My $1 anti-germ makeup brush solution

I love using non-traditional products for beauty storage. For example, I still use my $5 Staples rotating desk organizer to hold my makeup and brushes, and my dollar store storage crates to hold my nail polish.

So today I have a little tip for my fellow germaphobes out there.

Do you know what this is?

Keep reading for the answer, and to find out how I use it...

You've heard of spoon rests, right? Well why not have a brush rest for brushes that you're currently using but don't want to place directly on your vanity, bathroom sink, etc.?

OK, that's not what it really is, but that's how I use it! This is actually a chopstick rest. If you're not familiar with chopstick rests, they come in millions of varieties and you can get them at your local Asian market or even places like Pier 1 (which sells very traditional ones) and Cost Plus (here are their fish ones, which you can get in a 4-pk for under $5). Asian markets tend to have the best prices and wonderful selections--I got this pink one for a buck!

There are so many different designs out there, but I find the best ones are long and narrow, because you can rest multiple brushes on them at one time (foundation brush, a few eyeshadow brushes, eyeliner brush, etc.). But if we're going purely on looks, I do love my "origami" crane rest because it looks ridiculously cute on my vanity (although I can really only rest one or two bushes on it at at time). If you favor cuteness over function, there are chopstick rests shaped like kitty cats and piggies and everything in between out there. What's awesome about these is that they're so tiny--they will take up about zero space on your crowded vanity (how do I know your vanity is crowded? Duh! Don't even try to lie to me...)

Enough talk: let's see how this baby works!

You may be thinking, "Wow, G., this is kind of excessive, and would I really use it if it were sitting on my vanity or bathroom counter?"

And my answer to you would be, "You'd be surprised! Get one and see for yourself how handy this sucker can be!"

Unless you're far more oganized than I am and have a brush roll or other type of system for your in-use brushes, I'm willing to bet that you've come across a scenario where you didn't want to put your foundation, concealer, powder, shadow, liner etc. brush down on the counter, but you weren't quite ready to put it back into your makeup brush holder either. Enter the "makeup brush rest"! 

Also, it doubles as a great makeup brush dryer! Well, it won't actually dry your brushes, but we all know that storing wet makeup brushes in the upright position is a no-no (water can drip down into the ferrule and cause rusting). So if you're only washing one or two brushes, you can use this rest! Just put a towel on your counter, and then put this rest on top of the counter. Then, place your wet brush on the rest (just make sure the brush is perfectly parellel to the counter and not resting at an angle). The next morning you'll have a perfectly dry brush.

PS: Another tip for my fellow beauty bloggers out there: if you've ever wanted to photograph a beauty product at a slight angle, this makes for a great way to do just that.

I hope this helps my fellow germaphobes out there--I'm constantly trying to find ways to make makeup storage easier (and cuter) without breaking the bank, so I'll continue to share my crazy (but totally practical!) ideas in the future.