My collection of makeup brushes is admittedly ridiculous, so when it comes time to give a deep clean to my collection it can be a bit of a pain in the ass. Honestly, I tend to grab the 10 or so brushes that I use every single day and clean them, leaving the rest spot cleaned and determinedly ignored. Anyone else? Anyway, I've been wanting to try the Sephora Solid Brush Cleaner since last year when, in the midst of looking for a dupe for the beautyblender blendercleanser and found that a lot of people said that they liked this even better than the blendercleanser. Colour me intrigued! So, I finally picked this up during my Boxing Week Sephora Haul and I've really put it to the test, doing a full brush cleaning as well as using this daily to clean my beautyblender and other sponges, and I'm ready to tell you what I think!

Keep reading for more!

This solid brush and sponge cleaner removes even the most stubborn makeup, dirt, and germs. Great for travelling, this compact cleaner is formulated with soothing argan oil to condition gently as it rapidly breaks down excess residue and germs. It is lightly scented, free of dyes and other skin irritants, and can be used daily without harming your brushes. It is the ideal cleaner for makeup artists and travelers alike. 

As you can see in the photos, this little jar contains the cleanser as well as a small rubber mat for deep cleaning your brushes. It contains 1.1oz of product in total, which is just slightly bigger than the blendercleanser. My preferred way to use this is to just run the bottom part of the jar containing the cleanser bar underneath the sink for a moment to get it wet, wet my brush, and then swirl the brush directly onto the bar to get the product into the bristles. Next, I place the rubber pad in my hand and swirl the brush against that to really get the product in there and working. Finally, I give the bristles a good rinse, gently squeeze the excess water into a microfibre towel, and then let them dry with the end of the brush slightly elevated so that no excess water gets into the ferrule and messes with the glue holding the bristles.

One complaint that I do have is that there's no screen or slats for the bar to sit on, so it does tend to get really stuck to the bottom of the jar. I would personally prefer if there was something lifting the bar from the bottom of the jar so that I could easily get it out after use to just clean the bar itself, since it does get some product stuck to it.

I actually really like this silicone pad because it does quite a good job of getting the product out of the bristles and I don't have to have a scaly, dried out palm when I'm finish. (Anyone else find that when you rub your brushes into your palm to clean them you end up with horrible feeling hands after? Ugh!) One thing that I do wish about this was that it was big enough that I could place it into the lid for use, because that would protect my hands even more. Unfortunately, when you use the pad in the lid, it tends to move around and makes it kind of awkward. Still, I love the inclusion of this pad and will definitely continue to use it.

I've gotta tell you guys, I really enjoy this brush cleanser. I find that it does a really good job of getting deep into the brushes and getting all of the product out of them - it even gets my white, natural bristled brushes that I tend to use in darker eyeshadows completely clean and snowy white again. I also find that it does help lower the drying time, which is always a plus, and leaves the brushes feeling soft and conditioned once they're dry. I haven't been using it long enough to be sure, but I suspect that this is going to help lengthen the life of my brushes overall. When it comes to my blending sponges, I also feel like this does a really good job of getting them really clean without being harsh on the delicate sponge.

Overall, I think this is a fantastic brush cleanser - and it's really no wonder it always seems to be sold out in stores. I also love that this is at a lower price point than the blendercleanser and includes the silicone washing pad as well.

Thanks for reading!