Makeup brush cleanser can be expensive. Here’s a recipe to make your own at home with ingredients you probably already have!

1. You’ll need: shampoo, dish washing soap, rubbing alcohol, a spoon and something to mix it all in, and a bottle or spray bottle to put it in.
2. Add 1/4 cup of shampoo to your container/mixing jar.
3. Add 1/4 cup of dish soap.
4. Pour in 1/2 cup of rubbing alcohol.
5. Stir it thoroughly!
6. Pour the finished product into your bottle or spray bottle.
7. To use your new mixture, just spray it onto your brush.
8. Lather it up in your hand with some water.
9. Then rinse and squeeze out the excess water.
10. Lay flat to dry, an edge is best. Don’t use a towel underneath and never dry them standing up… you don’t want bacteria and mold to collect on your brushes while they dry! 
    

Voila!

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Cleaning your makeup brushes on the regular should be the most important part of your beauty routine. A clean brush is essential for taking care of your skin when you apply makeup. If your brush is dirty, your face will be dirty. So clean your brushes! The process is not as tedious as you might think. This guide serves as a quick reference for cleaning up your brushes daily, with tips on the best bi-weekly deep cleaning. First, gather the brushes you need to clean, MAC Cosmetics Brush Cleaner and some paper towels.

1. For round brushes (like a bronzer brush or blending brush): Apply brush cleaner directly to paper towel and twirl the top of a round brush in a circular motion on the cleaner soaked towel. You should see makeup come off the brush as you twirl it. Repeat this process until no more makeup is left behind on your towel. Lay brush out to dry over night. 
2. For flat brushes (like a fan brush or eye shadow brush): Apply brush cleaner directly to paper towel and brush your brush in a back and forth motion across the cleaner soaked region to remove makeup. Repeat this until no makeup is left behind on the towel when you brush it. Lay brush out to dry over night.
3. For bi-weekly deep cleaning your brushes, Step 1: Wet the tip of your brush with water. not to get any water into the bottom of the brush where it meets its metal handle because the handle will rust if it gets wet.
4. For bi-weekly deep cleaning your brushes, Step 2: Apply dish soap to the wet brush top(organic dish soap is best). Clean the soap soaked brush on a paper towel until no more makeup comes off of it onto the towel. Rinse the cleaned brush thoroughly with water. Set out to dry over night.

Voila! Your brushes are squeaky clean and ready for a beauty bash!

The post Brush School: Clean Those Brushes! appeared first on Kouturekiss.

Dry and cracked lips are painful, uncomfortable and unattractive. Here’s a quick solution using stuff at home to help those of us who are suffering from chapped lips this season.

1. Gather your ingredients. Many of these can be found in your kitchen.
2. Pour out one tablespoon of regular granulated sugar into the mixing bowl.
3. Add one tablespoon of honey to the sugar.
4. Scoop out one teaspoon of Vaseline and add it to the mixture.
5. Mix everything together with a spoon.
6. Apply the mixture with your fingers to your lips and scrub them gently in small circular motions.
7. Wash the mixture off with water and pat dry with the towel, this will help remove any excess dry skin.
8. Apply a chapstick to keep your lips moisturized and flake free.

If you have some left over, this scrub works great for exfoliating hands and nail cuticles as well. It’s surprising how many beauty remedies can be found within your pantry!

The post From Your Kitchen… DIY Lip Scrub! (It’s Perfect For Winter) appeared first on Kouturekiss.

Want a more natural (and cost efficient) way to take off your eye makeup at night? I use coconut oil (pure extra virgin and organic is the best!) and my makeup comes off smoother and quicker than any other expensive makeup remover I’ve used before! If it gets on your skin you don’t have to worry about chemicals leeching in – coconut oil is actually great for helping your skin glow and keeping it moisturized! Plus, it smells delicious!

1. Just tab a little coconut oil on your hand to warm. Dip cotton ball in warmed coconut oil.
2. Gently “rub” makeup off your eyes, just like you would with a standard eye-makeup remover. Don’t rub too hard, as the skin around your eyes is very delicate and prone to wrinkling. (Who wants wrinkles at 25? Not me!) Instead, blot in sweeping motions. Use as much oil as is needed.
3. Finally, take a clean cotton ball and rub off any excess oil left on your skin. Repeat until eye is clean and makeup free. Voila! Works like a charm!

So next time you run out of makeup remover, try this 100% natural home-remedy first (olive oil works as well)!

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