IAMBRIGITTE : Product Review: Elf Brush Shampoo

Whenever I go travelling, there is always one thing (or more) that I'll forget for sure. No matter how many times I would go through my "To-Bring" list, I will definitely miss something. And my recent travel to US (then to here in Dubai), is not an exception.

So what did I forget? My trusted makeup brush cleansers. I have two: the MAC brush cleanser and the J&J Milk Bath. I prefer the latter though because it's cheaper, it works as good as the MAC one and I don't have to bring a separate body wash. Don't you just love stuff that multitasks!?

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I scoured through the aisles of Target and Walmart but failed. I know I should've bought the MAC cleanser instead but hey, I'm currently unemployed so I think it's just right not to splurge (for now, tee hee). I was on the verge of giving up and throwing my brushes away (of course, I'm kidding) when I came across this during one of my sneaky trips at Target:

Elf Brush Shampoo

An anti-bacterial brush cleanser for thorough cleaning in-between makeup applications. Disinfects brushes to provide a fresh and clean application every time. Washes away traces of dirt, makeup, oil and debris from your brush while conditioning the hair to provide a clean and soft application for every use.

Ingredients:

Water(Aqua), Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cocamide MEA, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Sodium Chloride, Methylparaben.

I must admit, I was skeptical at first. I've tried a number of makeup brush cleansers in the past and not all of them turned out good. While some weren't really able to remove the dirt, some even left the brush hairs stiff! Que horror! The price tag of $3 made me get it though (ugh, I need a job soon LOL), with high hopes that it won't leave the brush hairs looking and feeling like that of a broom..at least.

It comes in a 120ml square, recyclable plastic bottle with a flip open cap. It's travel-friendly and well, really nice for people who tend to break things..like me!

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It has a gel-like consistency and you have to squeeze the bottle to get some product out. I do wish it comes with a pump instead, as I'm sure it will get harder to get some product out once you're towards the end of the bottle.

To put it to test, I used a brush that I use with my cream concealer and another brush that I use with my powders:

Now the brushes after their "bath":

As you can see, most of the grime has been removed. Well, I shampoo'd them twice. One is enough for those used with powders but I still ended up doing two. But that's just me being OC.

Honestly, I wasn't expecting that it will work on brushes that have been used with cream foundations/concealers, but it did! I've tried washing my flat foundation brush that I use with liquid/cream foundation and it also worked! It wasn't able to get rid of everything though, like my MAC cleanser would but for the price, I am not gonna complain.

Unlike other brush shampoos/cleanser I've tried, this doesn't lather as much. I actually ended up using a lot at first because I was trying to make it lather then I realized it wasn't made to be like that. It doesn't have a scent, so I kinda miss the scent my brushes would have after washing it with the J&J Milk Bath.

I also tried using it on my blending sponge and it also worked:

(sponge above is still wet but I promise you, the dirt is gone even after it has dried)

The brush hairs are perfectly fine, not stiff as I've thought it would be. I even used it on my MAC brushes and they still look and feel fine after.

What I like:

Travel-friendly, breakage-proof and recyclable packaging that's also see-through, so it's easy to see how much product's left

Does the job of cleaning the brushes but not as squeaky clean as MAC and J&J Milk Bath would

It's inexpensive

It doesn't leave a soapy residue

It doesn't dry out brush hairs. I even used it on my MAC brushes and they still look and feel okay

What I don't like:

It doesn't have a scent. Well, I have this weird impression that if something doesn't smell good, it's not clean. Okay, shoot me now. (laughs) I just miss the scent I get when I wash my brushes with Johnsons Milk Bath

It doesn't lather.

Will I buy it again?

Yes. I'm here in Dubai and I haven't seen Johnsons yet (and I heard it's not available here) so I guess I'm stuck with this brush shampoo for now. Hmm, I'm just not sure if ELF is available here. If not, I'll probably get a MAC brush cleanser but will just use them for my "special" brushes and find another good alternative for my other brushes.

How about you, what brush cleanser do you use?

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