THE BLOG
January 22 2024
3 of the Most-Asked Beauty Questions Answered
We’ve all made beauty mistakes.
Some of them are a little bit sneaky — you won’t even know you’ve made a mistake until it’s too late…
And some are more obvious — like dropping your favorite powder highlighter on the ground, turning it to dust.
But don’t worry. You’re not doomed.
I’m here to give you some quick how-to’s for taking care of your makeup. And hopefully, I’ll save you some time, energy, and money in the long run.
1. How to Clean Makeup Brushes and Sponges
This has to be a regular practice. I’m talking at least once a week. And in a perfect world, you should be cleaning your sponges daily.
If you find yourself skipping this step in your routine, you’re putting yourself at risk of serious breakouts and infections, among other scary things. Makeup brushes and sponges are a hot spot for bacteria — and if you don’t get rid of those germs regularly, you’ll be spreading them all over your face.
Gross, right?
I’m gonna tell you how to clean your applicators the easy way. So don’t worry — you won’t have to go buy any special tools or cleaners.
All you’ll need is a gentle soap (or facial cleanser) and a cup of water.
Here’s a step-by-step on how to clean makeup brushes:
1. Use warm water to wet the bristles of your brush.
2. Put a (very) small amount of soap/cleanser on your palm.
3. Circle the brush around in the soap and gently massage the bristles with your fingers.
4. Rinse the bristles until the water runs clear.
5. Squeeze out the excess water and reshape the brush.
6. Set to dry with the bristles hanging off of the edge of your counter (that way, your brushes will dry into the correct shape).
Here’s a little pro tip: swirl your brush around in a cup of warm soapy water before manually cleaning the bristles. This will get rid of any makeup sitting on the surface of your brush and save you some massaging time later.
Depending on how you take care of them, makeup brushes can last for years. But if they start to shed or lose their shape, it might be time to replace them. Remember: your makeup application is really only as good as your applicator.
When you’re cleaning your makeup sponge, you’re gonna follow those same 6 steps. If you want a deeper clean, soak your sponge in soapy water for 30 minutes beforehand.
Makeup sponges should be replaced every 3 months. Oh, and beware of the flat sponges that come in powder compacts — those aren’t reusable.
Trust me. Once you see that gross, milky, foundation water dripping from your sponges and brushes, you’ll never skip cleaning day again.
2. How to Fix Broken Makeup
Nothing’s worse than seeing a crack — or even worse, multiple — right down the middle of your favorite pressed powder. Or twisting your lipstick a little too far and watching it fall right out of the container.
Sure, sometimes, you’re able to work around it. But most of the time, the product is a goner.
Let me share a little secret with you; you don’t have to throw out your broken makeup.
You can fix it.
First up, how to fix broken POWDER.
Now, there are two ways you can go about this. But both start with crushing the pressed powder into a loose powder. I know that seems counterproductive, but this makes it easier for the makeup to bind back together.
For the first quick fix, crush the powder in the original container. Then add a couple of drops of rubbing alcohol, mix, and re-press it using your fingers or a spoon.
I’ve used this method a few times — it’s super easy and effective.
If you wanna get fancy with it, you can mix the powder and rubbing alcohol into a plastic bag, cut one of the corners of the bag, and “pipe” it back into the original container. Just to add a little Great British Baking Show drama to the whole thing.
So if you drop your favorite blush, highlighter, pressed powder, or eyeshadow, it’s not the end of the world — just make sure you have some rubbing alcohol on hand.
Next, how to fix broken LIPSTICK.
This is all gonna depend on whether or not you want to keep using the tube. If you want to stick to the original packaging, this process is a little more intense.
First, you’ll need to put the part that’s broken off in the fridge for 10-ish minutes. Then twist the tube all the way to the top, so you can see the little nub where the stick broke off. With a lighter (or a candle), you’re going to warm both ends of the lipstick (where the break is). Be super careful here — you don’t want to warm it too much, or you’ll have to deal with the wax dripping everywhere.
After that, you just reattach the stick, heat around the break site to seal it, and pop it in the fridge to let it cool. When you take it out, it’ll be as good as new.
Now if that seems like a lot of work, there is another option.
You’re still gonna need that flame, but you also need to find a small container — like a clean contact case, or an empty lip balm pot.
Basically, you’re just going to melt down the lipstick and pour it into the new container. I like to put the broken piece on a spoon and hold it over a candle — it provides a more even melt. You’re gonna want to put this in the fridge for a minute, too. Once it sets, you’re good to go.
So there you have it! Broken makeup really isn’t as tragic as you think.
I can’t tell you how many tears — and dollars — these tricks have saved me.
3. How to Store Your Makeup
There are a couple of things you just have to know when it comes to storing your makeup.
Seriously — this could save you tons of money on replacements.
Let’s go over the top 3 things to consider:
1. Be mindful of temperature and humidity.
This is probably the most important one. Make sure you’re keeping your makeup in a cool, dry place — which means your bathroom counter is out of the question. The steam, humidity, and drastic temperature changes in your bathroom can cause mold to grow in products. Consider storing your makeup bag in your room instead.
2. Make sure the lid is on tight.
I know, this one seems pretty obvious. But when we’re in a rush, making sure the top of our lip gloss is screwed on all the way isn’t our top priority. By taking the time to make sure your products are completely sealed, you’re protecting them from outside contaminants (and ensuring they don’t dry out).
3. Avoid direct sunlight.
Because it’s not enough to just store your makeup in a temperature-controlled, dry area. The warmth from direct sunlight will cause the ingredients in your products to break down faster, making them less effective.
When it comes down to aesthetics vs. proper storage, always choose the latter. It may not look as pretty, but your makeup will last a hell of a lot longer.
Before these tips, I was tossing broken makeup, accidentally ruining my favorite products, and never washing my applicators. These are just some things I’ve learned over the years that have saved my skin — and sanity — multiple times in the past.
I hope these tricks will be as helpful to you as they were to me!
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