Cleaning Your Makeup Blending Sponge

When it comes to make up, I am a big ol' girly-girl.  I love the stuff!  I wear it almost every day.  If you have ever seen me without makeup - we were on a beach somewhere, or for some reason you have been around me just before I went to sleep or in the wee hours of the morning.  (or you're some creepy stalker type person, but I know you're not)

When you love wearing and applying makeup like I do, your applicators get dirty pretty quick.  And not washing them leads to muddy looking makeup and clogged pores. In the past I have shared how I wash my makeup brushes.

A while back I began using a sort of egg-shaped makeup sponge for applying my foundation, as well as blending my concealer and contouring.   This handy tool also gets gunky rather quickly.

Look at all the old makeup in that sponge! EW!

I use the same supplies to clean my sponge as I do for my brushes - Dove dish soap and water.  I begin by mixing a quarter cup of the dish soap and 3 cups of warm water in a bowl deep enough to submerge the sponge.

Dip the sponge into the soapy water and give it several good squeezes.  You'll see makeup start coming out of the sponge immediately

Let the sponge soak for a little while.  I've left it for as long as a couple of hours.

See hoe much the water has changed?  All of that was hiding inside the sponge!

Now it's time to rinse.  Take your time with this and be thorough.  You don't want any soap remaining inside your sponge.  So, rinse and squeeze.  Rinse and squeeze.  Repeat.  Repeat.  Repeat.

Once you're satisfied that your sponge is free from soap, squeeze out any excess water and allow it to air dry.

I rinse my makeup sponge after every use and try to wash it about once a week to keep it clean and help it to last longer.

Let me know if you try this method and how it works for you!

Cleaning Make Up Brushes - the DIY way

You probably wash your face each day to clean away all the makeup, sweat, and oils that collect on your skin over the course of the day.  But what about your makeup brushes?  When was the last time you gave them a good cleansing? 

If it's been awhile - you are technically brushing all of that grime right back onto your face when you apply your makeup.  This can lead to everything from clogged pores, muddy looking makeup, and even infection.  YUCK!!

Fortunately, I have a super simple (and inexpensive) way of cleaning my brushes on a regular basis.

Mix 1 tablespoon Dawn dish soap (the original blue kind)  with 1/2 cup warm water in a small glass.

Dip each brush into the mixture, then swish it around to really clean the bristles. Brushes I use for "sticky" makeups - cream, gel, or liquid - I let soak for a minute or two before swishing.  You'll be amazed how quickly and easily the makeup comes of the brush.

This is the stipple brush I use for applying cream blush before cleaning:

And after: 

It really works that well, and quickly!

After cleaning the brushes, I put them in a bath of clear cool water for a few minutes and then give them all a good rinse.

And this is all the nasty stuff that came out of the brushes!  Ew...

I roll the brushes in a clean towel and give them a little squeeze to get the excess water out of the bristles.   Then place them up right in the (now rinsed out) glass to dry. 

And that's it.  Easy peasy, lemon squeezey! 

Do you clean your makeup brushes or applicators regularly?