Knowing how to pack makeup brushes for travel ensures you’re able to don the best looks wherever you may go.
To a makeup enthusiast, brushes are a source of pride and joy.
Unfortunately, these little magic wands don’t often get the care they deserve from their owners.
Today, we’ll look at how makeup brushes are stored at home and packed for travel to help you gain more useful years from them.
The Importance of Hygienic Storage
Sometimes, brushes just get tossed into a makeup case or lumped together with non-cosmetic materials inside a drawer.
Other times, they’re good enough to use for a couple of applications before they’re completely forgotten. That’s not how you treat makeup brushes.
Cleanliness is not something that should take a backseat when it concerns makeup tools.
And while you might not be actively dirtying up your brushes, they can still end up gathering filth with every use.
Brushes must be cleaned regularly because using dirty ones can put you at risk of the following:
- Acne breakouts caused by clogged pores
- Bacterial infections caused by dirt buildup
- Wrinkles caused by exposure to free radicals
- Conjunctivitis or pink eye caused by sharing makeup
- Microscopic bugs caused by dirt and dead-cell buildup
On top of these, your makeup might not apply smoothly and start to itch as it touches your skin.
Often, this is an indication that you aren’t caring for your brushes properly.
There’s also the fact that brushes aren’t cheap, so failing to provide them with proper care and maintenance means you’re throwing money away.
The same can happen when you don’t clean and store them correctly.
How does packing makeup brushes help extend their life?
How To Pack Makeup Brushes for Travel to Extend Their Life
More often than not, the makeup application is only as good as the makeup brush.
Hence, if yours isn’t in pristine condition, don’t expect a flawless outcome.
Here are packing tips to ensure your brushes deliver a perfect look time and time again.
1. Clean Brushes on a Regular Basis
As mentioned previously, dirty brushes can lead to poor results both makeup-wise and health-wise.
Although you can remedy that to some degree by cleaning them, what you perceive to be sufficient cleaning might not be enough.
There’s a correct way to clean these miracle sticks, and it might not be what you’re doing.
Sure, you can clean expensive brushes quickly if you’re in a hurry, but you’d have to get back to them by the end of the day with a thorough cleaning.
Furthermore, if you plan on traveling with your brushes, make sure to give them a proper cleaning ahead of time.
You cannot start out with dirty brushes at your new destination; it just wouldn’t be right.
Subject your brushes for travel to a good deep cleaning session to have them looking and feeling brand new.
They have to be dry before they’re packed so that they don’t get damaged in transit or come out looking damp and smelling funky.
Keep in mind that brushes can take an entire day to dry. Consider that when planning your packing so that you don’t end up storing them damp.
2. Segregate Brushes
Factor in pressure and nerves, and brushes can all look alike when mixed together.
In high-pressure environments where models are expected to walk the runway within seconds of each other, segregating your brushes can make a big difference.
In these situations, the first brush you lay your fingers on should be the right brush.
Don’t mix the eyeliner brush with the powder brushes; make sure you keep them with brushes belonging to the same category.
Also, keep foundation and sponges with the brushes you use them with.
Then, you have your liner and shadow brushes, which should be together.
Not only does this help you find brushes quickly, but it also prevents cross-contamination, which can ruin makeup application in several ways.
Different kinds of bacteria inhabit your makeup and your face.
Now, think about what foreign bacteria you could be introducing to your facial planes every time you lay a cosmetic product anywhere you aren’t supposed to.
When those brush tips meant only for your cheekbones find their way to some other part of your face, cross-contamination could occur.
And yes, that is a big deal for people who have sensitive skin.
The best thing to do is store brushes in rolls or cases with separate slots to keep them from coming in contact with different brush types.
These cases come in various shapes and sizes and have individual slots for each brush category.
That said, slots can vary from one case to another, and there might be no accommodation available for specific brushes.
While most cases work for the general brush types, you don’t want to go for ones that squish brush heads.
If you do, you could end up damaging your products prematurely.
3. Choose a Good Makeup Brush Case
When it comes to learning how to pack makeup brushes for travel, a high-quality brush case could make all the difference.
This product could address every important matter regarding traveling with makeup brushes, even the ones you may not have thought about.
It could help separate different brush types, give brushes proper protection while in transit, and keep products clean.
Note that product organization is important, so this rules out a carry-all makeup case as an option.
When shuffled between other makeup stuff, brushes can get damaged and fail to perform their specific purpose.
Furthermore, they could cause streaks all over other items and pick up bacteria from each other.
None of these make for optimal makeup application.
Caring for Your Makeup Brushes Is Everything
Makeup brushes don’t come cheap, so the last thing you want is to damage or lose one because of care and storage failures.
Get your brushes to perform optimally over the course of their lifespan by cleaning them properly and regularly.
Don’t just store your brushes wherever you feel like.
Place them in the correct designated area, such as the brush compartment of your makeup drawer or a quality makeup case for when you’re traveling abroad.
Not only can this extend the life of your brushes but also protect parts of your face from bacteria.