4.28.2016

Brush Egg VS. Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Palette


As much as I love makeup, cleaning my brushes is the absolute least favorite part. Did you see where I shared my cleaned brushes on Snapchat? But it has to be done--I am still shocked how many don't clean them. I've covered lots of techniques and products for cleaning them. I even make my own solid brush cleaner.

Lately, the trend is to use portable raised surfaces to help clean them. I've tried making my own back in the day--using hot glue on an old plate, using a travel soap dish or a silicone oven mitt or mat. The lines, or grooves, on them help to agitate the product on the brush. 

Today I've got 2 brush cleaner helpers: Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Palette and the Brush Egg. They are both affordable and are $15 and under.

I've used the Brush Egg for about a year and the RT for the past couple of months. I have tested them with a variety of brushes, cleaning products, and makeup products (eye shadow, blush, concealers, foundations of cream, liquid, and mineral, and so on). I had pretty much the same results, regardless of what was used. Today I'll clean two Real Techniques Brushes using a gel cleanser and water. Both brushes used the same cream foundation, which is so hard to get out of brushes. 

  • $14.99, online and in some stores, like Walmart.
  • This silicone palette has a strap that you slip over your fingers. To use, hold your palm face up. Slip the palette over it. Place warm water into the palette and apply cleanser to brush or to palette. Swirl around the palette until clean. Rinse bristles. 
Here's the cleaning in action. It was impossible to take pics with this on my hand, even with a remote, but you get the idea.

Brush Egg
  • Online here
  • 3 colors 
  • $8, but I have purchased another one from Born Pretty for $2.99
  • Slip over two or three fingers, and following the same instructions as for the RT, clean the brush.
The bumps at the top are for creating a lather. The ridges are for cleaning and agitating the dirt.

Here's the before and the after. RT is on your left. BE is on your right. As you can see, the BE didn't clean the brush as well--there's still some foundation at the top.

I did a bacterial culture to also test if one cleaned better than the other. The results were very similar.

Overall, while I liked both, they each had things that I didn't love. I don't think either are necessary for brush cleaning, but it makes me feel like maybe my brushes are cleaner by using them. Sigma offers a cleaning mat and glove that work really well. There are other brands too that offer similar products.

Brush Egg Pros and Cons:
  • I love the Brush Egg for cleaning eye brushes the best. It's very thick and durable, which means you have to wear it on your fingers when using it.
  • It is compact for travel.
  • You don't get to choose the color--not a big deal for me.
  • It took longer to clean face brushes.
  • It is impossible to keep clean (when using with foundations), which I why I ordered another one for pictures.
RT Brush Cleansing Palette Pros & Cons:
  • Large surface area for cleaning
  • Easier to use since it doesn't have to be worn
  • I think it's overpriced.
  • Sometimes, I've had the palette kind of warp on me. Once dried, it goes back to it's regular shape.
Do you use something like the products above to help you clean brushes?

Extra Elle:
  • Happy 21st birthday to my baby sis!!!
  • I'm currently on a spray painting kick of painting everything copper. I've been sharing some of it on my Snapchat (add me here).

50 comments:

  1. I do not clean my brushes nearly enough! That palette looks like it would be the easiest for me to use!

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  2. I really need to clean my brushes more. It's good to know that there are things that make it a little more fun. I am spray painting everything gold right now, isn't it fun!
    Xoxo,
    Whitney & Blaire
    Peaches In A Pod

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  3. I don't think I clean my brushes as often as I should. I really like the RT. It's pricy but looks like it does a great job. Thanks for sharing!

    Jill
    Doused In Pink

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  4. I love the Brush Egg! I used to not clean my brushes nearly enough but I clean them much more regularly since I got it. I don't use liquid foundation so maybe that's why mine come clean better when using it. <3, Pamela Sequins & Sea Breezes

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  5. I clean my brushes on the back of my hand! I need to try something like this, or maybe the Sigma mat. X

    ♥ Carly Susanne - A Hair, Beauty & Lifestyle Blog

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  6. i have zero devices for cleaning my brushes. i end up using an old wash cloth with my brush cleaner ha. lazy to the max. but these are pretty neat. i feel like you can't go wrong w/ either one!

    xoxo cheshire kat

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  7. I so need one of these. I just use a bar of soap on my brush's.

    http://www.amysfashionblog.com/blog-home/

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  8. Great comparison! I've often thoughts about getting the brush egg. But I currently have the Sigma glove/mitt thingy that works really well. I used to just use my hands, but I feel like I can get the brushes cleaner quicker with a brush. :-)

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  9. I've always wanted to try something like this, especially for my foundation brushes. And ive thought of making my own too like you mentioned! Glad to know you think the RT one is over priced, maybe I'll skip it! This might be strange, but I have a smaller plastic water cup that has all these bumpy textures and designs on it. I use that to clean my foundation brushes and it actually works good!

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  10. Thanks for sharing these cool cleaning tools! I would like to try the Real Techniques one. I loathe cleaning my brushes but this might help.

    http://www.kathrineeldridge.com

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  11. I would stick to Born Pretty one because I think RT is overpriced for what it is. Great comparison, Elle!

    Shireen | Reflection of Sanity

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  12. I guess it's useful thing when the brushes are used a lot, though it makes me think of all the years girls and women managed to do without. ;)

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  13. I have got to try one of these! I clean my brushes in my hand with gel soap or a brush spray and I feel like they are never clean clean you know?

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  14. This is a great review, Elle! I've been wondering if the Brush Egg was a replacement for the Sigma -- I love the Sigma but didn't want to pay the price! Good to know it's difficult to keep clean.

    xo, Rachel
    A Blonde's Moment

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  15. I wish that cleaning your brushes wasn't so time consuming, I try to clean them every month with spot cleaning between if needed. I think if I had the RT try it would make it a little more time saving, the egg looks like it's interesting and better for travel. This was a great comparison.



    Katie | http://ktmcgworld.blogspot.ca

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  16. I am glad I found out about this! I don't clean my brushes enough so this is great!!

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  17. I am so bad I never clean my brushes. I need to do that this weekend!

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  18. I need one of these and would probably go with the cheaper option even though it sounds harder to keep clean? foundation brushes are such a nightmare to clean!

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  19. I didn't even know products like these existed for cleaning brushes! I'm so out of it! 'm pretty old school with cleaning my stuff, but I wouldn't mind trying it.

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  20. I need to get a brush cleaner and maybe I would clean them more often haha right now I just scrub with my hand forever so it takes awhile to get all the foundation out! Def picking up the RT one!

    <3 Shannon
    Upbeat Soles

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  21. Love this comparison! Uhhhhh this is such a good gentle reminder that I need to clean my brushes today!

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  22. Cleaning brushes is the WORST! I always end up having one fall apart every now and then. I just had to throw away one of my Morphe E6 foundation brushes. Cleaning foundation out of brushes is so hard. This RT brush cleaning mat seems nice!

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  23. Is it weird that I kind of love cleaning my brushes?

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  24. I absolutely HATE cleaning brushes too, but it's so important to do every now and then. I've been using the Sigma spa glove since it came out, and I love it :) Although I lay it down in my sink like the spa mat, because otherwise my hand gets a bit tired.

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  25. I've been using daily cleaners for my brushes, so I finally ordered a real brush cleanser, and oh my goodness I couldn't believe the amount of makeup that came off when I washed them for the first time! I decided right then that it needed to be a more common occurrence.

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  26. Ugh, you don't even want to know how I clean my brushes... I just use soap and water and let them air dry standing up! I should probably look into getting one of these... plus, it would make brush cleaning a lot more fun!

    Carrie
    curlycraftymom.com

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  27. I keep meaning to get one of the brush cleansers you recommend because I often just use shampoo and water. Thanks for the review of these! I would have thought overall they would do a better job, but it sounds like the important part is the cleanser!

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  28. I hate cleaning my brushes, but I do make myself do it! I've never thought about using a tool like this to help though--I could see why it would be helpful. If I tried one, I'd probably go for the egg.

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  29. I never know how to properly clean my brushes, so thanks for the scoop! The egg sounds like a great idea. Nice to meet you through Eli's blog :)

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  30. I haven't used any of the new products they are coming out with to clean brushes. Just my good ole hand. LOL! I almost bought the RT mat the other day...I think I might skip it and get the brush egg. I don't use foundation brushes so it might be the best bang for my buck!
    xo, Lily
    Beauty With Lily

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  31. Cleaning makeup brushes is defintiely an easy one to forget to do. These scrubbers sound like a great way to give them a deep clean.

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  32. I don't get people who don't clean their brushes either. It is annoying, but it's necessary! I just got the RT palette and I love it. I've been wanting the Sigma glove or mat for a while, but never wanted to spend the money. I think this cleans my brushes really well and it didn't break the bank. I had a coupon and some points at Ulta so I was able to get mine for $5.

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  33. Thanks for this comparison! I use a cleaning balm to clean my makeup brushes but I've been wondering if I should get a helper like this to help get them even cleaner.

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  34. I really love my Brush Egg and thought about purchasing the RT pad, but think I'll skip it! And I do agree - the egg is impossible to keep clean!

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  35. I don't use anything like this, but I want to. This is the first I've heard of the Brush Egg, and I need to check that out!

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  36. oh my gosh, I never clean my brushes. but I did just clean my clarisonic, so that's got to count for something?!

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  37. I am having trouble cleaning my brushes right now. What did you say the best product was? I am going to the USA in a week so I can go to target or walmart.

    I normally use baby shampoo because it is mild but my brush is still very dirty.

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  38. I found a knock off brush egg for $1 and I like it okay. For the price I won't complain! And I have a mini sigma one which I do like a lot.

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  39. Great post dear ♥

    I hope you're having a lovely day so far!
    XOXO

    http://nikolaknazikova.blogspot.sk/

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  40. Hi, Elle, first of all, happy birthday to your sister! Well, you are right, cleaning brushes is the least favorite part of makeup, but OK, we need to do it. I liked the real Techniques (...) one, because it has a strap to hold it firmly and it is bigger. But the Egg is also nice, although it is smaller and we have to put 3 fingers inside it to hold it. I would like to have the first one. I didn't find these products to clean brushes, so I bought something for another purpose, and repurposed it - a surface a bit similar to the ones you showed, and then it works fine :)
    DenisesPlanet.com

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  41. Great review! I've been wondering how these products worked, and honestly I think I'll just stick with cleaning them by hand. Maybe pick up one of the brush eggs for my eyeshadow brushes! Thanks, Elle! :)

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  42. I need to get one of these. I think I'm leaning toward the RT one more though, because to me, your left brush really does look cleaner. I think my method of swirling soap on my hand is a little outdated. (; Time I pick one of these up!
    Happy birthday to your sister!

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  43. Nice comparative review. Love this style. You must do it more often. Awesome hard work :-)

    http://naturelbellefemme.blogspot.com

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  44. i just use my hand! it's easier (i think) and free :)

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  45. I initially wanted to get the Real Techniques Cleaner but I think I'll just stick with my Sigma Glove and Mat ;)

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  46. I don't use anything, just the palm of my hand! But when I'm washing brushes that were used with long-wear foundation, I feel like an accessory like that would help.
    Beaumiroir

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  47. Great review- it is so important to clean brushes. I do it usually just myself but was interested in seeing some other techniques.

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  48. Guilty!! Ok, I'm going to go clean my brushes now...

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