Lots of us, in a bid to take up a new years resolution, are on a quest to get the best skin we've ever had. We're here to tell you that, you can have a tight routine and the best products on the market, but if you don't keep those makeup brushes clean you're doing it all in vein. Over-used makeup brushes and blending sponges hold old makeup and dead skin cells which can cause a build up of bacteria and, in turn, skin break-outs and problems. Not only this, but don't expect flawless results if your brushes are dirty; your blending will come out muddy and colours will come out mixed as they combine on your brush bristles! Eek!

It is super simple to clean your brushes at home, you can also pick up cleaning products easily in many stores now, but the main factor you just have to make sure you do it regularly and thoroughly. Its recommended that your face and base brushes are washed weekly, while your eye and other brushes should be washed at least bi-weekly.

 Sephora solid brush cleanse / Beauty Blender Liquid cleanse / Cinema secrets cleaner / Real Techniques Cleansing Gel / Eco Tools Brush shampoo / Makeup revolution brush shampoo / MAC brush cleanser / Dior Brush cleanser / Spectrum vegan solid soap / 

Beauty Blender Egg / Sigma Dry & Shape rack / Real Techniques cleansing palette / Makeup revolutuion brush egg / ELF Brush cleaning glove / Claires brush cleaning tool / 

• To clean your brushes simply start by rinsing them under luke warm water - it's important to ensure that your water isn't too hot or it can loosen the glue which your bristles are attached to the base with, and ultimately destroy your brushes.
• Then, put just a drop or two of your brush cleaner into the palm of your hand or onto your cleaning egg, swirling the bristles around in it to make sure they are all coated and sudsy.
• You can then rinse the bristles under running lukewarm water, holding your brush tip down - try to do this rather than rinsing them in a full sink or the old makeup and product wont truly wash off of the brush.
• Repeat as necessary, until the water runs clean out of your brush.
• Once your brush is cleaned off, you can then gently squueze the bristles together with a clean, dry towel or flannel to rid of excess moisture.
• Finally, reshape the bristles and either hang your brushes on a special drying rack, or let them dry on a windowsill with the bristle end hanging off the edge - this will prevent a build up of mildew or mold, you could always place a towel or tissue on the ground underneath them to catch any drips.
• Be sure to let your brushed completely dry off before you use them again.

Sephora daily brush cleanse / B.Brush cleanse / Eco tools cleansing cloths / Freedom makeup brush shower / H&M cleanser spray / ELF Daily brush spritz / 

To keep your brushes clean between washes you can spritz them with a daily brush cleaner and swirl them on a clean cotton disc. Some of are faves are shown above.

Your makeup brushes really are an investment, so it is important to care for them as such. What are your top brush cleaning tips? Our very own Kitten 15 piece brush set (with a hard carry case) can be found in our online store, and it even has 15% off right now with code 'CITYLIFE'.