GlamGlow YouthMud Review

The past week and a half my skin has been the equivalent of an angry teenager on Dr Phil. I’ve been experiencing breakouts left right and center and it has just been a mess in general. Which is really disappointing because up until then I was pretty chuffed with how my skin was; the surface was all even, I didn’t have a single bump and I also had barely any redness. Then my skin just went crazy and it was basically caused by pure laziness on my behalf of the past two weeks. I’ve picked up a few more shifts this fortnight and have been working more double shifts than usual which had led to me coming home, wiping my makeup off with a cleansing wipe and falling asleep. Because of skipping my skincare routine of: double cleanse, exfoliate, face mask, serum, treatment and moisturiser in replace of a single makeup wipe, my skin is acting out hardcore.

I have wanted to try GlamGlow products for quite a while but the price, along with the reviews and the fact it is jar packaging had put me off. Especially with most reviews saying the product almost immediately dries up as soon as you open the jar. But when I was in my local Mecca Maxima last week I noticed that they sold little 15-gram travel jars of the product for $25 that I thought was a good way to try the expensive product for a fraction of the cost. So I picked up the little jar of the GlamGlow Youthmud Tinglexfoliate Treatment Mask and was on my way.

Before I purchase a product the online reviews are always a massive deciding factor and boy did this mask have a lot of reviews, most of them negative. If you go online and Google this particular mask you will see a lot of negative 1 star reviews. So with my own review I’m essentially going to go all ‘MythBusters’ on it and take the main concerns from the reviews of the mask on Sephora and put them to the test.

First off I applied this to my face using my trusty Bloom Liquid Foundation brush, which is seriously the best brush for applying facemasks ever! I applied a thin layer to my face and saw all the leaves that the reviews talked about, but they weren’t that bad, just like tiny pieces of paper. One thing I didn’t see? Twigs. I don’t know what facemask they were using but mine certainly did not contain any twigs.

Next concern to address? The burning fiery pits of hell many said their faces experienced as this dried. As the mud started to dry I only experienced a slight tingly feeling on the areas of my face that had enlarged pores, so it was only on my nose and a tiny bit on my cheeks. As someone who has suffered from some nasty bouts of cystic acne in the past this was like a marshmallow cake compared to some of the topical acne treatments that essentially burn off your epidermis. Once the mask is dried you will see little dots over your problem areas. These little dots are actually the oil rising to the surface from pores and mine were worst on my nose and I had a couple here and there on my cheeks. It was actually pretty fun having a look at them once the mask had dried.

Next up was washing it off. Now I read one review from a girl who said she could not get this off her face at all with water and that she scrubbed and scrubbed but it still wouldn’t come off. It eventually took her a few face washers and three towels to remove it and that once finished her skin was left irritated and red from all the scrubbing and she had to throw out her towels.

So when it came time to wash it off I came into the bathroom armed with a plethora of facewashers, towels and a good playlist on my iPod so I had something to listen to. I added some warm water to my hands and started rubbing it off in circular motions that activated the little exfoliating granules. Then after what felt like 20 seconds I looked in the mirror and the mask was all gone. In all honesty it was probably one of the easiest masks to remove.. maybe ever? If the people that wrote these reviews thought that the GlamGlow mask was hard to remove then they have never tried the charcoal one from Origins; now that’s a mask that takes 40 minutes and 30 stained towels to remove. I was actually pretty gob smacked at how easy it was to wash off with gently with warm water as most of the reviews on Sephora had people complaining about it not coming off properly.

Now my skin isn’t sensitive in full context of the word, but it still is in some ways. So basically it isn’t sensitive to the point where I can’t use makeup and can only use goats milk soap, but it is a bit grouchy with certain products I can and can’t use.  The GlamGlow mask was not one of these products. It left my skin feeling incredibly clean, soft and calm which was the exact opposite of how I thought my face would react. I actually was surprised at how much I liked this mask. Maybe it was because my expectations were extremely low but it left my skin feeling pretty darn great.

Now would I repurchase? Yes. But I wouldn’t spend money on the full size version. With jar packaging the key ingredients deteriorate so much quickly than if it was packaged in a tube or pump. Also because this is a mud mask it will dry out a lot quicker thanks to it’s packaging. This is also a mask I would use once a week or fortnight MAX, so I would repurchase but I would keep buying the little travel sized jars. After one application I also have enough product left in the jar to last me at least a month, so you don’t need that much for the product to work.

I would recommend you give this mask a go as it is pretty fun and if anything it has taught me not to believe every single review you read; because your skin is a special little snowflake hipster who is different from everyone else and you could have a completely different experience to someone else. If a product has crazy bad reviews I would always aim to try and find a sample or travel size and to always patch test before use.  

Cruelty Free Swap #6: Brow Product

When it comes to my eyebrows I’ve always been a Benefit Cosmetics girl. My first brow product was their brow pencil until I moved on to the Browzings and I always got my eyebrows waxed and tinted at the Benefit Brow Bar. Then I decided to start making a move towards all cruelty free products. I started getting my eyebrows threaded and using the eyeshadow shade ‘Faint’ from the Urban Decay Naked Basics palette through my brows.

But I was missing something by switching from brow wax to powder. I missed that sharpness and wow factor you could create with the Browzings. I contemplated picking up the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow Pomade but never got around to ordering it. Then I saw that cruelty free Australian cosmetics company Chi Chi were releasing their own dupe of the ABH Pomade which was nearly half the cost. When it was finally released it had pretty much sold out everywhere due to all the hype but I managed to track one down at my local Target and they only had one Blonde shade left.

The Blonde shade is the perfect colour for me and matches my hair and skin tone exactly. I had never used brow pomade before and as I unscrewed the cap I excitedly dunked my brush in thinking it was the same consistency as the stiff Browzings wax. Its not and it’s more of a lightly whipped mousse, so I created a nice massive hole in it. I went on to do my brows as I would with any other brow products by using my angled eyeliner brush from EcoTools and I was so darn impressed with this product. Because it is more of a mousse consistency it is much easier to apply and goes on looking a lot more seamless and natural. It is a really nice in-between of the Benefit Browzings and the Urban Decay Faint Shadow.

The Chi Chi Brow Pomade is paraben and bismuth free as well as waterproof; and once this baby dries it is also very smudge proof which I love. No matter how many times you touch or rub your face it won’t come off and the same applies for when you go to take your makeup off at night, so it is best to use a waterproof makeup remover.

This product is really great and I can see it being my go to brow product for a very long time. They also have quite a few different shades available, so if you can find one to match your colouring I would highly suggest giving it a go. It will leave your eyebrows looking shaped and defined but oh so natural.  

Lust Have It September 2015

The September Lust Have It finally arrived after a few scandalous delays. A lot of people freak out over social media if their parcel is a few days late, so when it is weeks late it causes a bit of an uprising. I’m not too fussed as long as it arrives within the following month. As unreliable with shipping and customer service Lust Have It are, the products they feature beat Bellabox by a mile. There are always lots of unknown brands, full sized products and a good handful of cruelty free and vegan products. So even though I received September in October I think I will stay subscribed as long as they keep delivering great products.

Designer Brands Twist ‘n’ Go Nail Polish Remover & Primer

I don’t really wear nail polish much anymore because when you work in a bar those pretty painted talons are gone about thirty minutes into your shift. But I still love to polish them up for special occasions, so when I saw this nail polish remover it made me want to go and paint my nails because I love a gimmick product. Of course like all Designer Brands products this is vegan and cruelty free, you just dunk your nail in, twist and remove to see all the polish gone. For stubborn polish like glittery topcoats it may take a bit of effort, but I actually loved this. It’s perfect for a dame who doesn’t want to search her bathroom for 20 minutes to find cotton balls and nail polish remover. It is also formulated with aloe vera, green tea and vitamins C & E to keep nails nice and healthy. Full Size. Cruelty Free. Vegan. $4.99

White Glo Toothpaste

Oh man back in 2010 this was my ride or die toothpaste. I was obsessed. I had a travel size, kept one in the shower, one on my sink, and I actually used it non-stop. I was addicted to this toothpaste and if you ever see photos of me at a christening that year my teeth are Ross Geller white. It was actually hilarious. So I toned it down and eventually I started to forget about it, but now I have this little tube back in my life I can feel the tooth whitening fire back in my soul again. This toothpaste actually works and whitens teeth so well. My teeth have never really been that stained because I don’t smoke or drink coffee, so I don’t know how well it would work for the extreme cases, but for your average teeth that need some whitening and brightening, this does a bloody brilliant job. I’ll just have to dial it back a notch this time, but other than that I’m really excited to start using this again. I currently use Colgate toothpaste who are very involved with animal testing, but I had actually assumed that all toothpaste brands test on animals. Silly I know. So I decided to go on the White Glo website to see their stance and they are actually cruelty free AND vegan. How amazing is that? They have never tested on animals and neither have ingredients from their suppliers. I’m pretty chuffed with this news and I’ll be ditching the Colgate and heading on back to White Glo. Sample Size. Cruelty Free. Vegan.

Ofra Lipliner in Wine

I had never heard of this company before I received this lipliner in Lust Have It. I jumped on the Ofra website and was so happy to read that they are PETA certified cruelty free and their products are also vegan. One of the things I love about Lust Have It is that they are continually introducing new cruelty free brands, so there is always something new to try, while Bellabox continue to feature the same ones. I love the colour of this lip pencil, not only is it waterproof, it’s a beautiful burgundy deep wine colour and would be stunning against any skin tone. I have extremely pale skin and I wore this with Chopper and Half Baked from the Naked 2 palette all over my eyes and all the products worked so beautifully together. I’m not the biggest fan of the formula as it is quite waxy (synthetic beeswax) and a bit drying, so I popped some of the Say Yes To Carrots gloss over the top and it looked beautiful. I will definitely be looking into more products from this brand. Cruelty Free. Vegan. Full Size. $19.50.

UB Cosmetics Tint Stick

Ah we meet again tint stick! I recently discussed the Universal Beauty Cosmetics Tint Stick in one of my disappointing products post. They’re not bad products; the colours are beautiful, vibrant and the formula applies nicely. BUT it is less of a tint and more of a permanent marker. The last one I had stained my lips and the back of my hand where I had swatched it for days, despite many showers and an aggressive Clarisonic session. I received a different colour this time, which one I am not sure of the name because they aren’t labeled, but I will give it another shot. The brand is cruelty free and the tint sticks are filled with Vitamin B5 and aloe vera so the product isn’t drying at all like some tints. I want to like this product so bad, it ticks off everything on paper. So I’ll trial the second one and make sure I report back. Full Size. Cruelty Free. $23

Kerastase Resistance Shampoo and Masque

My hairdresser is The Hub by Falcone hair in the city and these are the products that they use in the salon. They use all the Kerastase shampoos and conditioners on my hair, as well as a little hair treatment that comes in a vial. #Science. Whenever I leave my locks look like they just returned from a beach resort on some sort of Eat Pray Love journey. The Kerastase products do amazing things for hair and leave it feeling so wonderfully nourished, so I have no doubt about the talents and abilities of these products. The only disappointing thing about Kerastase is that the L’Oreal owned company do test on animals, so if they didn’t I would be their number one fan. But until that day comes I wont be repurchasing any of their products. Sample Size. TESTS ON ANIMALS.

BONUS

Your Tea Skin Magic

I was actually a little bit chuffed to receive this tea in my Lust Have It. It’s one of those products that I’ve been curious to try but didn’t want to spend the money on it. I’m really against detox weight loss teas as I find them very dangerous and when I worked at a tea store, they were pretty much enemy #1. Every second customer would come in asking about them and we had to continue to explain how dangerous they could be for your body and that a tea alone isn’t going to make you lose 30 kilos and be front and center on the Victoria’s Secret runway. So thanks to this common sense I don’t really believe that a tea can achieve the same results for your face. This tea boasts that it assists with acne, cystic pimples, eczema, hormonal skin, uneven skin tone and assisting digestion. This is through using a mix of herbal ingredients like Aloe Vera, Licorice Root, Lotus Seed Heart, Jasmine, as well as a blend of Chinese herbal medicines. I do believe though that some skin problems can be due to digestion as I have some friends that do breakout with high dairy consumption but it all depends on the individual and what they are sensitive to. I am interested to try this though and see what type of results that could be possible. Sample Size.

Cruelty Free Skincare Haul

Ever since I completed a ‘No Buy’ challenge for a few months at the start of the year and aimed to use up the overflow of products and samples in my bathroom, I haven’t really had the urge to buy the amount of products that I used to. But when I had to pop into Priceline to pick up some makeup wipes and moisturiser, I decided to treat myself to a couple of face treatments as well. I purchased all of these products a few weeks ago so I have had a lot of time to use them and to see how my skin would react. All these products are cruelty free and are either Australian or New Zealand run businesses with a focus on using skin-nourishing ingredients and are available at Priceline.

Moreish Emergence Clay Mask

Where has this mask been all my life? I will admit that the reason I picked this up was because I saw the gorgeous packaging and I’m a shallow judge-a-product-by-its-cover person. If it wasn’t for the gorgeous packaging I probably would have walked past it and never picked it up, so packaging does matter. Moreish is a New Zealand brand that is cruelty free and aims to be the superfood equivalent of skincare. They mainly focus on using 100% Organic Moroccan Argan Oil but also use ingredients that are sourced from New Zealand like Manuka Honey, Avocado, Grape Seed, Kiwifruit and Olive Oil. Their products are also free of parabens, sulphates, mineral oil, petrochemicals, phenoxyethanol and artificial colours and fragrances. The packaging is great and the tube makes it easy to dispense the perfect amount while being hygienic and not at all wasteful. I apply this product all over my face with the Bloom Liquid Foundation Brush to create a nice, even and mess free layer. This only takes 10 minutes to dry and once it does you can’t move your face at all! Once I washed it off my face didn’t feel tight and it looked and felt so clean. My pores looked more refined and my face felt incredibly soft. After my face had dried I applied face oil and serum and they both applied so nicely to my fresh face. The pimple I had on my forehead also looked a lot less angry and when I woke up the next morning it was gone. If you’re feeling a bit grotty and like your skin needs whipping into shape, I would definitely recommend this. It leaves skin feeling purified, balanced and incredibly soft thanks to being packed full of Argan Oil, Kaolin Clay and Manuka Honey. It really did leave my skin wanting more and I can’t wait to try out other products from the Moreish range if they are all as excellent as this.

Sukin Facial Moisturiser

When I ran out of my REN day cream and didn’t have a chance to swing by Mecca for at least a week, I decided to pop down to Priceline and pick up a moisturiser for the time being. I had a few things to pay that week so I was on the lookout for a budget friendly cruelty free moisturiser, which is actually hard to find. I did a bit of Google research before going in store and came across the brand Sukin which not only had amazing reviews but all their products were cruelty free, vegan and all natural at a reasonable price. Their products are free from lots of nasties like sulphates, detergents, petro-chemicals, artificial colours, synthetic fragrances, mineral oils and parabens. This all sounded really appealing so I went in store to pick up a bottle of the facial moisturiser for $10. This moisturiser is actually divine and feels so great on the face. One pump is enough to cover your face, neck and décolletage, so a small amount goes a long way. It doesn’t feel greasy and instantly soaks into the skin so it won’t disrupt any makeup you put on top of it. It leaves skin feeling really hydrated and smelling so fresh and lovely. If you are after cruelty free vegan skincare on a budget, this could just be your go to brand!

Sukin Detoxifying Clay Masque 

This mask is made with ‘Super Greens’ such as kale, spirulina and parsley, which I can say that I don’t think I’ve used in skincare before. They are meant to act as detoxifying blend of antioxidants and vitamins to keep skin nice and clear. It also contains avocado, baobab and goji berry to keep skin hydrated and dewy. So basically you are rubbing Miranda Kerr’s dinner all over your face. Like other Sukin products this is vegan and free from a lot of nasties. First impression of this masque is that it is REALLY thick. I really enjoy applying my face masks with a brush because I find it wastes less product and creates an even layer on the skin, but because of the thickness of this my brush couldn’t get in and I had to apply it with my fingers. I’m not a fan of the packaging because I find jar packaging to be unhygienic and deteriorating of the ingredients, so if this was packaged like the Moreish mask it would be A+. You apply this mask onto your damp face and neck and let it dry for 15 minutes before wiping it off with a washcloth and rinsing. While drying my skin felt really nice and cooled and I couldn’t wait to wash it off to see the results. It was a little tricky to wash off because once its dried it goes clear and matte, so I did miss a few patches at first, but once I rinsed it all off I was actually blown away. I stood in the mirror staring at my skin and it looked like it was glowing from within. It felt so fresh and in those 15 minutes it was like my skin had jumped on a plane to Bora Bora to a yoga retreat and went on a juice cleanse. I touched my skin and it was so beautifully soft and felt so healthy, overall it looked like I spent $135 on a deep cleanse facial. I can’t recommend this masque highly enough! Considering how many nasties it is free off, it does such an amazing job and proves that you don’t need to use pricey products and treatments to get great results. This masque is only $16 at Priceline and is the second product I’ve tried from the Sukin range. Considering how blown away I am by both products, I will definitely be picking up a few more next time I’m in store.

Milk & Co. Beauty Wipes

Milk & Co. is a great little Australian company based in Melbourne and run by Lindy and Michael Klim. They use 95% natural ingredients, are cruelty free and their products are great for sensitive skin. I first tried them out when I received a sample of the Hand Quench in the September Bellabox and fell in love with it. So when I ran out of makeup wipes I decided to pick up a packet of their extra large exfoliating and cleansing Beauty Wipes and give them ago. These are very similar to the ModelCo facial wipes and are dual sided wipes with one side having little bumps to exfoliate and the other a soft wipe to cleanse. These smell like baby wipes and are very gentle on the skin. I love the fact that they are extra large because the decent size means you can use one wipe to clean your face even if you’re wearing lots of eyeliner, lipstick and mascara. These did a really great job, are only $9.95 for a pack of 25 and are a great first step to cleansing your face and getting rid of all the makeup at the end of the day. Next time you run out of makeup wipes, you must give these a try.

Empties #12

La Roche Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel Cleanser

I credit this as one of the brilliant products that completely turned my skin from cystic acne to clear and smooth. This cleanser is just so completely brilliant and I struggled to find a negative point about it. Except for one: La Roche Posay test on animals. If this weren’t tested on animals it would be my Holy Grail cleanser that I would use day in and day out without fail. While I find most foaming cleansers to be quite drying and strip the good oils from the skin, this soap free one from La Roche Posay gets rid of all dirt, oil and left over makeup while still being incredibly gentle. It also aims to keep the skin P.H at a balance of 5.5, which means it won’t be too harsh. This cleanser smells like violets and is easily one of my favourite cleansers of all time. I am so disappointed the L’Oreal owned La Roche Posay are such heavy animal testers because this cleanser is one of those ‘change your life’ products. TESTS ON ANIMALS.

Mary Kay Foundation Primer with SPF 15

I was surprised at how much I actually liked the Mary Kay primer. When I first felt it I found myself being reminded of the Porefessional by Benefit that I absolutely loathed. The texture and consistency are the same but that is where the similarities end. When I used the Porefessional my makeup slid right off and if some of it managed to stay in tact it would look patchy and unblended. With the Mary Kay instead of hindering the makeup on top, it took it to a whole new level.  I found once applied my makeup stayed on a lot longer and looked a lot smoother. It also has an SPF of 15 to help give a little boost of sun protection underneath your makeup. I have a problem with enlarged pores on my nose and this helped my foundation to glide right over the top and made them look much less noticeable. If Mary Kay were a cruelty free company, I would repurchase this in a heartbeat. Unfortunately they are not so I will have to continue on finding more primers I love. For now my favourite cruelty free primer has been from Inika but I still want to test a few more out. TESTS ON ANIMALS.

REN Evercalm Global Protection Day Cream

Absolutely loved this product. It is so nourishing on the skin and once applied leaves skin feeling smooth, calmed and with a noticeable reduction in redness. This was perfect to apply before makeup and I would often use this in replace of primer because it left skin beautifully prepared for makeup application. It’s also free from parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrances, synthetic dyes and petro chemicals and is instead filled with lots of powerful antioxidant ingredients. The smell is a slightly herbal and the cream itself is quite thicker than others I’ve used but it never caused breakouts and would be great for sensitive skin. I love what this had done to my skin so I will be rushing out to repurchase this. Cruelty Free.

Swisspers Naturals Aloe Skin Perfecting Cleansing Wipes

Walk into any Woolworths and you will be perplexed at how hard it is to find cruelty free makeup wipes. I usually pick up my makeup wipes from Priceline as they stock a lot of Burt’s Bees, ModelCo and a few other cruelty free skincare brands. But one night I finished too late at work to get to a Priceline and had to pick some up at my local Woolies on the way home. All you will find packed on the shelves are Johnson & Johnson, Simple and many other brands that test on animals. The only brand that I could think of that wouldn’t test would be Swisspers and a quick scan on Google showed that they don’t, even though it was a bit hard to find the relevant information. Nonetheless I picked these ones up and they were quite nice. They’re a bit thicker in texture than normal wipes and they removed all my makeup including waterproof mascara and I found them very soothing to the skin because of the Aloe. While they are a good basic wipe, they aren’t my favourite of all time. Though it is good to know I can find a cruelty free backup at the supermarket that does the job if need be. Cruelty Free.

Avene Cleanance K Cleansing Gel

Every product I’ve tried from Avene I have absolutely loved but this one was terrible. This cleanser is for oily acne prone skin and it is just so harsh and drying. I have very oily skin but this completely stripped it of not only the bad excess oil, but the good oils as well. Once I had rinsed my face and dried it off it was just so tight that it felt like I had a face lift Real Housewives of Beverly Hills style. This was so harsh on my oily skin that I can’t imagine what it would be like on pimple prone people with normal, dry or combination skin. Normally Avene products are so soothing and calming to the skin, but I wouldn’t recommend this product at all. TESTS ON ANIMALS.

Clean Your Makeup Brushes For Under $3

When I first started using makeup at around 16 I didn’t use brushes at all. I applied foundation and concealer with my fingertips and I never used blush, bronzer, eyeshadow or brow products. I would just touch up my complexion a little bit, swipe on some mascara, use some lip balm and just hop, skip and jump out the door. Oh to be 16 and fresh faced before the cystic acne hit.

While at 24 I no longer have acne or feel the need to wear the same amount of heavy makeup that I used to help mask it, I still love playing with makeup and brushes are a big help for that. It helps to get your brows on point, your cat eye sharp and your foundation blended. I actually didn’t start using brushes, besides from a powder brush, until I was about 20 when I picked up my first proper brush at Bobbi Brown and the addiction started.

Ever since then I have been looking for ways to clean my brushes to the point that they look the same as when I first brought them. A quick Google search brings up the favourite of baby shampoo. Nope. This does not work, I guarantee it. Especially when you use liquid foundations because it won’t budge it. I also don’t see how baby shampoo can budge tough makeup stains when it is meant to be incredibly gentle for use on babies. There was one trick of combining baby shampoo and olive oil that also didn’t work. Then regular shampoo that worked slightly but still left me disappointed. For a while I just used my eye makeup removed that worked amazingly but was too expensive to use on a regular basis. Then I tried a vegan hippy castile peppermint oil wonder soap that worked all right for powder brushes but still couldn’t lift the heavy liquid formulas. Finally I stumbled onto the Solid Blender Cleanser by Beauty Blender that worked brilliantly at budging most formulas and left my brushes 97% clean. Still, I was aching for that extra 3% to leave me feeling so satisfied with how squeaky fresh my brushes could be.

I thought I was going crazy and would never find something like that until one night when my Solid Blender Cleanser ran out and I was debating on whether or not to order a new one or try something new instead. I was searching for ways to clean the build up in a Beauty Blender when I stumbled onto the YouTube channel of Amy Macedo and her video titled How To: Clean Makeup Brushes & Beauty Blenders UNDER $1. I clicked despite thinking that the title was click bait and was amazed to see all the gunk and grime that was coming out of her brushes so easily from using the smallest amount of $1 laundry soap. It was called Zote Pink Soap and it was just a basic bar of laundry soap that you could find for a $1 in America. So I Googled it and realised it would cost nearly $30 to get one single bar to Australia which was ridiculous. So I decided to hit Google again and find out what was so special about American laundry soap and there isn’t actually anything too special about it.

So I decided to hit Woolies and pick up a bar of Sards Wonder Soap and try it out with my brushes. I wet my brush under the tap and as soon as my brush hit that bar of soap what felt like years of makeup started coming out. It took only the tiniest bit of soap and my brushes were better than new again. The real test was the Beauty Blenders though because when they aren’t washed properly the product starts to build up in the bottom and leave it waxy, and the Sards Wonder Soap got rid of all that too! It even got rid of the old Estee Lauder Double Wear stains on my old Real Techniques sponge that had been there for forever and a day. Then I went through all my clean dry brushes and rewashed them only to see makeup coming out. This soap gives such a thorough clean and I seriously don’t know how I have gone so long without having it in my life. It is seriously a magical bar of soap that anyone with dirty brushes needs in their life ASAP. Also I won't lie because the smell of the soap isn't the greatest and does smell a bit iffy, but once you've rinsed your brushes they won't smell at all like the soap anymore. The Sard Wonder Soap does such a great job at getting all the grime off but if you wan't to kill any bacteria just give your brushes a spray with an alcoholic spray, like the Models Prefer Brush Cleaner, and that will finish them off.