Clean your makeup brushes in seconds with this $35 gadget
When's the last time you cleaned your makeup brushes? For me, it had to be at least six months ago.
Considering I use them most days of the week, it's perplexing to think that I don't pay much attention to how often I do – or don't – give my brushes the TLC they deserve. After all, they apply my makeup for me, day in and out, so giving them a quick clean seems like the least I could do.
However, a quick consensus of the office quickly revealed that I wasn't the only one who had been neglecting this task, and the ways in which people revealed how they've attempted to clean their kit in the past highlighted the need for a simple, quick-but-effective solution.
With silicone pads tossed in the 'too laborious' category and brush cleaning spritzes dubbed 'not the greatest', eventually, we reached the unanimous decision that an electric makeup brush cleaner was the best option for both efficiency and hygiene, and we endeavoured to try one out. Off to Amazon we went...
NOTE: Prices are accurate at the time of publishing.
YBVABE Makeup Brush Cleaner
How does it work?
The makeup brush cleaner from YBVABE comes with a detachable plastic bowl, a brush spinner, and eight rubber collars that vary in size, so you can clean a range of different brushes. The end of the brush pops inside the correct rubber collar, which then connects to the spinner. The spinner, which is battery operated (you'll need to pick up two AAA batteries), then powers the rotation of the brush head, which is cleaned when spun through the soapy water inside the bowl.
The collar sizes start at 3mm and gradually increase in size, with the largest being 30mm, which can fit your largest brushes, and a beauty blender as well if it's still spongy enough to be squeezed inside.
Each of these are easily connected to the spinner via a small attachment. Once the brush is connected to the spinner, a single press of the button will get it moving. Then, it's time to dip your spinning brush into the bowl.
We trialled the product using water with soap, and water with a face cleanser – both worked for removing product from the bristles.
Best of all, the whole set – including the rubber collars – cost no more than $30.
We crowdsourced a few brushes from the team to road-test the method, and were overall very happy with the results.
Pros
It's efficient: The makeup brush cleaner is a really efficient way to wash your brushes. If you're cleaning them all at once, you simply have to match the rubber collars to brush sizes, and attach them to the brush spinner to get going. The only thing that might slow you down is changing the water once it gets really dirty, but this would be expected for any method of brush cleaning.
The unexpected drying option: The makeup brush cleaner also has a drying option. Since the brush spinner has such a strong kick behind it, it fans out the bristles of the brush as it rotates, which helps to spin-dry the brush. They still might need a few more minutes of air-drying, but you can easily get rid of excess water by using the spinner and holding the brush above the water.
Ease of use: Once you have the technique sorted, it's one of the easiest methods of brush cleaning. It takes less manual labour to get your brushes clean, and you don't have to risk ruining the brush head by using your fingers to dig out all the product.
It helps to prevent bacteria spreading on your skin: You notice very quickly just how much product has built up on your brushes, and how much you've been swiping all that gunk over your skin. This eye-opening exercise, plus the satisfaction of seeing all that excess dirt churn off in the water, means I'm likely to clean my brushes more often than before – and, so I'm told, is every 2-4 weeks. Which only means good things for my skin.
Cons
- Set up takes time: It took a few tries to match the brushes to the correct rubber collars. They need to be held in place quite tightly, so if it takes a little force to get it in.
You have to clean the cleaner, obviously: Given just how much product has probably come off your brushes, we'd recommend giving the bowl a good rinse and drying it off. I used dishwashing liquid and a bit of hot water, and it did the trick.
Is it worth it?
Personally, I really enjoyed using the brush cleaner once I nailed the technique. It's super quick and effective, and I'm confident when I use my clean brushes that they'll be free of any unsightly bacteria from months of caked-on makeup. If you're someone who likes putting time into cleaning, you'll likely find it quite soothing, watching the water darken as the product leaves your brush. While using your fingers probably works just as well, this is a much more sterile, quick, and easy way to do it that saves you manual labour.
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