Any makeup fan knows how important it is to wash their brushes. And a fair amount of us are guilty of not washing our brushes as often as we should – including yours truly. Yes it’s a chore, but it’s something you have to do if you want to reduce the chances of getting an infection from bacteria build-up. I graduated from using my palm to lather up my brushes, to using a mini version of the Sigma Glove, which I received in a Sigma brush order. However, I found that the Sigma brush didn’t give my larger brushes a deep enough clean. Brushes like my buffing brush, and my powder brush were only getting partially clean – I’m talking like 30% clean, and I’d see a build-up of makeup in the 2/3 closest to the ferrule. What’s a girl to do?
Here’s an in-depth comparison, and my thoughts on why the cheaper way is the better way.
I’m comparing the Sigma Brush Cleaning Glove (I used the mini version that I received in a Sigma order) and the Boots & Barkley Short or Medium Coats Grooming Mitt (an idea that I saw on Instagram).
Let’s start with the price point – the Sigma Brush Cleaning products range from $25.00 – $39.00 US, for various sizes & shapes, and can be found on the Sigma website. The Boots & Barkley Grooming Mitt retails for $6.79 US, and can be found at Target, in the pet aisle. It is attached to a polyester mitten, so I removed the grey plastic part, to use as a cleaning accessory.
Winner = Boots & Barkley
Let’s talk cleaning quality. The Sigma Glove is only a few millimeters tall, and I found that I could not get a deep clean on my face brushes. It’s good to clean teeny tiny delicate brushes, like my Sigma E06 Winged Eyeliner Brush, or my e.l.f. Studio Angled Eyeliner Brush, however, those types of brushes only make up a small percentage of my brush collection.
The Boots & Barkley Grooming Mitt is great for getting that deep clean that I’m looking for, for my face brushes. The spikes in this mat range in size, and are at least twice the height of the shapes on the Sigma mat.
I can get a more thorough cleaning from the Boots & Barkley Grooming Mitt, and can feel confident that I am not only scratching the surface of my brushes, but really getting into the places where the makeup has settled.
Winner = Boots & Barkley
There you have it – Boots & Barkley is the clear winner. I’ll still use my Sigma Glove, but the $7 wonder product from Target will remain as my #1. Do you have any brush cleaning tips to make it a less tedious task? Let me know in the comments below. Until next time, toodles! – Shawna