How do you clean makeup brushes?

I used to heavily neglect my makeup brushes but that's all in the past. I dutifully clean the eyeshadow brushes and eyeliner brushes every day and the face brushes at least once a week. (If I use a flat foundation brush I clean that each time.)

I made my own brush cleaner using roughly 1/3 olive oil and 2/3 dish soap or baby shampoo. I am not a measuring-type person so I just guess the amounts.

Pour them in and if someone is taking pictures you will probably spill something.

I should Photoshop that out.

Mix them up, they will emulsify and become creamy. That part is my favorite. Gotta love science.

Now on to the cleaning part.

When I wash my brushes I use cold water so I don't melt the glue. My secret to squeaky-clean brushes is one of these brush cleaners from the craft store, it's called the Brush Preserver Kit from Folk Art. It's really best for synthetic fiber brushes but you can use your own judgement, I use some of my smaller animal hair brushes on the brush cleaner & it hasn't ruined them at all. It really gets in between the bristles and gets all the makeup out. This is important because I have those cute white bristle brushes with pink tips and I don't want them to look dirty! And it also helps keep bacteria at bay. Drag the brushes though it only one way, tilting the brush almost horizontal and pull from the handle so the bristles drag behind. You don't want to destroy your brush by going crazy here.

Try not to tip the brushes upside down so water will stay out of the ferrel. I gently squeeze the brushes in a super-absorbent hair towel, reshape them and lay them out, folding the towel at one end so the brush head tilts downward.

That's it! Super clean brushes. If you use natural hair brushes you can rub some olive oil in the bristles, let them soak for 5 minutes and repeat the cleaning process. No need to do this with taklon/synthetic brushes unless they are in bad shape and you are trying to revive them.