Your loose powder brush doesn't feel as fluffy. Your eyeshadow brush feels cakey. What's going on?

More than likely, it's time to wash your makeup brushes. The tools you use to beautify yourself accumulate a lot of stuff besides cosmetics: the natural oils in your skin, the moisturizer you use, and bacteria. All of this residue needs to be washed away on a regular basis not only to keep your makeup utensils performing well, but also to make sure the bacteria buildup doesn't end up clogging your pores and causing complexion problems.



Try to wash your brushes once a week. Make it part of your regular routine. Say you lay your Monday work clothes out on Sunday night (because you're organized like that) and pack a healthy lunch. Wash your makeup brushes while you're in the bathroom performing your nightly beauty ritual.

Use a mild cleanser. If your makeup brushes are made with natural hair, shampoo is an excellent cleanser. Or a gentle soap like Dove will work. Wet the brush hair thoroughly in warm (not hot) water and apply the cleanser of your choice. Squeeze the suds through the hair, then rinse. You may have to repeat that a few times, depending on how much buildup you have to get rid of.

Once there's no more soapy residue, squeeze out excess water and lay your brushes flat on a towel to dry. In the morning, they should be fluffy as new.

'Til next time, my pretties.