For most of us, the reality of owning makeup brushes is a cycle of daily use and perpetual procrastination when it comes to cleaning them. From my teen years through college, I followed a circa-2010 Michelle Phan tutorial to degunk my tools. Then, I switched to a simpler method involving a solid soap — Beautyblender’s Blendercleanser was my go-to for years. More recently, I discovered Sephora Collection’s Daily Brush Cleaner, an express method to clean bristles between wash days — basically, dry shampoo for your brushes.
All that’s to say, I’ve tried just about every cleaning method out there — and I didn’t love any of them. Did they work? Sure. But I was convinced there had to be an easier way that didn’t involve rubber-banding handles upside down. Enter an unlikely hero.
Amazon is rife with all sorts of bizarre beauty gadgets (hello, eyelash comb that looks like a medieval torture device), so when I came across the Ricris Electric Makeup Brush Cleaner, I was curious but skeptical. However, I was inspired to order it after seeing a coworker demo it on her Instagram Story. Her before-and-after photos were seriously impressive; I added it to cart and awaited its arrival.
As I unboxed it, I realized the Ricris brush cleaner isn’t the most intuitive — but don’t let that deter you. The kit includes a clear plastic bowl, eight silicone collars (more on those in a second), and a handle that can run on batteries or be plugged in. It’s not quite IKEA-level, but there is a bit of setup involved: Attach the handle to the connector, then secure your applicator handles into the silicone collar that best fits — the eight sizes are designed to accommodate everything from chunky powder Kabukis to small, precise eye tools.
After you’ve done that, it’s time to get cleaning: Fill the bowl up to the line with lukewarm water, and add a couple of drops of your favorite brush shampoo (I use e.l.f. Cosmetics’ Clean Queen Liquid Cleaner). (I know all that sounds like a lot of steps, but the whole thing takes less than five minutes to set up.) Now, it’s time for the fun part.
One by one, I dip each dirty brush into the bowl and press the handle to start the spin — think: a mini immersion blender. It whips up a splash-free lather (thanks to the max fill line), and once the water turns cloudy with makeup, you know it’s working. When the brush looks clean, slowly lift the handles above the water while the handle still spinning to start drying. About 30 seconds later, the bristles should be completely makeup-free and dry to the touch.
The whole thing is deeply satisfying — and not just because I’m a Virgo who loves this sort of stuff.
Yes, it’s a slightly more involved setup, but the Ricris Makeup Brush Cleaner solves just about every brush-washing pain point I’d experienced for decades: it’s mess-free, efficient, and way less labor-intensive than hand-washing. (One enthusiastic Amazon reviewer put it best: “I had a field day and started cleaning all my brushes for fun.”) Best of all, it’s made me not dread wash day, which — considering clean brushes help prevent acne-causing bacteria buildup — is a win. With over 20,000 Amazon reviews at press time and a $27 price tag (currently on sale for $22), it feels more than worth it, IMHO. And the oddly-gratifying benefit of seeing all that gunk come out of the bristles? Priceless.
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