Mary Kay Brush Cleaner

I have to say, when I first heard that Mary Kay was coming out with a brush cleaner, I was thrilled! If you follow me on Twitter, you already knew because I had tweeted about it. 

I don't understand why not all cosmetics companies carry their own brush cleaner?! It would make sense, wouldn't it? Take note cosmetics companies! ;)

Cleaning your brushes is essential if you want to keep your brushes 1- in good shape 2- keep germs away from your face (bacteria = acne) and your products (cosmetics are expensive, we all know that, so you want to make sure you treat them right, and that includes avoiding contamination with dirty brushes).  

All you need:

1- Paper towels or clean towels (I use paper towels because I already spend my life doing laundry so no need to add to my never ending pile!)

2- Brush cleaner

3- Dirty brushes

4- A good TV show or music CD to keep you company while you clean (MOTIVATION ladies!!)

How-to:

1. Dirty brushes (shown here: mix of foundation, cream products, gel liner and powdered products like eye shadows and blushes for testing purposes! Yes, I had fun getting them dirty.):

2. Spray brush cleaner on dirty bad boy (the guinea pig here is a MAC 219 pencil brush).

3- Swirl the brush onto the paper towels to remove all traces of makeup. Spray and repeat until all clean...Ta da!!! (shown here: result after two sprays and 2 swirls):

4- Let your clean brushes air dry overnight. I like propping them up head down on a rolled-up hand towel to keep any moisture away from the ferrule. Just a little tip! ;)

Picture credit: About.com

Verdict:

I am a MAC brush cleaner fan (tried Quo, hated it). I have to say that the Mary Kay Brush Cleaner is a great alternative. As you can see in the picture, it removed ALL traces of makeup from the brush with just 2 sprays. The only thing I noticed, is that it doesn't work as well on long-wear cream shadows (it takes a few more sprays than the MAC version to get the product out completely). 

If you don't use long-wear cream products often, I would definitely recommend this brush cleaner. It smells divine and does what it claims. Plus, it helps condition bristles. At $10 CAD for a 6 fl. oz. bottle, you can't go wrong!

How often do YOU clean your brushes? What is your favorite brush cleaner? Leave me a comment below. I LOVE it when you guys share your thoughts. ;)

Psst! Mary Kay now offers makeup brushes. Review to follow! ;)