A Review: Makeup Brush Cleaners; MAC, Clinque, Cinema Secrets, Sephora andhome made.

Please excuse the empty, half empty and dirty bottles. As you can see, I love to clean my brushes!

I would categorize my brush cleaners into 2:

1) Quick Cleaner for in between makeup applications.

2) Deep Clean every once in a while.

Quick Cleaners:-

MAC Brush Cleaner, $13 for 7.9oz

Clinique makeup brush cleaner, $13 for 8oz

Cinema Secrets, $32 for 35oz

The MAC and Clinique ones work and even look similarly.  For both I spray it only the brush and use a paper towel or kleenex to and wipe the brush clean. These seem to wash off most of the product on the brush and you have to leave them a bit of time to dry before using them again. I tend to slightly favor the Clinque over MAC because it seems to be more potent in it's cleaning power. Maybe the formula is more concentrated.

Cinema Secrets dries very quickly after spraying the product onto the brush. So you have to work quickly to wipe it on a paper towel in order to get old makeup off the brush. A pro about this one is that the brush feels like it dries the brush completely so you could use the brush again immediately after cleaning. Probably good for professional use. It seems to take nearly of the product off however when it dries on your hand it leaves a white dry residue. it also has kind of a pungent chemical smell that seems to be masked with a vanilla scent. I'm not sure if this is related but this product has broken 2 spray bottles I've used to hold it in which has never happened with my other brush cleaners. 

Deep Cleaners:-

Sephora Collection Purifying Brush Shampoo,  $14 for 6.75oz

Baby shampoo

Youtuber EnKore's DIY brush cleaner (linked below)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FwklwLsSSg

The Sephora Cleaner worked to me very much like a baby shampoo would. I pump out a little product into the palm of my hand and swirl my brush into it then run the brush under water. I may repeat this step until the water runs clear. I then squeeze the brush dry and make sure they dry in shape. A brush guard may help with that.

Baby shampoo worked pretty much the same as the Sephora cleaner in my mind. Maybe it doesn't contain any anti-bacterial to it though.

I personally wasn't too crazy about the EnKore DIY formula. It smelled chemically and I didn't feel like my brushes looked any cleaner than baby shampoo or the sephora cleaner. Although I initially thought it was a cool idea to make my own brush cleaner and possibly save a lot of money. I found my own mixture to be the least appealing in the end.

Clinique B. B. Cream

I started hearing about BB Cream from Jen frmheadtotoe on youtube. I believe she was showing one in a pink pump. I've done some research and everything I post is just what I've heard and am in no way claiming anything to be factual.  For all I know these could be Urban Legends. From my understanding, the story behind BB creams  also known as "Blemish Balms" and "Beauty Balms" originating from Korea for people recovering from surgery who should not be applying too many products to their face. They are supposed to be an efficient way to apply a product to your face with out having to layer on too many different products. They are supposed to have more than one active ingredient and serve multiple purposes for example maybe a serum, sunscreen and your foundation in one.

So I started getting curious about it. My daily foundation was routine was starting to feel a bit cakey for this time of year so I thought why not give BB creams a try.

I went to several shops: CVS, Sephora, Macy's and Nordstrom and picked up the following samples of full size. Here are my thoughts on my currently NC 35 combination skin.

The Garnier one I immediately did not like it. I used medium and felt like I looked like I had a spray on tan. I had the orange-y feel. However, I did feel like this could work for olive skin toned people.

Estee Lauder, didn't do much for me. I felt was too drying on my combination skin face.

Boscia, I initially did not care of this product. I felt like it didn't give my much coverage too many large glitter specks and also gave me a slight gray tone. After about a week using the premium sample I received during the VIB event I actually grew to like this product. I feel like the gray tone I would notice after sitting on my skin would change to match my tone. I used a finishing powder to take away the shine but I also liked how I would have a dewy finish.

Dr. Jart Premium Beauty Balm SPF 45 PA+++ also a gray tone initially a gray tone but nothing a finishing powder can't fix. I liked that it had an SPF of 45. I would use this one again but maybe I would go to Boscia before this one.

Clinque, this felt to me much like a tinted moisturizers. My mother also tried many of these samples over a month period and ended up buying the full size of this and wanting the Dr. Jart as well.