3 reasons why you need to drop everything and clean your brushes NOW!

1.) Acne- Dirty make-up brushes, tweezers, even your make-up bag can be the culprit for those annoying break outs that seem to happen more often than we’d like.  By not cleaning your brushes you’re creating a breading ground for bacteria.  Those beautiful brushes you spent a pretty penny on deserve some cleaning at least once every two weeks, ideally once a week.  They harbor things such as dead skin cells, germs from being sick, toxins from sweat, dust, oil, and dirt… need I say more?! Yuck!!!

2.) Ruins Your Brushes-  Washing and reshaping your brushes actually helps with the longevity of your brushes.   Whether you have spent a little or a lot, money does not grow on trees ladies! Cleaning your brushes on a regular basis will help maintain the shape and keep them soft.

3.) Application- using a saturated or dirty brush can create a poor application.  I find this to be especially true when it comes to foundation.  If your brush is saturated in product it begins to go on streaky, can be hard to blend, and can almost create a muddy look- not cute!  Also, if your brushes are not clean the intended shade will not show up on your skin its’ true color. Blending, especially when it comes to eye shadow or contouring, becomes nearly impossible as the build up of product often leaves you looking spotty…let’s face it if you’re gonna take the time to contour (bravo!) the last thing you want is to end up looking like a dalmatian… WOOF! (haha, see what I did there?!)

Okay, so now we’re at the part where you KNOW how important it is to clean your brushes but I haven’t solved the problem of when and how to make it more enjoyable… enter Sigma Beauty.  You all know my love for their brushes, well I love their gadgets just as much!  My two personal favourites are the Dry n’ Shape Tower and the Sigma Spa Brush Cleaning Mat. Because my brush collection is slightly out of control, the tower and mat help make the job faster and much more enjoyable.   The tower helps with the “when do I wash my brushes?” issue as it cuts the dry time in half.  It also takes up little counter space… bonus!  This tower is definitely not necessary for those with small collections but for those who have a lot, it’s totally worth it!

The Spa Cleaning Brush Mat has 7 different textures to help get your variety of brushes clean. I love the mat because it cuts the cleaning time in half and I use much less cleaning solution!  The different textures allow for a deep clean with much less elbow grease!  The textures also help create a great lather causing me to reach for much less solution. This mat comes in a mini version for those with smaller collections!

Speaking of solution! I have tried manyyy different brush cleaners and my favourite, by far, is olive oil and Dawn dish soap (you can also you baby shampoo).  Cheap and it works!!! 1/2 teaspoon of each, mix them together and voila, the cheapest/best cleaner (in my opinion) out there!

Tell me about your brush cleaning routine! When do you do it and how do you make it more enjoyable?!

Happy Cleaning!!!

PS. Sigma is having a sale today and tomorrow! Save 30% when you spend $200 or more, 20% when you spend $100 or more, and 15% when you spend over $75 or more!

The post 3 Reasons to Clean Your Make-up Brushes NOW! appeared first on Teach Me Style - A style, beauty and life blog..

The cosmetic industry – or Sephora, can be very overwhelming.  There are always new products and gimmicks to try and if you don’t have the time or desire to do your research you can end up spending a lot of money on unnecessary products. SO I thought I would share my favorite beauty products that I reach for daily.  Some are new, but most of these are my old tried, tested and true favorites!

Loreal Paris Voluminous Smoldering Eyeliner

I bought this eyeliner last month and there hasn’t been a day that I haven’t used it.  Okay wait, that’s a lie.  When I’m doing a more dramatic eyeliner, like a cat eye, I love me some gel liner… but for an every day easy liner, this is it! I especially love this for in my water line- the fat tip makes it super easy to apply!

Champagne Pop Palette

I am OBSESSED with the highlighter that Becca cosmetics and Jaclyn Hill came out with. It is honestly so friggin’ beautiful.  Now saying that- it is limited edition and is now sold out  However- for the holidays Becca cosmetics came out with this limited edition holiday palette which includes Champagne pop ANDDD two new colors: “Pearl” and “Blushed Copper.”  I ordered this palette the day it came out and it arrived on my doorstep three days later… and oh myyyy it is gorgeous!! The three shades range from a super light pearl to soft peach (champagne pop) to a deep copper.  You can highlight, add color and even a bronzing effect.  I believe this baby is still available on Sepora.com but I suggest you snag it asap!

NYX Butter Gloss (Shade Creme Brulee)

This is a pretty bold statement but I’m gonna go ahead and stick with it.  In my opinion, this is the best and cheapest glosses on the market.  Typically I’m more of a lipstick girl but there are those days I crave a good creamy, smooth, rich, lip gloss… this my friend does just the trick and it’s under $10.00! It’s name, “butter gloss” couldn’t describe the product any better. It is just that- buttery, smooth, and just tacky enough to hold the color in place and make it last.  My personal favorite is the shade Creme Brulee, it is just that perfect pinky nude…ugh, so good!

Make Up Forever HD Foundation & Loreal Tru Match Lumi Foundation

This foundation has been popular forever and for good reason.  It is silky and light but still has great coverage. This foundation is also great for photos as it doesn’t have SPF in it.  Foundations that have even the lowest amount of SPF will give you a white face in pictures.  The only thing that I find tricky about this foundation is the colors- they don’t have names just letters and numbers which can be confusing so if you do decide to purchase this make sure you ask for help and get your color matched.  It is on the expensive side but I think it is well worth the money.  If you don’t have $45.00 to spend on a bottle of foundation the next best thing would be the L’OREAL True Match Lumi Healthy Luminous Foundation The L’oreal foundation is light weight but has great coverage, gives that dewy glow, and lasts all day.  Having sensitive skin I was hesitant to try it but I have had zero issues.  The bottle is $12.00 and is honestly one of the best foundations I have tried.  I typically use this one on a daily basis unless I have some blemishes and want a little more of a full coverage, then I reach for my Make Up Forever HD foundation.

MAC All That Glitters Eye Shadow

Don’t let the name fool you, this shadow does not have chunks of glitter in it.  I would describe it more as a shimmer.  If I was going to name it I would call it All That Shimmers!  I had heard lots of great things about it but always forgot to grab one when I was in front of the massive choice selection at the M.A.C counter, am I ever happy I finally did!  I love using this shadow as a everyday lid color.  It also doubles as a great highlighter- try it on your cheekbones, or the inner corners of your eyes to brighten any look.  If you’re looking to change up your every day shadow this is a fun one to try!

Sigma Beauty Brow Powder Duo

I recently just hit pan in my brow powder duo and I already have another on the way as I don’t want to be without it.  This is by far my favorite product to fill in my brows.  I love that it has the two colors, it stays put all day, has a great price point,(under $20!)is extremely pigmented, and with the perfect brush it is honestly so easy to apply.  Not a whole lot to say about this product I just know it is a must have for me. Use discount code TEACHME10 for 10% off!

Makeup Eraser

This cloth is seriously my favorite thing ever!  It takes off every stitch of makeup with just water.  The cloth comes completely clean after coming out of the washing machine- it is crazy!!  I HATE using makeup remover and to be frank I would never use it, I am way too lazy to add an extra step to my bedtime routine.  I would simply use 3 pumps of my very expensive face wash to get all of my makeup off. What a waste!! My face wash now lasts three times as long as it did before… get one, it will change your life!

Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit

This kit is WELL worth the money.  Perfect for those who are new to the contour game but also great for experts.  The colors are great for all skin tones, they blend beautifully, and if are applied properly stay put all day.  The colors pop out and can be replaced individually which is a HUGE bonus- nothing worse than running out of your favorite color and then having to buy the entire palette again just for that color… so silly! This kit has changed my contour game for the better and is now a staple piece in my collection.

There you have it! I hope you enjoyed this months version of must-haves!

What are you obsessing over in the beauty department?!

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Check out the video for a review on the entire Sigma Pink collection!

If you don’t have time to watch…my personal favorites are the Power Liner and Power Stick… so good! Don’t forget to use my discount code to save some money TEACHME10

Seriously though, how cute is this line?!

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