Care and maintenance of tools and make-up

By Bobbi Brown

Your make-up is only as good as the tools you use to apply it. Therefore your tools must always be in their best working condition, on MiNDFOOD.

Your make-up is only as good as the tools you use to apply it. Therefore your tools must always be in their best working condition. That means clean brushes, puffs and sponges; sharpened tweezers; make-up containers that are in perfect shape; and make-up that is not too old to use safely.

Brush care

A good set of brushes will last several years if it is well cared
for. This involves storing the brushes properly (either in a neat brush
roll that has individual slots for each brush or upright in a pencil
cup) and keeping them clean.

To clean brushes, take a drop
of brush cleaner or very gentle soap in your palm, wet the brush and
swirl the bristles around on your palm until they are covered in soap.
(I love using baby shampoo.) Rinse thoroughly until all the soap
residue is gone.

Do not immerse the brush head in water,
because the hair is glued to the base and even the most expensive
brushes will come apart. Squeeze out excess moisture with a clean
towel.

Reshape the brush head and let it dry with the
bristles hanging off the edge of a counter so the bristles dry into the
perfect shape. Clean all your brushes every month or two.

Sponge care

High-quality sponges can be washed many times before they need to be discarded. Alternatively you can buy disposable, synthetic sponge wedges at the chemist that work well and are inexpensive.

Powder puff care

While chemists sell disposal powder puffs, it is worth investing in a better quality one. Hand wash the puff using the same liquid soap you used for your brushes, or toss it into your next load of laundry or on the top rack of the dishwasher.

Tweezer care

When tweezers get dull (which happens after repeated use) they are no longer as effective at grabbing on to and removing small hairs. You can take them to a knife shop for sharpening.

Some of the better brands come with a lifetime guarantee that includes free sharpening whenever necessary.

Eyelash curler care

The rubber pads that line the inside of an eyelash curler are there to protect the lashes, so that when the pads start to wear out or break apart, they must be replaced. Many eyelash curlers come with a set of replacement pads.

Make-up care

Examine the contents of your make-up bag. Take out anything that is in a broken container or missing a cap. You can pour liquid foundation into a fresh bottle, scoop out creams and lipsticks and transfer them to small containers or palettes and place cap-less pencils in a zip-lock plastic bag. Weekly maintenance is far easier than semiannual overhauls.

MAKE-UP EXPIRATION DATES

Liquid and cream foundation – two years

Concealer – two years

Powder – two years

Mascara – six months

Lipstick – 12 to 18 months

Lip and eye pencils – 12 to 18 months

Eye shadow – two years

Powder blush – two years

Cream blush – two years

Moisturiser – two years

Eye cream – two years

Sunscreen – two years

Face cream – two years

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