The real easy real cheap makeup brush DEEP CLEANSE

As makeup tools get fancier and makeup becomes longer lasting, companies have realised more than ever a need for a great makeup brush cleaner that will get rid of heavy stains and eliminate bacteria for the everyday makeup wearer. While I am as thrilled as most by different cleaning tools and contraptions we should first identify the difference between a spot clean and a deep clean and be honest to ourselves when a deep clean is calling.

It's simply a matter that takes a long time, especially if you have a sizable collection of brushes because you have to be meticulous with everyone, it also inevitably is followed by cleaning the bathroom sink, since that too will be filthy after every brush deep clean.

Today I am here to cut out the nonsense and to tell you the easiest, cheapest method around with 1 product that you can get anywhere, yes anywhere (did I tell you that I'm living in China right now?)

Lets get started-

1. Gather all dirty brushes from far and wide
the brush is dirty when the fibers are coloured any colour other than the colour of brush hairs, if they've been used at least once, or if they've been sitting around for sometime without being used (dust is bad too ya'no)

2.Squirt a generous dollop of Johnsons Baby Shampoo into a cup (I use my brush holder because it cleans that at the same time!)
actually, any gentle cleanser will work, certainly no cleaning products you'd use in your house, only ones you would use on your skin- add more cleaning product to the cup as you need it

3.Hold the brush under a warm running tap


4. Dunk the brush head into the dollop of shampoo

5.Work those fibres between your fingers
be firm enough to get in the nooks and between the fibres, but gentle enough not to pull out a single hair if you can help it

6.Rinse

7. Repeat until your hand is raw from cleaning or you have no brushes left to clean (whichever is first)

BONUS BEAUTY BLENDER STEP
It's exactly the same principle except you'll need to dunk and drown that damn sponge in more baby shampoo than you imagine. Work it into the sponge, rinse and repeat until that water runs out the sponge clear. 
Remember: The first squeeze to extract the initial gunk is the most satisfying

8. Tuck your brushes into their little towel bed
I've made a pillow on one side for the handles that is raised so that the water runs out the brush
If your brush is double ended just lay it flat

Leave overnight to dry and thank me, and yourself in the morning !

A moments silence for the brush that didn't make it through this clean today. My Models Own Pencil brush, and he'll be replaced back in the UK

Moving from England to China for a year - The Recap

It's astounding that a year ago or so I was sat in my bedroom in the UK writing blog posts, hoping that the following year I'd find a way to move to China for a year, and hoping upon hope that I'd find a way to make it through at least a month without running home to Europe, crying most probably. The only way that I got here I can describe as being through a moment of insanity, or lots of little moments of insanity. I applied to ten internships in China, each time that I gathered the courage to send off an application was, I believe, a little insanity moment without pondering too much what might come of it. In this way I learnt a useful lessons, often the best choices are the ones we don't think about too much. All I knew was that I wanted to visit China for a little bit, so I just had to hope that the rest would fall into place.

Afterwards I began reading stories about other expats moving to China for prolonged periods. I'd read through their success stories and the cynic in me would think, that's great for you, you must be that sort of person! Someone who is a natural world traveller and go-getter. I on the other hand, am not... I don't think...

I'd like to point out at this point that I do not consider myself:

• A seasoned traveller

• A natural linguist

• Particularly adventurous

Yet somehow, even I have had the most stupendous, wonderful, exhilarating year that I couldn't ever even imagine. Full of 'pinch me I must be dreaming' moments.
Throughout my stay in China I have filled up two A5 Spiral ring diaries, and hundreds of pages, writing at least a page for every single day I've been here, I didn't miss one! And I didn't tire on reflecting upon the magic of China!


So, can I summarise the year in a single blog post? Not even close, that will be made up of a lot of little posts in time to come, but what I really want to highlight on is how this adventure came to be, due to my slightly reckless, slightly immature, slightly naive approach to

Say 'Yes' and  figure it out afterwards

I'm so thankful, that way back in December 2013 I had a moment of madness to accept an internship in China, and I hope I'm brave enough to ride the waves of mad moments in the future, and I really really hope that you are too, because it makes for the
unregrettable and unforgettable!