Happy New Year to everyone and lets begin 2013 with clean make-up brushes and tidy out the old make-up you may have stored away in a back of a cupboard.

There are many reasons for keeping your make-up brushes clean

* removes old make-up that builds up on the brushes

* bacteria and germs that could cause skin issues and breakouts and reactions to products

* cares for the expensive make-up brushes you have made an investment in

How often should you clean your brushes ?  ideally as a guideline these should be washed at least once a week in a mild shampoo. If you use alot of make-up over the week, than maybe every other day if you can.

*To clean you brushes you should start in tepid water only with the bristles in the water.  Keep the brushes upside down when wet so that the soapy water does not seep into the handle part of the brush.

*Next start with using a mild baby shampoo.  Pop the shampoo in the palm of  your hand and wash the brushes one by one adding a little tepid water time by time.  Make sure your thoroughly rinse and repeat until the brushes are totally clean, always keep the handle away from the water.

*After the brushes have had a good wash.  Dry them carefully with paper towel and lay them flat on a towel overnight.  Depending on how thick the brushes are they will vary on how long they take to dry.  You can keep them flat on the towel and pop them in the airing cupboard.  Don’t  dry with a hairdryer as the heat will damage the bristles.

Keeping your brushes clean will prevent any bacteria issues and your make-up will go on more smoothly onto the skin.

Make-up can be an expensive purchase during the months from purchasing mascaras, foundations, blushers, lipsticks etc.  Expiry dates on make-up will vary from brand to brand. Most brands have a symbol on the product indicating how long it will last once opened.  For example if it says 6m you should use in 6 months or 12m than 12 months etc.  Take a look at your products and take notice of them.

For hygiene reasons mascara should be used within 2-3 months only, your eyes are extremely sensitive and the mascara wand comes into contact with eyes and air which causes bacteria infections.  Eyeliners should also be regularly sharpened to prevent any build up of bacteria.  Most other products from foundations etc will last for around 6 months to 18 months.  Always store your make-up in a cool dry place and avoid sharing any make-up to your friends and family.

I hope you have found this small blog useful.  Have fun and enjoy tidying out your make-up.

Image of the Shu Uemura brushes was taken by myself.