Review: Makeup Brush Cleaning Device
Readers, let me start by saying that if I am 100% honest... I am not the best at remembering to wash my makeup brushes. I have great intentions and I always *want* to, but never seem to find the time. However, this all changed the other day when I was shopping and I found a new device that actually made me excited to go home and complete this mundane task. The device is called the Brookstone ‘Make-up Brush Electric Cleaner and Dryer’. The description on the box boasts ‘Bacteria-free brushes in just 30 seconds’, and this totally caught my attention. Normally, hand-washing each makeup brush can take sooo long, especially when it comes to blush or liquid foundation brushes... but 30 seconds? This can’t be beat!
I had seen this type of device a while ago actually, but it was being advertised by a beauty guru on YouTube. In the past I would watch creators’ product reviews on YouTube, but knowing that they get paid for these reviews makes it hard to decipher between an honest review and an advertisement. So, I wanted to let you guys know what I think- 100% not sponsored, in case if you were wondering!
First of all, the device setup is quite simple: all it requires is setting batteries in the device! To operate, you pour a small amount of brush cleanser (or a plain face wash) and a little bit of water to the bowl that this system comes with. Then, you choose the silicone attachment that best holds the makeup brush you are cleaning and attach it to the ‘swirling’ device. I attached a photo below so you can see what it looks like at this point in the process. After you have your brush attached to the device, you simply dip it into the bowl and turn the device on. All you do from here is hold your brush in the water while the device does all the work, spinning all of the product out of the brush. Once the brush is clean, dump the water out and again place the brush in the bowl so the device can spin all of the water out of the brush until it is dry.
Now, onto my review. When testing this out, I used my blush brush first, later trying foundation and eyeshadow brushes. It’s a super cool concept and it was really fun to try, but I concluded that this device doesn’t clean brushes any better than you can by hand. The main problem with the device is that it seems to primarily clean the middle of the brush. For example- my foundation brush was very clean upon observation, but when you separate the brush’s bristles there is a lot of hidden, built-up product left. When cleaning by hand, you are able to work the cleanser through all areas of the brush for a true, deep clean. So, while I didn’t love the results for foundation and blush brush, it was a worthwhile time-saver for smaller eyeshadow and powder brushes. It seems the device works best for products that are less dense, because it can pick up the powder easier.
Although I was disappointed a little bit by this device’s cleaning abilities, the drying aspect was AMAZING. Normally after washing my brushes, I give them about 12-24 hours to dry; personally, it seems like it takes even longer for my larger brushes to fully dry! This drying method is such a quick alternative- in fact, it literally had my biggest brush fully dry in less than 30 seconds, which is almost unbelievable to me. I bought this system in-store, but you can also purchase it on Amazon for around $20.00.
So, if you are impatient (like me) and don’t want to wait on your brushes to dry, you may want to purchase this and just use it for drying! I am not sold on the cleaning method, but I certainly thought it was fun to try. I am always looking for the newest and best skincare or makeup device; I would love to hear of any cool products you have been using recently!
