Cosmetic Cleaning....on the Cheap

I HEART makeup.

Now when I say I love makeup and cosmetology...some of you may be thinking my love is like this.

But, dear readers, you'd be wrong to assume that. The love I feel for makeup is above and beyond what is normal for any human being. When I walk into any makeup store...any store at all...I instantly feel like

And then I have to tear myself away pretty quickly. Not leaving the store in a sufficient amount of time could easily result in:

I don't even want to calculate MENTALLY what I've probably spent on makeup and hair crap throughout the years because in a word....it's depressing. I especially love my makeup brushes which have lasted me FOREVER!!!

The only real qualm I have with my brushes is how friggin dirty they have gotten over time. I mean...it's pretty gross. I attempted to use those spray makeup cleaners, water, and even those expensive wipes and NOTHING came even close to restoring my beautiful brushes to their former glory.

This is when I came up with a brilliant plan to find a DIY makeup brush cleaner. I scoured opened  a few windows in the internets for hours minutes on end looking for the perfect solution. And then, dear readers, I saw what I had been ferverently nonchalantly looking for.

I located a brilliant DIY makeup brush cleaner idea. The recipe called for just two simple ingrdients: white vinegar and dish soap. Most of us probably have those two items lying around anywho. So I decided to give it a whirl!

I just added a tablespoon of dish soap and vinegar to the cup of warm water as instructed. It kind of came out cloudy looking like this:

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<i>Yes that is one of my engagement photos on my glass. I know, I know....I'm awesome ;)</i>

Then I basically just began dipping my brushes in one by one---giving them a slight push towards the bottom of the glass. I swirled each brush for about five seconds, then removed it from the water, reshaped it, and laid it on a towel to dry.

<i>You could literally see the old makeup residue coming off in the water as depicted above!!!</i>

If you arent already fully convinced that this technique is not only inexpensive but HIGHLY efficient, here is further proof on one of my favorite MAC brushes.

<b>BEFORE</b>

<b>AFTER</b>
Aye carumba!!!!! I'll definitely be using this method monthly to clean my brushes!!!! Does it leave your brushes smelling like vinegar? Eh....maybe a little...but nothing you couldn't get past and just LOOK at how clean they are!!!!!!! Not to mention, it's nothing that I can post for proof, but holy guacamole....the brushes feel like HEAVEN!! I used a dish soap that is intended to be soft on hands and I soooo recommend it for those of you trying this tutorial. You can pick up a small bottle at the dollar tree and my brushes now feel even better than new!!!!

Take it from me and give this method a try this weekend :) You won't be sorry you did!!!!
Until next time, marveleous makeup cleaning!!!
Eliz