability to deposit the smallest amount of product. Great for a highlight across the cheekbone, or even a wash of colour over the eyelid.

The larger of the two brushes is the Sigma Spotlight Duster F37. This brush also has longer bristles than a lot of powder brushes. I can zip over a face with this in an instant! Love them both!

Rouge Brush

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I cannot write an entire blog piece dedicated to makeup brushes without including some of my favorite Rae Morris brushes. And this is one of the best.

The #1 Deluxe Kabuki Brush from Rae Morris is honestly (like all of her brushes actually!) the most versatile of brushes.

I love it for rouge, cheeks, decolletage, contouring – cream or powder. As the bristles are dense but soft enough to successfully apply either type of product.Looks like a natural hair brush doesn’t it? But guess again. It’s synthetic!!!

I may have to dedicate an entire post to Rae’s brushes at some point, as I could carry on writing another 2000 words just about them. Swoon!

Bronzer

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I have a slew of large powder brushes that carry out the role of bronzer duty just fine. Again I’ve decided to feature a couple of Rae Morris brushes as they are just so lovely and durable.

Applying bronzer is often times just with quick sweeps, covering large surface areas like necks and the decolletage. I love a well-made brush that has quality bristles to deliver the product sparingly but evenly. These two do just that with ease.

I’m not sure of the availability of these as individual brushes anymore. In the last 6 months or so, Rae had a clearance of her First Edition of makeup brushes. And no doubt in the future she will release a second edition (I’m already warming up the credit card!). So do be sure to check out her site to see exactly what she has in stock. She often has phenomenal sales on her brushes as well.

Eyeshadow Brushes

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So I have to mention this eyeshadow brush from Urban Decay for sentimental reasons as well as functionality. I was at work on set some time ago and observed a wonderful colleague using this brush. It’s such a cool looking brush it really caught my eye. So I commented on how nice it looked and she kindly gave it to me, stating she had more than one.

So here it is getting a mention in amongst my faves. I love using it on set throughout the day to just sweep over the eye to clean up, or ‘touch up’ a makeup. And it just looks so pretty!

Sadly this brush is discontinued at this time. But keep an eye out, as sometimes products can be re-stocked at later dates.

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I have so many eyeshadow brushes. And I make no apologies that among them all, I have to say my standout for delivery and quality and just all in all making the job easy are these divine creations. Yet again from Rae Morris.

They are just so good. As stated on her website, these brushes are made from Micro Crystal Fibres to imitate fine goat hair. The brushes truly look and feel like animal hair but are incredulously synthetic. And worth paying for, that’s for sure.

Eyebrow Brushes

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The Makeup Forever Eyebrow Brush is a firm and finely tapered eyebrow brush. It is great at depositing product through the brow hair and brushing the brows at the same time. At the time of publishing, this brush is discontinued.. Sorry folks!

My other must-have is the vital Brow Comb and Brush – here I have featured one of my many E.L.F brushes. I’m a big fan of the E.L.F. brand and love everything they stand for. They seem to care about creating quality yet affordable products for consumers. All of their makeup products are cruelty-free and vegan. As are their brushes.

Eyelash Brushes and Combs

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Here is an assortment of my beloved mascara brushes. I generally tend to use disposable mascara wands, more often than not. It’s just common sense and good practice. But when I have one character that has their own makeup and brushes of mine that I use day to day, there is always one of these kicking about. The two bottom from Bdellium and the upper one from E.L.F

I also have to mention Rae Morris’s eyeylash comb (below). I love it because the metal teeth are actually quite blunt. So it still runs through lashes to separate them, but they are just a little safer to handle and use. And so far it’s still intact!

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Below are a couple of gems that are incredibly useful for lthe lashes. The Bdellium 729 Fiber Bent Mascara Fan and the Bdellium Golden Triangle 730 Duet Fibre Bent Lash Fan. I like to apply the mascara with the traditional mascara wand/brush. And then I like to brush through the lashes with this fan brush. With a slight bend in the ferrule, you can really get into the roots of the lashes. Whether applying to someone else, or on your own lashes.

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Eyeliner Brushes

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Eyeliner brushes are such a bone of contention among makeup artists. We all have different techniques and use different tools for the job. These days I do like to use liner pens often times. Especially on myself. Liner brushes tend to suffer from the bristles splitting, they just do. Because they are very fine and thin, they require extra looking after.

I also like to use the Bdellium angled brushes for doing clean eyeliner close to the lashline. There are also some flat, or very square edged brushes that do a similar thing. They just have that ability to deposit product in a really small area and allow you to work cleanly which is important with eyeliner.

The Bdellium Golden Triangle 762 Small Angled Brush is the top brush in the image. Below it is a slightly larger brush of the same shape. Designed for the brows but I like it for liner as well. And then followed by a couple more of my Trekell favourite for liner. The bottom is a very thin liner brush and second from bottom has a lovely sharp angle at the toe – I think its called a dagger brush.

The labels have long since eroded from cleaning. But if you would like to know more, please feel free to contact me at one of the contact forms throughout the website and we can do some hard target research to identify them!

Lip Brush

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I always, yes ALWAYS use lip brushes that have a lid or cover on them. So when working on set each day, I can keep the lip brush dedicated to a particular individual with the lipstick or product deposited on the brush and all securely protected and covered between uses. Bdellium also has a fantastic, retractable version of this brush as well.

Square toed brushes can also be great for applying lipstick to help with the clean line you need for a nice application, and to help look after those lips!

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Brush Cleaners

So now you have your beloved brushes and you’ve been using them, it’s time to address just how important cleaning is. As a professional makeup artist, I clean my makeup brushes every day. Sometimes throughout the day, depending on my work schedule.

At home you should be getting into a nice casual routine of a once a week clean. A secret beauty hack of mine is to make it a trifecta of bonuses. Treat yourself to a lovely face mask, and while the face mask is on and working it’s magic, clean your brushes.

I like to wear vinyl gloves while I clean my brushes. So why not make the most of this and give your hands a treat as well? Load them up with your favourite moisturiser, pop on your vinyl disposable gloves and then go to town cleaning those brushes. With your brushes cleaned, remove your gloves and your hands should feel great too. Then once you remove your treatment mask, your face will thank you as well as your hands. And brushes!. Sounds like a great Sunday evening to me!

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The product I clean my brushes with more often than not is simply 99% isopropyl alcohol. I do a lot of special effects and prosthetic makeup. And my glue brushes take a beating with the very strong medical adhesives I use. For those, I always give them a once over with the thinners that accompany the glues I am using. I use alcohol once this is done.

For extra stubborn glue tainted brushes, and for my beauty brushes the next brush cleaner that I love is Parian Spirit. It has been around for over 20 years now, and as a citrus-based product, it cleans, disinfects and breaks down even the most stubborn of products left behind on your bristles.

Another reason I love it is that the company also stock these very handy small jars that have a tray built inside them. So all you have to do is fill the jar, and you can guide your brush back and forth over the lattice-like tray that will allow the crud in your brush to run off underneath to the bottom of the jar. Very well thought out, and logically designed. I must add, Parian does leave a slight oily residue on the brushes after cleaning. I always give them a little going over with 99% alcohol to take care of this.

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Dr Bronner’s Castille Soap is definitely worth mentioning at this point. If you have a little more time to wash (with water as opposed to using a solvent) your brushes, then this is a great product. Use the soap bar directly and keep it under a running tap to clean the brushes with ease onto the soap.

Brush Care

And once in a blue moon, I do like to give my brushes a shampoo. Just to give them a little pick me up. Some people swear by dish soap, but I must admit I haven’t tried that yet!

Unfortunately what people sometimes overlook is that wood expands and contracts in temperature fluctuations. It also absorbs water. So if you have ever had the bristles fall out as a collective from your brush, chances are it was a wooden one. This tends to happen less with handles made from materials other than wood.

Wooden brush handles are usually painted with thick lacquer or varnish. This acts as a seal on the handle, to help combat the expansion of the wood by liquids. If you use alcohol to clean your brushes, or other powerful solvents, you will learn that these paint layers can easily be eroded and chip off. So be sure to clean your brushes with care to help avoid this from happening. After all, you have invested in these tools so taking the utmost of care with them will keep them around for many many years to come.

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Alcohol can also quickly travel up the bristles and inside where they are all glued together at the hair’s base inside the ferrule. This is not necessarily the result of a poor quality brush.

So the moral of the story is – just take a little extra care when cleaning your brushes. And a little extra time. These are tools that you have invested in. Look after them and they will last you a lifetime!

Brush Appreciation

Do you know someone who is a brushmaker?

I suspect you don’t. They are quite a rare breed.

This is an incredible niche profession that takes years of training and a delicate hand. And although this video deals with animal hair brushes (the world-renowned Kolinsky sable – which is, in essence, a type of weasel) I can appreciate the intricacy and high level of detail-oriented work involved. It takes you through the process of what makes a Kolinsky Series 7 Brush and why they are so expensive. Check it out to really appreciate all that goes into making these superior quality brushes and why it takes around a week to make one brush.

Incidentally, a very adequate synthetic alternative to the Kolinsky brush is the Escoda Versatil line from Spanish brush company Escoda. They look great and at very reasonable prices too.

What is your favourite brush? Did I menton it at all? Did you learn something? I hope so. Now I’ve got to go and clean my brushes!!

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Sources:

CV Skinlabs

www.peta.org

Featured Image by Oh Tilly via Unsplash

The post The Ugly Truth About Makeup Brushes appeared first on The Makeup Refinery.