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How do you keep your makeup brushes clean while traveling?

I used to use my cleansing oil on-the-go, but these days, there are a ton of solid brush soaps, so I’ll use one of those — either EnKore Makeup’s, Japonesque’s, or Beautyblender’s.

— Christine

29 Comments

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Nancy T Avatar

I don’t really travel much anymore, it’s been a few years, and it was only a 4 day, 3 night trip. Didn’t have much ti worry about. But if I did go on a longer trip, perhaps to go visit NJ/NY❤, I would bring along some foam packing from a Colourpop order for quick cleans, and also my coconut oil & clarifying shampoo mix in an airline regulation size container for more intense, deep cleaning.

Lucia Avatar

I spot clean them with a spray, I love the Make Up Forever one and for foundation I use a Beauty Blender that I usually clean using the hotel bar soap, which works wonders. I don’t usually wash my brushes while traveling because they take too long to dry and I normally don’t take doubles. One thing about the MUFE brush cleaner that I don’t love is that I don’t know what’s in it, but it destroys pump bottles, after a while they just stop working!

Laura Avatar

I’ve used The Master’s brush cleaner on my good painting brushes for a while and really loved it, so I did some research and found out that it totally works for makeup brushes. Which makes sense, functionally makeup and art brushes are made the same way and out of the same exact materials. It’s just a very nice and reasonably priced solid soap cleanser. I do however keep a separate tub for art brushes and non art brushes because good god do I not want to get some cadmium red or chromium green pigments anywhere near my face. I am also more careful to really thoroughly rinse my makeup brushes out to keep soap residue off my face and out of my makeup, even though it’s probably harmless.

Michele @Binxcat4ever Avatar

For short trips, I use Parian Spirit. It’s a spray on/wipe off brush cleaner. For longer periods, I use a solid cleanser like the one from Sephora. (I actually do the same thing at home – quick clean-ups I use the spray and then a weekly or bi-weekly full cleanse with the solid then hang from my Benjabelle Brush Tree to dry.)

pePear Avatar

when I was on the travel I too tired to do anything but still want everthing to stay clean,so my traveling best friend is Bobbi Brown Brush Cleansing Spray. this lovely little guy is super easy to used and clean my brushes in short time and it’s alcohol -free too

Valerie Avatar

Sephora has a brush spray that I use for instant cleaning, but I try to avoid it because it contains alcohol. Usually I am not gone for more than a week so usually I just wait to clean my brushes when I get home. I do love the Sephora solid brush soap. It works just like the beauty blender one but is a fraction of the cost and it comes with a fresh silicon scrubber pad.

Stephanie Avatar

Usually, my trips are fairly short, so I just use a microfibre cloth to wipe them off, or (gasp!) a hotel face cloth. On longer trips I use Lise Watier spray cleaner. It cleans well and disinfects too so I don’t need to wash brushes too often.

Celia Avatar

I have a travel-size Beauty Blender Solid I take with me for non-work related traveling (if it’s work related my kit is probably coming with me with my full-sized Solid). I just love solid soaps and it’s much faster for me. I usually bring along some Cerave cleanser as well and that can be used in a pinch. In a super duper pinch, I’ll see if the hotel soap is not TOO super drying and use a tiny bit of that in the same way I’d use a solid brush soap. Or for those who prefer more liquidy methods you could see if the hotel has a gentle enough shampoo to dilute.

Kris Avatar

I generally clean my brushes once a week. I’m rarely gone longer than that, so I clean them when I get home. It honestly never occurred to me to clean my brushes when I’m staying at a hotel.

Linda Avatar

I have a travel-size bottle of Cinema Secrets that I take with me on trips so I can just spray and wipe the brushes after I use them each day. It’s great for removing residual goo and the bristles dry quickly. Then I give them a good cleaning when I get home.

Alicia Johnson Morris Avatar

I don’t generally do a deep cleaning on my brushes when I travel, but I do thoroughly clean them when I get home. I do travel with a spot cleaner though (because I’m a big fan of wearing brightly colored eyeshadow when I’m not at work). The spot cleaner by Bare Minerals. I really like it – a quick swipe on a paper towel, the brush dries quickly, and I don’t have colored pigment everywhere ?

Arpita Avatar

For long stay at one place, i take my beauty blender solid soap… So my brushes can dry properly too. If it is a hurried trip, i pour my mac brush cleanser in a 25 ml spritz bottle and take it along…

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