When I took Ellana on as a client, one of the first questions I asked them was, "What are your best sellers?" The foundations were, of course, the runaway favorites, but the brush cleaner was also surprisingly high on the list. Why? Well, this is why.

I've tried three brush cleaners before it - Parian, Cinema Secrets, and J&C brush cleaners to be exact - but this Ellana product is the only one that's silicone-based. The other ones had high alcohol and solvent content, which makes sense because you wanna sanitize and melt of the makeup, right? I love these cleaners and have no complaints.

But there is another way to do it. Ellana did it with its Cucumber Melon Makeup Brush Cleaner (P400 for 120ml)

The main ingredient of the Ellana Brush Cleaner is cyclopentasiloxane, a slippery, lubricating silicone ingredient that is commonly used in hair products. It acts as a solvent by loosening up all the dirt and makeup in your brushes and thus making them easy to wipe off on tissue. It conditions the bristles, making them feel silky and supple as it cleans.

It also contains tea tree extracts and triclosan to sanitize and prevent fungal growth on the brushes. Finally, it has phenoxyethanol, which is a preservative. These ingredients are safe for cleaning your brushes and are in fact commonly used in many skincare products

I might be the last person to find out about this, but still, I'm pretty blown away. Background story: I was rushing out to my 6:30 AM yoga class the other day. I have these new Real Techniques brushes, but I haven't washed them yet even though I planned to use them later when I go out. So I deep-cleaned them before I left for yoga, and laid them on the first towel I could find. 

I checked the brushes as I was about to leave, and lo and behold - the big brush was almost completely dry! It hasn't been ten minutes since I washed it!

Granted, this brush wasn't particularly dense, but still! Apparently, the towel I used is no ordinary towel - it's an Aquazorb. It's designed to absorb water quickly, and is commonly used as a bath or gym towel. I honestly didn't know that I had Aquazorb since this towel was just a gift.

The other Saturday I had a bit of free time in the morning so I decided to deep clean my makeup brushes. It's a fun and therapeutic activity for me, much like listening to music. I don't think about anything else except the task at hand!  

Now usually I use baby shampoo to wash the brushes, but this time I thought of finally trying out my bottle of J&C Super Clean Solutions Makeup Brush Cleaner (P400). It's pretty neat! At first I thought it was like Parian or Cinema Secrets' brush cleaner where you spray the makeup solvent onto the brush and wipe it off. It's not for quick cleaning via sprays - it's more for a brush bath than anything else.

It's pretty effective in completely removing all traces of makeup from your tools. Well Parian/ Cinema Secrets do clean brushes well too, but they're more of a quick fix. J&C will deep clean and sanitize brushes without you having to soap and rinse them. Here's how!

You'll need a LOT of paper towels, a saucer or tiny cup, and a plastic cover for your table (optional. You just need something to cover the surface in case of spills and splatters).

If you're lazy when it comes to washing your makeup brushes, raise your hand! *Raises hand* Well, you and I are in luck. There are such things as instant brush cleaners to make our lives easier. You simply spray it/ swirl on your brush, wipe, and voila it's as good as new.

I've heard and read of such wondrous inventions before but it's my first time to actually use one: the Parian Spirit Brush Cleaner (P800). It's a solution that melts makeup off your brushes, leaving it sanitized, deodorized, and ready to use in less than a minute. Professional makeup artists, theatre performers, and makeup studios love this stuff because it allows them to reuse their brushes quickly.

Scent. The first thing you'll notice about Parian is that it smells strongly of oranges (it has the essence of California organes, I hear).