I’m like you. I save a thousand “pins” on my pinterest for that one day where I will rarely create/cook/travel/mimic what is saved under one of my ultra creative board names.
However, once in a magical afternoon, it DOES happen. I Try.
Most of us girls wear makeup. And, like me, you probably forget to clean your makeup brushes. Ha! Who are you kidding- you never do! So this one “pin” caught my eye, and it said witch hazel (a natural astringent) could be used as a cleaning tool for “like new” brushes. Seeing this as an easy opportunity for a Pinterest do or don’t, I made a quick stop by CVS (also can be purchased at Whole Foods, Central Market, Trader Joe’s, & maybe even Kroger) to pick up the product. *Side note: You CAN pay up to $15 for a bottle-depending on the pureness, or pretty picture branding on the bottle.
Step 1: Wet your makeup brushes with warm water. Do not wet above the metal- this will cause rust and brush hair to fall out. Try to rinse them out before the application of witch hazel. Squegee water/moisture out as much as possible
Step 2: In a small spray bottle, fill about 3/4 with water and 1/4 with witch hazel. (for this post, I am using a small glass bowl as a better indicator of how dirty my brushes are before and after
Step 3: Spray your brush and come through with your fingers if brush big enough. Then on a paper towel, paint the color out. Dip and repeat until pleased with results
Step 4: Rinse off brush and lay flat on paper towel overnight to dry
Step 5: Voila- Clean brushes! OR not. For me, this combo of water and witch hazel worked for my smaller brushes, but not the blusher. Using a little bit of baby shampoo (another trick to clean applicators), only then did I achieve the “like new” outcome. OVERALL, I would say…skip the witch hazel and just buy Johnson’s baby shampoo for a “deeper clean”.
*I have heard that some use a combination of alcohol (which could be more cleansing?), water, & witch hazel…but I know that alcohol is drying to your brushes, so I leave it out. To each her own!
mrs. and the misc. 
Thank you for following my blog! 🙂 It makes me, as a makeupartist, very happy to see that you wash your brushes! It is sooo important for the hygiene. I use a mild soap (like a babysoap) or dish soap and a hand antiseptic if I´m in a hurry. Hope you keep them brushes clean now and please stop by my blog again! 😉