There’s something very satisfying about clean makeup brushes but the process is just so tedious. In an attempt to find something that cleans my brushes in a shorter amount of time, I tried out Real Techniques Cleansing Gel & Brush Cleansing Palette. Hoping that if the process was a little shorter, it will get me to clean my brushes more often. 
I normally use baby shampoo or anti-bacterial soap to clean my brushes and they are squeaky clean at the end. Owning many Real Techniques makeup brushes I know they are high quality brushes, so if they came out with a brush cleaner, I was sure it would be just as good.
The Real Techniques Cleansing Gel ($13.49) is said to help extend the life of your makeup brushes. Its formula is a concentrated gel that is non-drying and removes all makeup residue while still being gentle on the skin. It has a nice floral scent to it which is very refreshing. I used the Cleansing Gel by itself and in conjunction with the Brush Cleansing Palette.
If you’re using the Cleansing Gel on its own to clean your brushes, then add a drop on to a wet brush and work the product into a lather. I like to shape the brush head as I rinse it out, so I can ensure I have wrung out all traces of makeup.
I decided to clean all my makeup brushes (not just the four seen in the picture lol). I mean dirty face brushes, gel liner stained brushes, delicate fan brushes and you name it. The cleansing gel took the residual product right out of my larger face brushes with minimal work. It didn’t alter the texture of my fan brush which I am always very careful with when cleaning. In regards to my eye liner brushes that have gel liners stuck to them. I had to apply the cleansing gel twice to the brush head because I use waterproof eye liners that are Jet Black. My eye liner brushes are the only ones that took the most amount of work to clean. Other than that the left over makeup from the brushes rinsed out with ease.
I also cleaned a portion of my brushes using the Cleansing Gel and Cleansing Palette. The Brush Cleansing Palette ($19.99) is a silicone palette that is ergonomically designed to fit over your hand. The size of the palette is alot larger than my hand but the strap at the back helps to secure the palette to my hand.
The multi-textured surfaces on the palette are there so that when bristles pass over them, it allows for a much more deeper cleansing. As compared to cleaning your brushes over a flat surface like the palm or back of your hand.
The Cleansing Palette includes two trial sized packets of the Real Techniques Gel Brush Cleanser. So if you wanted to see if you liked the Cleansing Gel formula, you could with just purchasing the palette.
The steps to using the Brush Cleansing Palette are:
- Step 1: Slip hand into the palette and squeeze a drop of the brush cleansing gel onto the tool. Add warm water to the palette.
- Step 2: Swirl brush into the gel and water across the various surfaces until the brush is clean. Rinse bristles thoroughly, being careful to not fully immerse the base of the bristles. Squeeze out the excess water.
- Step 3: Rest your brushes to dry.
I definitely noticed the difference in cleaning dirty makeup brushes over a textured surface. As well as how much it helps to get rid of residual makeup that is tucked away deep in the base of the bristles. After running my brushes over the palette and then through fresh water, the water ran clean. I did not need to repeat the steps like I had to when using baby shampoo or anti-bacterial soap.
I love that it is made of silicone, as no makeup sticks or stains the surface. Simply clean off the palette and rest to dry.
Real Techniques Cleansing Gel and Cleansing Palette can be purchased from realtechniques.com, FarleyCO, Walmart, London Drugs and many other retailers. To locate these and other Real Techniques product at a Canadian retailer click here.
I would love to know your thoughts on this duo! 🙂
Aishwarya
