So, it’s about time that I updated my blog with some info and reviews on my purchases from IMATS last month!!!

I was lucky enough to have The Man accompanying me on this trip. We got a better deal coming in on Saturday and leaving on Monday.  So, I missed a bit of the fun on Saturday, but all in all everything worked out pretty well.  After getting checked into our hotel and snagging a quick bite to eat – we hit up the convention center so I could get a lay of the land.  OH MY!!  There were SOOOOOOO many people there!

One of my first stops on Saturday afternoon was the Cinema Secrets booth.  I purchased a set of their new pencils (10 for $36), a big puff ($1), a small stainless steel mixing palette ($5), and some of this brush cleaner (8 oz $19) I’d read so much about.  Grand total?  $61.00  Really great deals overall at IMATS, but as a whole it put a hurt on my pocket-book. haha!

Honestly, I think the demonstration video speaks for itself.

BUT if you want my opinion, I’m really liking this brush cleaner.

Once upon a time, I used Trish McEvoy Brush Bath to shampoo/deep clean my brushes.  I also used to wash them nearly every night (using Trish’s Brush Cleaner in between uses).  What can I say?  I used to work for TM for like 5 years.  Anyway, at some point (probably due to laziness) I “graduated” to using Dawn dish washing liquid.  It seemes like it did an acceptable job as long as you didn’t use too much.  It also seemed to breakdown the creamier products like cake liner, concealer, foundation, etc.  I guess it all works because I haven’t had many brushes that I’ve had to “put out to pasture”.  Some of my brushes were orginally acquired in 1999, and I think I’m in the heavy use category. 95% of my brushes are just like the day I got them.

So, here’s where this new fangled Cinema Secrets Brush Cleaner comes into the picture.  It’s really hard to teach an old dog new tricks (especially when the old are tried and true).  However, the drawbacks for my typical cleaning method are that it’s time consuming, labor intensive, and most brushes take at least over night to dry and be ready for use again.  We all know how great make-up application is with a fresh clean brush!  Sadly, most spray brush cleaner formulations designed to tidy brushes between uses and dry quickly simply don’t get brushes very clean.

Say, “Hello” to the answer to all our woes!  Cinema Secrets Brush Cleaner immediately removes ALL product from the hairs of your make-up brushes – whether it’s cream or powder.  Also, small to medium sized brushes dry for re-use in almost a MINUTE.  SERIOUSLY!!!  THEY ARE DRY IN LIKE 60 SECONDS!!!  It’s one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen.  If you watch my demo video, you will see me constantly touching and feeling the bristles after cleaning…because I can’t believe they’re already almost dry.  It’s like there’s relatively no down time for you to move on to the next application with a fresh and clean brush!  (Hence, the cheeky music!) Larger powder and blush brushes may take a bit longer to dry but it’s still like 5 minutes tops.

This magic brush cleaning solvent has a bit of a chemical/vanilla odor. It doesn’t bother me at all, and fades quickly. My only curiosity with this product is whether or not it affects the longevity of my brushes. It seems like the product might be slightly more harsh than the old fashioned shampoo method, but I guess only time will tell! I’ll let you know in 10 years!

You can buy Cinema Secrets products online at GETYOURBEAUTY.COM.  The cost for the brush cleaner is approximately $4 for 1 oz, $13 for 4oz, and $35 for 32 oz.