Most makeup artists will tell you that you should clean your makeup brushes after each use, especially for foundation and concealer brushes, so as to stop the spread of germs and other yucky things like that. With eye shadow brushes, it's good to do this once or twice a week (or more if needed).
Make Up Brushes are an investment, and if cared for properly, can last you ages! Here 3 steps for giving your brushes a quick clean in between uses. I would advise giving all your brushes a deep clean (post on that to come soon) every 2-3 weeks.
Brush cleaners:
I have yet to come across any other brush cleaners other than MAC. Body Shop used to sell one, but no longer stock it :( MAC's Brush Cleanser is R150 for 235ml which will last you for a long time if used sparingly...a little goes a long way :) A lot of people recommend shampoo's as brush cleansers, which are good for deep cleaning your brushes, but no good if you just need to give them a quick blitz in between uses.
Pour a little brush cleanser onto a piece of tissue (cotton wool will absorb most of the cleaners so tissue is better to use. Toilet paper will just break unless you use 3 ply).
Dab the brush onto the wet tissue, brushing back an forth until you start to see the makeup coming off the brush. Try to do so in forward and backwards motions so as not to wreck the bristles. When the tissue becomes too dirty, open the tissue up and continue the same thing on the 'clean' part of the wet tissue. Do this until your brush is clean. Repeat with all your brushes, using a new tissue and more cleaner when the other becomes too dirty.
And voila! Clean, new looking brushes :) I have done this for all of my brushes, including lip brushes, big powderbrushes and eye shadow applicator brushes. It works like a treat on all of them :)
