Alright ladies let’s be honest, professional makeup brushes are an investment. And, like any other investment, we want a great return on that investment. To make sure that will happen you must take care of your brushes. People always forget this.  The best thing you can do is get on a brush cleaning routine…AND DO IT REGULARLY.   Also a tip that most people don’t know is to make sure you clean your brushes after you purchase them but before you use them. Why? Because during production, they collect dust, dirt, debris and bacteria.

For those that suffer with acne or have sensitive skin, you will greatly benefit from keeping your foundation brushes clean at all times. Reason? All that bacteria can cause break outs and when you have build up on your foundation/powder brushes it can cause your brushes to be rough and scratchy which will irritate the skin. The best thing for you to do is clean your foundation/powder brush after every use to assure you are taking the best care of your sensitive skin. I understand that is a big commitment, but once you get into a routine it will be easy as pie. If you’re one who never cleans your brushes think about all the old make-up and bacteria that builds up in your brush and then you go rubbing it on your face… um, gross!

5 Reasons why you should always clean your makeup brushes:
~Old make-up
~Dirt & debris
~Bacteria
~Oils
~Dead skin cells

Some of you may have heard of using a gentle baby shampoo as your brush cleaner. This is okay because it will clean them and be gentle on the brush, however it will not disinfect the brush. So, I’m going to share with you a lil’ homemade brush cleaner that I learned a while back and it works wonders.

Supplies:
~Any basic dish soap 
WHY?- because it disinfects and cleanses the brush
~Extra Virgin Olive Oil (sounds weird I know but trust me)
WHY?- to recondition the bristle hair after it’s stripped of oils and disinfected by the soap
Ratio: 1 part olive oil to 2 parts dish soap

Tips on how to wash your brushes:

When wetting your brush be sure to hold it head down at an angle under LUKE WARM water. Why not hot water? If you use hot water it will break up the glue in the ferrule which will loosen the bristles and destroy your brush.

**Also, DO NOT submerge your brush and DO NOT run water into the ferrule. Doing this will also loosen the glue in the brushes.

Be sure to work a small amount of the cleanser into the hairs. Wash thoroughly but gently – DON’T scrub.

A big part of cleaning your brushes is how you dry them… DO NOT stand them up. This allows water to run into the ferrule which loosens the glue as well. Below I have taken a picture of my brushes drying to show you a technique that I use and I also attached a picture I found on Pinterest of another smart way to dry your brushes with a simple wire hanger and some chip clips.

Hope you enjoyed learning a thing or two about better brush care.  Try it out, you won’t be disappointed.

Another option for drying your makeup brushes. Image source: http://www.michellephan.com/post/my-ultimate-diy-brush-cleaner

An innovative way to create a makeup brush holder. Fill a mason jar with polished rocks and voila, you have a brush holder.

Hair Color Expert Erica Colon applies hair color using the Headmapping technique

Headmapping™, created by Walter Claudio, is a new and innovative way to standardize hair coloring. It determines exactly which sections of hair will be colored and the exact amount of product to be used. With Headmapping™, color clients are still left with the color they desire but leave a smaller imprint on the environment in the process.

Headmapping™ is the only standardized hair coloring system that effectively reduces waste. According to the official Headmapping™ website, “the system defines areas of the head into specific sections, creating a ‘map’ that determines exactly how much… product… is required to perform each service.” Erica Colon, Lead Color Specialist of Maximum FX, says that it is as simple as paying attention; “Before, colorists were mixing the same amount of color for every color service. With Headmapping™, we can mix less color because [stylists] are paying attention to exactly which panels of the head are being colored.” By having this coloring system, it is possible to accurately measure the amount of color necessary to achieve the desired results and to eliminate wastes of unused product.

With eliminating color waste, Headmapping™ salons, like Maximum FX, are doing three major things to help safeguard the environment: minimizing their carbon footprint, decreasing the amount of toxic chemicals being washed down the drain and saving resources. When choosing a salon, color clients should consider choosing an eco-friendly one, concentrated in helping the environment, in order to decrease their environmental impact as well.

Always discuss what kind of maintenance this new look will be and what things you will need to do at home in order to keep this look fresh and beautiful at all times. There are always ways to transition into a new look with out making the full commitment. Whether it be doing a mid length hair cut when going from long to short or doing low lights when going from blonde to dark. You may consider peekaboo pieces of that vibrant red you’ve been dying to do as way to test the waters before you dive in.

New changes may require new styling products, a new blow drying technique or color rich shampoo and conditioner to keep your color vibrant and long lasting. Also remember that sometimes new styles may require more frequent visits to the salon and in some cases, fewer visits. Talk over all the options and find something that best fits you and your life style so that you can be happy and excited with your New Do.

Your Turn:

How often do you change up your haircut or style? What’s the biggest roadblock that keeps you from changing up your style? Leave me a comment, I’d love to know.