D.I.Y Brush Cleaning

How I Clean My Makeup Brushes

Personally, I spend a lot of money on my makeup brushes- I find them to be one of the most important parts of makeup application. I feel as though you can achieve a flawless look with cheap makeup, as long as you have high quality brushes. So, I like to keep them clean and healthy, not only to protect my skin, but also to lengthen the life of the brushes. 

So, how do I do it?

Well, brush cleaners/cleansers can be very expensive, so I personally choose to use organic soap. The soaps from Lush are always amazing, and don't contain any harmful chemicals that could ruin the shape or texture of the brush. The one I'm personally using at the moment is called Baked Alaska, and looks like this:

Disclaimer: Not my image.

I run the sink full of warm water (Don't use boiling water as you could melt the glue inside the brush), then soak my brush, before swirling it over the soap, and rubbing it in my hand. I keep doing this until the water from the brush runs cleaner, then gently towel dry the brush, and lay it to air dry. You should always allow your brushes to air dry in a way that the bristles of the brush are below the bellow, so that water runs out of the brush as it dries.

I repeat this process once a week, and use E.L.F's spot cleanser each time I use the brush. WARNING: This brush cleanser should only be used on synthetic brushes!

D.I.Y Nail Sponge.

You Will Need:

-An old pair of tweezers.
-A sponge.
-Two bobby pins.
-A pair of scissors.

The Steps:

-Cut a small triangle of sponge from an old makeup sponge of cleaning sponge.
-Place the triangle of sponge between the tweezers so that one edge points outwards and the other two are held by the tweezers.
-Take a bobby pin and use it to hold the tweezers closed (I used two for added strength.)

TIP: With this nail sponge you can also get neater results on your weaker hand by using the bobby pins to keep the sponge steady.

D.I.Y Lace Socks

Lace socks are a great item to have in your wardrobe, you can wear them with almost anything to add cuteness to the outfit. Below I'll tell you how to make your own:

You Will Need:

-One pair of socks.

-Lace.

-Celotape (or anothet simular sized circular object.)

-Fabric scissors.

-A sewing machine (or fabric glue/a needle and thread.)

-Pins.

The Steps:

-Place your sock across the largest part of your foot (from the heel to the bridge) and measure out a piece of lace the same size. 

-Place the sock on the celotape, so that the opening of the sock is held open by the celotape.

-start to pin the lace around the top of the sock, making sure that the lace is half on the sock and half off the sock.

-Begin to sew the lace onto the sock, keep the sock on the celo

tape so that the opening is stretched out, this way you'll be able to put the socks on and take them off easily.

For a detailed photo guide, take a look at my post HERE

D.I.Y Cream Blush.

Why use cream blush?

Cream blush is much easier to apply and gives you a more natural look upon application. Check out my 3 easy ways to create your own cream blush from various makeup/household items.

Method 1.

Ingredients:

-Moisturizer (or some kind or cream to substitute.)

-Lipstick in the desired colour (Blood red works best.)

Instructions:

-Apply a small amount of the lipstick and the moisturizer to the back of your hand and blend them well with your fingers.

-Pat the resulting substance onto your face, applying more layers for a more dramatic look.

Methods 2 and 3:

Methods 2 and 3 follow the same principles as method 1, except using different 'pigments'. The alternatives being eyeshadow/powder blush crushed into the moisturizer, or food coloring. 

Be warned, the colours can be very pigmented so apply cautiously. Please leave me a comment and tell me what I can do to improve :)