The Only Brushes You Need For Traveling

You don't need every brush in your collection when traveling. It's obviously true when a makeup hoarder like myself confesses the cold hard truth. I know it's nice to have a brush for every step but it's not necessary 

to complete a look with every brush in your collection, take it from a makeup hoarder. If I'm saying this, it must be true. 

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More so than ever, I'm a huge makeup hoarder and I can't help but pack every single thing I love when I'm leaving. That being said, I'm always left with little to no room for my makeup brushes. After going through the same process over and over again, I finally got the hang of packing the important brushes I need. Honestly, I'm not sure why I packaged a gazillion brushes everytime I went somewhere. There's only a few I require when doing my makeup at home. Why would It be any different when doing my makeup else where? Maybe it's the hoarder within me?

Quick Review: Eco Tools Complexion Collection Eye Perfecting Brush

Hello! I'm sure as you already know this post is a quick review of Eco Tools Complexion Collection Eye Perfecting brush. It's a drugstore brush that can be found at Walmart, Target, Ulta, etc. Your bank account only has to donate $4.99 for this under eye concealer brush. It can be used for creams, moisturizers, or my favorite, concealers. 

 There's a lot of great makeup brushes from the drugstore...Sonia Kashuk, Real Techniques, E.l.f studio and Eco Tools are by far my favorite brushes. In fact, I don't even bother paying high end prices for brushes. It's just not necessary anymore. Sure, I like a few high end brushes more than drugstore. Some of the eye brushes from Sigma are a favorite of mine but honestly their not a "must have". The drugstore offers every kind of brush you need to achieve glamorous makeup looks.  

Like I mentioned earlier, this brush can be used for many different things. Three of the things they mention are creams, moisturizers and concealers.

 I tried it with all three products and I personally prefer using it for concealers. It blends out my concealers quickly and leaves behind a flawless finish. It can be pokey if you point it directly to your eye and dap. I found that it best if swift wiping motions are used or dapping motions at a 45 degree angle. The bristles are much softer that way. 

I used it for my undereye moisturizer/ cream once and decided it was pointless. It doesn't do anything special for moisturizer. If anything it's a bad idea. Why worry about a possibly dirty brush contaminating your clean skin? 

One thing that Eco Tools didn't mention using it for is cream eyeshadow and primer. The brush works really good at getting my Urban Decay primer in the inner corner of my eye and right under my eyebrow. And you know, sometimes I just don't feel like getting tacky primer all over my clean fingers and the same goes for cream eyeshadow. The firmness of the brush is just right for buffing out cream eyeshadows as a base or a simple look. 

This brush is a little different than I expected. I thought it would be less dense and "beautifully soft" and it is soft in a unique way. The bristles are tightly packaged and firm but they have a softness to them. I think that's a good thing for those of us who enjoy firm brushes that will quickly blend out concealer under our eyes. However, if your skin is sensitive under your eyes then opt for something else that is more forgiving like a Beauty Blender. 

So far I haven't noticed any shedding or discoloration of the bristles. Eco Tools brushes usually have a stong glue in the ferrule that will hold the bristles in place for years even after washing. I have not been disappointed with a brush from them yet and I'm sure I won't be. Their high quality brushes for an affordable price. Plus, look at the design on the ferrule. Isn't it gorgeous?

Do I find this brush necessary? Not really. I honestly think your finger can do the same thing and you don't have to worry about a dirty brush. But I do like having the option of having a brush for my concealer. It's nice to know its there if I need or want it. It also makes a cute collectors brush if you have an obsession with makeup brushes. And besides, why not? It's only a few dollars. 

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Have you tried this brush? 

Are you thinking about purchasing it?

What brand makes your favorite brushes from at the drugstore? 

Let me know in the comments below! 

Tutorial: How to clean your makeup brushes

Hello!

Today I'm going to share my brush cleansing routine. I really want to go ahead and put this on TaylorPieBeauty.com because it's such an important step to take in your beauty life. I can't believe I use to skip washing my brushes. I hope I can convince you to wash yours as well! It makes a hell of a difference. 

 A lot of people think it's ok to skip cleaning your brushes but it's not! You're brushes are a breading ground for bacteria and it's unsanitary to use them when they're unwashed. BUT that's not the only reason... When you have build up of products on your brushes, you can't possibly get the best finish. It's the same thing as your face. Do you apply makeup with yesterday's makeup still on? No, I'm sure you don't. So why do the same with your brushes? 

Brush cleaning removes

Old makeup

Dirt and debris 

Oil

 bacteria 

Dead skin

Benefits

Keeps the bristles soft

Prevents breakouts 

Better makeup application

Brushes last longer

What can brushes be cleaned with?

Brush shampoo

Baby shampoo

 Dish soap (my favorite)

Coconut oil mixed with shampoo

Soap bar

How often should you wash your brushes?

It really varies from person to sperson. If you're not prone to breakouts I think cleaning your brushes every 7-10 days is fine. Now if you ARE prone to breakouts then I recommend washing all of them once a week. Just to be safe though, I wash my foundation and concealer brush after every single use. I'm constantly running those specific brushes over my breakouts and I prefer sanitizing them before my next use. I just think it's better for my skin this way and ever since I started this routine I have seen a huge difference in my acne. If you don't have the time to wash them at least spritz them with alcohal when you're done with your makeup. 

It's also a good idea to wipe off your eye brushes after every use. It's a horrific site when you go to apply a light shade and it's black from yesterday's look. Just trust me on this one. 

Baby wipes are just fine for wiping them off. So don't think you have to go through the whole cleansing routine everyday, it's unnecessary. 

What about beauty blenders?

I use Dawn dish soap to wash my beauty blender before every use. Your suppose to dampen them before you use them anyways so it's not really another step added to your routine. 

One thing I like to do is put my beauty blender in the microwave for 20-30 seconds(after washing).This kills the bacteria, takes the extra water out of the sponge and helps "melt" your foundation into your skin during application(if still warm). I do this every single time I use it and I don't think I will ever stop. Just be sure not to leave it in there for too long. The last time I did it I pushed zero twice(3 mins) and it melted. Now I have to go purchase a new one, boo! 

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What you will need...

Dawn dish soap

Towel for drying

Running water

Some people use a brush egg or mitten to clean their brushes. I don't really find them to be necessary. I have always used my hands and will continue doing so. 

If you have a million brushes then it might not hurt to have one. However, don't feel the need to purchase one if you can't dish out the money for it. It's not a must have.

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The first thing you need to do 

Gather all of your supplies and dirty brushes. For this tutorial I'm using the e.l.f brush shampoo and dawn dish soap. Usually, dawn is the only thing I use but I recieved the brush shampoo for free so I'm trying to finish off the bottle. So far I do like it but later on I will post a full review. So keep an eye out for that post. 

When I wash my brushes I always do them at the same time but just for this post I'm going to be washing three different kinds of brushes. A Multi purpose face brush, eye blending brush and a comb brush. 

Also be sure to find a decent sized towel. The bigger the better, depending on the size of your brush collection.

Everytime I go to wash my brushes I go to my bathroom sink. I think it's best when you have a clean environment, so be sure to sanitize your sink before washing. 

Now let's start cleaning!

The first thing I like to do is dampen my brush in lukewarm water. It's the same as when you wash your hands, hair and teeth. The soap will lather up a lot easier and more efficiently. All I do is turn on the faucet and hold my brush under the running water for about ten seconds.

Grab your soap

After my brushes are drenched in water I pour a dime sized amount of soap onto the top of the brush. You don't have to use that much soap but I personally enjoy a good lather. 

 

Now firmly hold the ferrule of the brush and rub the brush on your hand in circular motions. It doesn't take very long. I usually keep on going until I don't see anymore makeup on the bristles. After I suspect the brush is clean, I rinse it off and add a dot of soap to start the process all over again. 

If the soap is clean, then the brush is clean.

Drying

After you're done washing rinse your brushes off.

Now gently swirl your brushes on your towel. This helps with getting the excess water off of your brushes before shaping/drying them. 

Shaping

Make sure you shape your brushes! To shape them I run each brush through my hand while it's closed(fist). Do this step as many times as you want. I personally like to do it until the brush is a smooth as I can get it. 

All done!

Now just lay them down and you're all done! You can leave them there or move them to a convenient area. I prefer my vanity and I like to put something under the towel to prop up the ends. That's not needed but your brushes will last longer if you do it. The reason being, the water will run into the ferrule and loosen up the glue over time.

There are many ways to clean your brushes but this is the way I like to do it. It's easy, fast and cost effective. 

How do you clean your brushes?

Have any questions? Leave a comment below!

Thanks for reading, TaylorPie.