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Tuesday, November 13, 2012

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.
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17 comments

  1. Neat tip, I thought it was a teeny tiny soap dish! My tip of the day is those awesome epielle cucumber cleansing cloths are amazing for cleaning makeup brushes on the quick and for cleaning out the inside of makeup bags.

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    1. You know I love me some epielle! :) I too, use them for spot cleaning, and I also love then for removing swatches on my hands and arms. :)

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    2. That IS a good tip! LoL--my sink no longer has any more room. And if I were to buy, I would probably choose a pretty ceramic one--which WILL break on me bc I'm just that clumsy. =) I use a foam soda sleeve to hold the brushes I'm using upright on the counter--if I ever knock it over, it won't clatter or shatter. And I use brush guards so I can dry brushes bristles down--I store wet brushes in a plastic basket right by the window

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  2. Hehe I have a coy fish chopsticks holder but it's rounded at the top so I'm sure my brushes will roll off.. This is a great idea !!

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  3. very cute girl. :) you are clever!

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  4. Nice tip. ^^ I keep most of my powder eye makeup brushes in cup holders, but I keep my foundation brush separate. I just lay it on a spare container lid while the container stores my various makeup items.

    But I really want to try this tip now. :)

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    1. Thanks!! I hope you find it useful if you try it. :)

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  5. I guessed spoon rest, so I was close :) My general makeup routine is pretty basic and involves one, maybe two brushes at most (BB cream with hands, blush with brush, eyeliner maybe, mascara, and I use a powder puff for my powder. Sometimes I mix it up and do powder foundation with a sponge) but this is a handy tip for future, if I start trying to do more complicated things or eyeshadow or the like!

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  6. Love this tip, definitely going to go looking on the weekend for something. I use some combination of paper towel and/or face washer but I'm not the happiest over using either for a resting place.

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    1. Yay! Thank you! I really hope it helps. :)

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  7. I didn't know that about drying brushes standing. I always dry my brushes this way. I hope I haven't ruined them! :-(

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    1. Yep, it, can cause rusting or possibly mold, since the water drips down into the ferrule and then has nowhere to go. If the bristles on you brush are very dense, there's a chance it will not dry properly. So if you notice a strange odor coming from your brushes, they could be moldy. :/

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  8. I have no more room on my sink counter. +( Great idea tho, G. Very resourceful!

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  9. Great idea G~! I've been balancing them on the edge of the sink/counter but I like your idea much better. Easier too! I wonder why I never thought of it?

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