Your makeup brushes are your biggest helpers in ensuring that you have a great makeup day. You may invest in the best of products from big brands, however, if your brushes are not good, you will not get an even blend and it may end up looking patchy and skipping at any type of dry spots on your face. A good makeup brush can help you do so much more than just what it is intended for. With some simple hacks, you can get the most out of your brushes and make them work for different types of finishes as well as extend the life of your brushes and make them last longer.

Here are some of the best tips to help you get the most out of your brushes.

Getting better color payoff

One of the biggest issues that most people face with eye shadows that are more on the shimmery side is the issue of getting enough color payoffs. If your shadow is not really showing up on the eyelid, one of the quickest tricks you can use is to give your brush a quick spritz of makeup setting spray. A wet brush will not only make the pigment pop more and help you get some color payoff, but for pressed pigments and for more powdery shimmery shadows, it can help act as a mixing medium and can help to get it looking more pigmented on your skin.

Getting different finishes from the same brush

This is a trick that can help you control the finish of the color you are using in order to suit the look you are going for. The pressure you apply to lay down a product is equally as important as the product you are using itself. The trick is to pay attention to the point at which you are holding the brush. If you need to deposit more product and get a more saturated color, hold the brush nearer to the bristles, which helps you apply more pressure with the brush. For a less saturated, more natural look, hold it further down the handle to apply less pressure and for a more seamless blended effect on the product.

Storing the brush

It is quite obvious, but the way you store the brush determines its longevity. For dry brushes, always store them with the bristles pointed up to ensure it does not get ruined by gravity. For a brush you have just cleaned, it can be a better idea to store them flat on a table top. [A List Of Makeup Brushes And Their Uses] Never push down on the brush or dig it in too hard to ensure that the bristles don’t get ruined. While travelling, it can be a good idea to store your makeup brushes in a designated makeup pouch or a roll up brush bag to prevent them from getting ruined.

Getting more use of a single makeup brush

If you don’t have a whole lot of brushes and you are looking for a way to make it work for different products and do a whole face with maybe 3-4 brush, a great product you can invest in is a spot cleaner. This product can help to get the color out of your brush if you are in a hurry and need to get clean brushes in a jiffy, or it can help you use the same brushes over and over again without having to really clean them between every use and getting a previously used color on your eye when you don’t want to do so.

Cleaning your brush

Cleaning your brush ensures that your brushes stay clean for longer and stays fully functional for longer. A good brush cleanser can help you get all the leftover makeup out form the brush with ease and can help to keep the brush soft and fluffy. If you are hesitating on splurging on a luxurious makeup brush cleanser, you can actually make a great one at home with some baby shampoo and a tea tree essential oil. Use the baby shampoo to cleanse the brush while a drop of tea tree oil can help to provide anti-microbial properties to kill the pre-existing bacteria that accumulates on brushes with repeated use as well as helps to keep the brush soft by conditioning it.