How I Clean My Make Up Brushes

To make your brushes last a lot longer than they should then it's very important to take care in them by washing them regularly when they get dirty as you would with your own hair. I like to give my brushes a deep clean every few weeks and nothings more therapeutic than watching all that dirty foundation wash down the drain. If you don't clean your brushes than this can lead to bacteria build up causing clogged pores and breakouts, the next time you get a breakout, it might not be from a product you've applied that morning but from the dirty brush you used to apply it.

I haven't really explored in buying fancy brush cleansing products as I like to use something which I've found does the job really well for a low price and that is Johnson's Baby Shampoo. This stuff not only cleans your brushes but also makes them soft and conditioned like they were when you first bought them. I recently picked up the Real Techniques Cleansing Palette which is designed to clean all size brushes and it comes with a free sample of they're cleansing gel which if I'm honest. I really would not recommend as I went back to the baby shampoo because it wasn't breaking down the make up well making them white and clean again. So to begin I lay out a towel for me to lay the brushes as a drying station making sure it's on a flat surface, I then run the tap to lukewarm making sure it's not hot and wet my brush in a pointed down direction so no water gets inside the base which can cause the glue to become loose making the bristles fall out which is not what you want!. I add a drop of baby shampoo onto the palette and swirl it around in circular motions until I am happy it is clean. I then give the brush a rinse again in a pointed down direction and watch the make up wash away, before laying it down to dry I squeeze the bristle to the centre shaping it which removes an access water and makes sure it's back in the correct shape once dry. One thing you must never do is let your brushes dry bristle side up in the air as this can make water run down the brush putting you at risk of the glue becoming loose. I let them air dry overnight and they are dry by morning depending on the time you washed them.

This can sometimes be a daunting task but you'll soon get used to the routine and thank yourself in the morning when you go to use your soft clean brushes

My Current Everyday Make Up for Winter 2015

I've never really talked about my everyday look but over the past month or so these items have been what I've reached for the most and have now been placed in my make up bag.

For the base I have been wearing a choice of Revlon Colorstay and Estee Lauder Double Wear which are both full coverage. Mornings have become more of a struggle and this has left me with tired dark eyes so this Collection Illuminating Touch Concealer has been great for under my eyes making them look more awake. My cheeks I've been experimenting with a lot more darker tones and I do go through a cycle of reaching for Lord & Berry 'Lotus', Benefit 'Rockateur' and Max Factor Creme Puff 'Gorgeous Berries' at the minute which are all rose/mauve shades.

For the eyes this limited edition No7 eyeshadow palette is just my perfect everyday staple for all year round and it's very rare to find a palette where I will use all the shades. Liquid eyeliner is a must for me and my favourite look is a winged flick so I got this Eyeko Fat Felt Liner in my Birchbox October which stays on all day. For the lips, if it's for work then all I'll wear is a tinted lip balm, nothing too noticeable but for days off or weekends then i'll mostly be wearing a red or berry shade and I do go for a bit of variety as I love to change up my lipsticks but this Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution 'Bond Girl' is a luxury of mine and I'm wearing it whenever I get the chance or sometimes I wear lip liners on there own as they have great staying power and this Kiko Rebel Romantic has been a favourite.

What's been your most reached for products recently?