Cleaning Make Up Brushes

 

I am so embarrassed to say that I can't remember the last time I actually cleaned my make up brushes.  Needless to say they were WAY over due.  I got a bunch of stuff from Amazon to really get my brush really, really clean.    

The process was actually very easy.  Because they were SUPER dirty, I did a two step process

First I took the cleanser and the cleaning mat and gave it a good scrub.  Once I felt like I got the initial gunk off, then I moved on to the electric brush cleaner....a very fun new gadget.

I put some water and cleanser into the basin of the electric brush cleaner.  The went one by one with my brushes.  There are a bunch of attachments so you just have to find one that has a snug fit and you can go.  If it's too loose, the brush will fly off when you turn it on.  I would spend a couple minutes on each brush moving it up and down to really get that deep clean.

After cleaning each brush, I used this stand to air dry the brushes.  I love this stand because it has lots of options to fit all different brush thickness and when you are done it comes apart for easy storage.

I ended up emptying the basin multiple times because my brushes were so dirty.  I won't be letting that happen again...moving forward, I'm going to start cleaning my brushes at least once a quarter.  Shop all the items I used below -

CLEANSER

CLEANING MAT

ELECTRIC BRUSH CLEANER

DRYING RACK

Top Ten Favorite "Household" Items

Here are my favorite, must-have home products -

1. Favorite Thing #191 - Keurig B60 Special Edition Coffee Maker - A recent favorite but for sure to be a long time favorite. This is the best coffee pot ever. I LOVE it and so do a lot of people I know - my parents, my MIL, both BIL/SIL and a few friends.
   
2. Favorite Thing # 150 - Dyson Animal Vacuum - BEST PURCHASE EVER! Thanks to all my readers advice, Hubby and I finally purchased this and it has made such a difference. Sucks up all my hair without a problem. Love it!
   
3. Favorite Thing #82 - Camelbak Water Bottle - I have this with my almost everyday. I find having one at my desk at work means that I will drink a lot of water during the day.
   
4. Favorite Thing #117 - Greeting Card Organizer - As many of you know I'm very type A, I like to be organized and prepared. This does both. I always have cards on file for births, weddings, birthdays, etc.
   
5. Favorite Thing #89 - Ornament Organizer -Another way for me to stay organized. Best way to keep all your ornaments organized.
   
6. Favorite Thing #117 - Mini Food Processor - I use this ALL the time. It is the perfect size for when I make spaghetti sauce and soup and need to chop onions, celery, etc. Definitely recommend.
   
7. Favorite Thing #4 - Misto - The perfect reusable Pam bottle. Hubby and I use this all the time when we cook and grill.
   
8. Favorite Thing #116 - WVU Sweatshirt Blanket - The perfect, cozy blanket to snuggle up in at home. Of course yours doesn't have to be WVU but it's better in blue and gold. :)
   
9. Favorite Thing #104 - Quartet Dinnerware - Registered for this favorite thing 4 years ago and still love it. We didn't register for china so this is our everyday and fancy dinnerware. Goes with anything.
   
10. Favorite Thing #3 - Garlic Peeler - A very handy tool to have in your kitchen to peel garlic...goodbye stinky fingers. I love giving this as a gift.
    

Favorite Thing #150 - Dyson Vacuum

I owe you guys for this favorite thing. When I asked about what kind of vacuum cleaner I should get there was an over whelming response about Dyson. I will admit I was very skeptical because I didn't want to spend the $$ on it. And because of your rave reviews (and it being on sale at Target) hubby and I purchased it and are absolutely in love!!!! I never thought I would be excited to vacuum. We decided to get the Dyson 25 Animal Hair Ball Vacuum and it is amazing. It's pretty light weight and gets in all the nooks and crannies of our home. And man does it suck up my hair that sheds all throughout our house. There is a 5 year warranty on it which is great too. Hopefully we won't need ot worry about that. If you are in the market for a new vacuum, I definitely recommend the Dyson...it's soooo worth it!!!


I am still obsessed with Favorite Thing #50. I practically live in these flip flops. I have them in black, brown, and navy. They are super comfortable and perfect with almost any outfit. Right now they are on sale for $14!

Weekend Recap

We ended up not going out of town this weekend which was nice because I got some much needed rest. Friday night we went to the baseball game (Nationals vs. Cardinals). We had free tickets through work and there was a good group of us in the suite.

Saturday my hubby went to the Caps vs. Penguins playoff game. He is a HUGE Pens fan so I gave him my free ticket and I decided to stay home and run errands. Saturday night we checked out the Rockville Town Square's Cinco de Mayo celebration and hubby bought me a super cute dress! It is adorable and I can't wait to wear it on vacation. The straps and length need to be altered.

Sunday was supposed to be spent doing yardwork - planting flowers and getting my vegetable/herb garden together but it rained all day. :( We decided to still get the materials at Lowes and also pick up the Dyson (more on the Dyson later). We got everything we needed for yard work so hopefully the weather will be nice this week and we can work on it after work.

As you all know we were ready to buy the Dyson this weekend. There was a little bit of drama but it actually all worked out in our favor. Here's the short version - Went to Lowes (gift cards and discount card in hand) and they didn't have the vacuum. I asked customer service to see if any of the other Lowes around us or my parents had it...none did. I was annoyed but nothing I could do. I remembered seeing in the weekly Target ad that the Dysons were on sale ($439) so we decided to use the Lowe's gift cards for the all the gardening stuff we needed and go to Target and get the vacuum cleaner there. We decided to also open up a Target credit card and got another 10% off so we ended up saving more $$ getting it at Target. Haven't used it yet because hubby has to put it together. I have never been so excited to vacuum. For those of you in need of a new vacuum - the Dyson ones are on sale at Target this week so go check it out!

Favorite Thing #148 - Laura Mericer Lip Glacé in Opal

I just found this favorite thing a couple weeks ago when I pulled out a spring clutch purse and this lip gloss (not the color shown in the picture) was in there. I completely forgot about it and when I put it on I remembered how much I love it! The color is Opal and it's the perfect color for any outfit. It's a translucent color with shades of pink. I'm definitely not going to "lose" this one again.


Still love and use (all the time) the Dirt Devil Broom Vac. Thanks to Mark and April for giving it to us last year!! This makes a great housewarming or bridal shower gift. If you don't have it already I suggest you get it. In other vacuum news I am picking up the Dyson this weekend!!!! I don't think I've ever been so excited to vacuum!

Favorite Thing #135 - Water w/ Lemon

This is an odd favorite thing I know but I just love a glass of water with a slice of lemon. It's so refreshing. I used to only drink it with lemon at restaurants but I've started buying lemons and drinking it at home as well. Today I even put a lemon slice in my water bottle. Next time you don't feel like drinking water you should try and give it some flavor with a lemon, lime, orange, or cucumber slice.

Still loving and using Favorite Thing #35 - Williams Sonoma Microfiber Mitt. I will admit that I probably never would have bought them if I didn't have a gift card because they were definitely over priced (won an $500 gift card so I was using up the balance). But I am glad that I did get them because they really do work wonders. I wash them every week and they still work great and look and feel like they did when I bought them. I tried finding them online but I couldn't so either they aren't available online or they aren't available anymore.

Favorite Thing #132 - Oxo Cleaning Brushes

I have two different Oxo Cleaning brushes at my kitchen sink and I just don't know how I would live without them. They are easy to use and there is a compartment to put the dish soap in so I just have to push a button for soap. I have two because it all depends on what I am cleaning. I also love these because I don't have to throw them out when the brushes get funky. You can buy refills for them so all I have to do is replace the brush part. First we have the Oxo Steel Soap Squirting Dish Brush - I use this one to clean pots and pans because the brush is gentler than the Brillo type pad (see below). This one is skinnier so it is easier to clean some of the more narrow items.

And the other is the Oxo Good Gripes Soap Squirting Dish Scrub - This one has more of a brillo type sponge on it but not so rough. It is great for cassarole dishes and getting caked on food off. The sponge is flexible and is easy to get into the different nooks and crannies.


Still LOVE Favorite Thing #32 - Narciso Rodriguez For Her perfume. If I had to rank these perfumes I would definitely put this at #1. I am currently out of it right now and decided (as part of saving) I would finish up some other perfume I have before buying another bottle of this. If you haven't tried it, I definitely recommend it.

Favorite Thing #48 - Dirt Devil Broom Vac

This favorite thing was a housewarming gift from Mark and April and my husband and I absolutely LOVE it. The best way to describe this is that its like a broom but instead of having to sweep everything up with a dustpan and brush it sucks it up for you. This product is amazing!!! It works on tile, hardwood floors and even the throw rugs I have on my floors. It's so easy now to clean the floors. And this products comes in all sorts of fun colors!!!!

Here are some product details from DirtDevil.com:

• The Dirt Devil Broom Vac is a cordless broom that sweeps and vacuums in one easy step.


• With 60% more power than the original Broom Vac™, the redesigned Broom Vac is convenient enough for quick pick ups, but powerful enough for everyday cleaning.


• Simply push the foot switch with a tip of a toe, sweep dirt as normal and watch the mess disappear.


• The product is ideal for cleaning dry spills on a variety of hard floor surfaces such as wood, linoleum, marble and tile.


• And unlike the old straw broom and dustpan, there`s no need for bending over and no messy line of dirt left behind.


• After use, simply remove the unit's dirt cup and empty.


• To recharge the Broom Vac simply plug in the adaptor.

Favorite Thing #35 - Williams-Sonoma Microfiber Mitt

This a a new addition to my favorite things - Williams-Sonoma Microfiber Mitt. This was a recommendation from my friend Chandra. In the past had been using Pledge Dry Cloths to dust my furniture and they worked great. The problem is that I am constantly dusting our place because we have dark furniture so I am constantly buying these cloths. That has all changed thanks to this favorite thing. This is an all purpose "mitt" and I only need one. According to Williams-Sonoma:

"Wearing this plush mitt, you’ll speed your way through all sorts of cleaning tasks – from dusting and damp-wiping surfaces to polishing glass and mirrors. Its thick “noodles” of soft microfiber absorb spills instantly, reach into crevices for deep cleaning and trap dust particles rather than stirring them into the air. The back side is a flat-loop microfiber weave that is ideal for metal and glass surfaces. Use the machine-washable mitt wet or dry, with or without cleaning products. One size fits all. 9" long."

I have only used this for dusting and wiping smudges on stainless steel products. I love this so much that I am thinking about getting another one so that I can have one of each of the levels of my house.