brush cleaning

Worth it? Tao Clean Sonic Brush Cleaner

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TAO Clean Sonic Makeup Brush Cleaner

Here I am, flirting with danger by reviewing a potentially gimmicky product: the Tao Clean Sonic Brush Cleaner.

How Do You Clean Your Brushes?

You do clean them, don’t you?

Are you a sociopath that enjoys cleaning your brushes? It’s okay, this is a safe space. If you’re like the rest of us, though, there’s a whole subset of the beauty industry targeting the rest of us. There are a whole host of brush cleaning gadgets on the market. Some of them appear to me to be gimmicks, or to be scarcely more efficient than washing individually by hand.

For ages, I ignored them. Like a unitasking kitchen appliance, I wasn’t sold on their value. Furthermore, some seem harsher than doing so by hand. Your tools are an investment: you don’t want to be rough on them by subjecting them to a violently whirring apparatus. Many makeup brush cleaner appliances fall into this category.

Noting my bitching (and negligence), my husband got me the Tao Clean Sonic Brush Cleaner ($ 95) as a birthday gift last year. Thoughtful. Practical. And a good present because I’d never have purchased it for myself at that price point (remember?). But finally, I’m actually keeping my brushes clean at a regular interval.

Tao Clean Sonic Brush Cleaner

So, first things first about the Tao Clean Sonic Brush Cleaner: it isn’t a smol boi. Nearly a foot tall and a touch top-heavy, the appliance comes in two pieces with a detachable A/C power supply. The run time for a single cycle is 2 minutes – in that time, it subtly moves each brush back and forth 50 times a second – or 6000 times.

I don’t know about you, but my manual cleaning (even with this mat) doesn’t result in fifty motions per second.

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They Want How Much? Lilumia Brush Cleaning System

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Lilumia Brush Cleaning System

The Lilumia Brush Cleaning System is far from new. At this point, they’re on the second edition of the device which is, apparently, slightly more effective. Unsurprisingly to me, it’s ending up in TJ Maxx marked down over 30% off retail.

What is the Lilumia Brush Cleaning System?

In short, it’s a washing machine for your makeup brushes. A lazy makeup lover’s dream. This system is to your makeup brushes what a dishwasher is to your plates and forks. It can hold up to twelve brushes at a time, descends into cleansing solution, and agitates against a small, nubbed plate.

At first glance, this sounds awesome. I don’t love washing brushes; it is a tedious, joyless chore on par with hand-washing dishes (#tinyapartmentproblems). My initial reaction? “Shut up and take my money!”

So What’s the Catch?

Well… there are a few.

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July 2017 Favorites

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July 2017 Favorites
1. Small Nalgene Containers, varies / 2. Cinema Secrets Brush Cleaner 32oz, $36 / 3. Tanwise Facial Sunless Tanner, $7 / 4. S’Well Milky Way, varies

I had a hell of a time with my image editing software this month and simply couldn’t create a cutesy, pin-worthy (ha, right) graphic this month. My July 2017 Favorites have images in line with the text itself.

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Worth it? Color Switch by Vera Mona

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I picked up the Color Switch by Vera Mona during the most recent BI sale. I find myself using the same few brushes again and again, even in the same look. Wiping brushes off on a tissue doesn’t do much, and although I love Cinema Secrets, I don’t want to use it in my brushes every day I wear makeup.

Okay, but what is it?

The $18 Color Switch is a tin filled with a disc-shaped, rough mesh sponge not unlike the material used in a bun ring . As bristles are drawn across the surface, product is jostled away and falls down into the cells of the sponge.

There is a slightly smaller $14 one as well.

Does it Work?

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Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Palette

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Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Palette Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Palette, $15

If you’re like me, the idea of shelling out for a Sigma Spa Glove is uncomfortable. It isn’t that there’s anything wrong with it as a tool, I just prefer to allocate my beauty budget to other things. Fortunately, the Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Palette that is 1) inexpensive, 2) gets the job done, and 3) does not require a ton of storage space. I thought I published a post about this back in June, but when checking my archives, it was nowhere to be found – so new photos and a rewrite it is!

For I while, I was (ridiculously) using the lid of a Ziploc container lid to help agitate cleanser into my bristles. Did it work? Sure. It’s a frugal solution, and it worked well enough. But then I was misplacing lids (oops)…it was time to get a dedicated tool. I picked the Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Palette on sale at Ulta for $8 (regularly $15) and have gotten a TON of use out of it in the last three months. I use Cinema Secrets for quick-changes, but brushes do require proper washing from time-to-time…so I recommend both methods to keep your brushes clean

Easy to Handle

rt_palette_holder

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Spring Brush Cleaning

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Spring (Brush) CleaningSpring Brush Cleaning

Nothing huge or substantial – I was slacking on deep-cleaning my brushes, having been resorting to spot-cleaning for weeks (yeah.) out of laziness (I normally wash them every 2-3 weeks, this was…longer). I knocked it out last night – over 20 brushes and 3 sponges, no small feat! There are actually more than what is pictured, but those were dry last night, so they were already put away.

I’m still washing my brushes the way I shared last year, so be sure to check that post out if you aren’t sure how to or if you want to see how others do.

Equally important for their longevity is drying them – which I also do the same way. “If it ain’t broke,” and so forth. Detailed list of what is shown here after the jump.

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