My Thoughts on Angelo Falconi Professional Make Up Brush Cleanser

Brush cleansers are one of my must-haves. If I'm doing makeup for several faces, for example, a brush cleanser makes my tools clean for the next user. Having a bottle of brush cleanser sure beats having several brush sets or duplicates of the same brush (and it's way cheaper too). Plus, cleaning brushes in between colors enables the colors to come out much more vibrant. I notice that if I use the same brush over and over without pausing to remove excess pigment, colors can tend to get muddy. So instead of peach, I end up with a somesorta brownish hue.

There are several brush cleansers in the market - some from luxury brands and others from professional makeup brands sold in most makeup supply stores. I've tried them all, and I've narrowed down my choices to those that are quick-drying, retain the quality of my brushes, and smell good, fresh, and clean instead of chemical-like.

A makeup artist friend of mine has raved about a brush cleanser created by Angelo Falconi III. Trust a makeup artist when he or she raves about a product because these are people who use makeup for a living. I also trust most products created by a makeup artist because these are people who understand both the needs of a professional makeup artist and a client. For those who don't know, Angelo Falconi III is a makeup artist who owns a branch of salons in the South area. He also taught in a makeup school and many talented makeup artists have graduated under his helm.

Anyway, my makeup artist friend says that his brush cleanser has all the stuff that I want namely:

• smells really good and fresh - a combination of tea tree and peppermint oil. So no scent that your brushes came from a chem lab. Yaye!
• leaves brushes clean without drying out the bristles - even gel eyeliner and lipstick and stubborn liquid foundation
• dries fast - so it's ready for use with a little swish and flick.
• affordable - a bottle costs almost half of other brush cleansers in the market.

I learned about it probably 2 years ago, but I never found out where I could purchase it until I saw bottles at Purebeauty in Serendra. Wow! Now it's available in a place that's super near! There are two kinds of bottles available, both 250 mL - one with a spritzer and one with just a bottle cap. There are also two strengths available - regular strength for quick-cleaning in-between usage and extra strength (don't get scared, wait for the description) for deep cleansing of all brushes and to remove concealer, eyeliner, and lipstick buildup.

I just came from an early client this morning, and as I got home, it would be the perfect time to test the brush cleanser. I usually clean my brushes with a brush cleanser first before washing them, since it's easier that way, plus it helps me develop the habit and make me constantly aware of the fact that I have to, even quick cleaning between usage. Anyway, when I spritzed a good amount on a tissue, I took a sniff and I was glad that it smelled quite nice. It smelled like peppermint and tea tree oil. The peppermint part made it smell more like aromatherapy oil than vapor rub, and we all know how clean and refreshing the scent of tea tree oil could be. FYI, tea tree oil has antibacterial properties so yuckies are zapped and killed in a spritz and swish. As the label says, it "eliminated 99.9% of germs without damaging makeup brushes".

Anyway, so I road-tested my cleanser. There are two ways that I cleaned the brushes. First, I used this method:

Step one was spritzing the bristles with brush cleanser, just a couple of sprays would do. This works on big brushes, like in this case, my 187 brush, which I use for liquid foundation. Then, after a good spritz, I rub the bristles against a paper towel (I prefer paper towels because they're disposable and I wouldn't worry about unattractive stains that might be left on the towel even after laundry). I repeat the process if I want it super clean.

Another method is over here, which works if I'm cleaning several smaller brushes, not to mention it saves more product. What I do is spritz some product (i.e. brush cleanser) on the paper towel and swishie the brushes on it.

After my quick-cleansing, my brush looks clean. Foundation, especially dark-colored ones stain my white brushes, and sometimes, for really pigmented colors, they leave a faint stain even after washing. I like the fact that I could confidently use my brushes for the next client. Plus, it's quick-drying so I don't end up getting brush cleanser on my makeup.

The bottle costs Php480 at Purebeauty in Serendra, and they're both available in a spritzer and regular bottle, both at the same cost. Better check though if you're purchasing a regular strength or regular strength cleaner. I purchased regular strength though, since I use it for pre-cleaning brushes before washing them and cleaning brushes before starting on another face, if I'm doing more than one face in a gig. I'm glad that there are more Philippine-made products that are coming out for makeup artists (and makeup fanatics) to use.

Review: Ellana Brush Cleanser

I stopped by the mall last Friday for last-minute essentials that I would be needing for Aia's wedding the following day. On my way home, I passed by the SM Makati weekend market (you know, every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, SM Makati has this mini-bazaar at the center) and I chanced upon a brush cleanser at the Ellana booth. I sprayed it a bit and went ahead, thinking I'd run out of time, but I guess I know I would need something for quick cleaning and I would have no time already to make my own brush cleanser when I get home, so I went ahead and bought it.


Since I'll be doing more than one face, I would need something to quick-clean my brushes in between faces so 1) the colors won't turn out muddy and would still look vibrant on each face and 2) hygienic purposes. It's not practical to wash the brushes between clients so a spray-on and quick-drying brush cleanser would be a good alternative. This costs Php150 for a spray bottle (the spray bottle is kinda small, holding about mL of the product). It also contains tea tree oil, which is a natural antibacterial agent.


So when I got home, I thought I'd take this to a road test. I had a client that day so naturally, I need to clean and wash my brushes. Before washing the brushes, I used the brush cleaner first.


The directions say to spray on the brush (one spray would do for a small brush, but for a big brush like a powder brush, a couple would do)


and rub on a paper towel



What I like about the product:

Smells really good. I like the fresh and clean scent.

• Quick-drying. My brushes are dry in time for the next face.
• Removes dirt.
• Affordable.
• No sticky residue.
• Easy-to-use.

What I don't like about it:

• Quick-drying a bit too quickly. I have to re-spray the tissue since it dries up quite fast so I tend to use more product.
• It doesn't remove color completely from the brush. There are still some color residue, but it's enough. Hence, this is only good for quick-cleaning.
• It doesn't have refill bottles. You have to purchase another spray bottle.

Overall, I think this product is okay if I'm using this only for quick cleaning in-between faces or before washing brushes. I use this to remove excess product first on my brush before I wash them to cut washing time in half. This I like though, plus there's tea tree oil to kill bacteria. This product works better though if I spray on the tissue or paper towel and then rub my brush through that part. Lipsticks, concealers, and foundation are quite difficult to remove too. I'd give this a 4/5.


Always remember to clean brushes after use to prolong their lives and to make sure they're bacteria and germ-free and the colors stay vibrant when applied.

MAC Brush Cleaner Review

Being a makeup artist exposes me to a lot of clients and hence aside from making them beautiful, caring for their skin should be our priority. One of the things I've learned and decided to take into heart is never to let a dirty brush near a client or model's face. As Thalia mentioned in her book, Belleza, Lessons in Lipgloss and Happiness, "dirty brushes are like petri dishes". They can breed all sorts of bacteria. She would even state that before a makeup artist does her makeup, she should be shown that the brushes are clean and free of dirt.

Php 560.00 for a 235 mL bottle





While working on counter as a guest artist, I used the MAC brush cleanser in cleaning the brushes before applying it to a client and also to clean the brushes after the shift. I used it again yesterday and falling in love with it, purchased a bottle the next day when I stopped by the counter to say Hi and to check on any job that I might have left behind.



The cleanser at first, I was skeptical until I tried it. After using a brush on a client, the store had some down time and I did a brisk-brush cleansing on the brushes so that they'll be cleaner and sanitized for the next client.

How it works: For cleaning in-between colors or faces, I place a small amount on a paper towel and rub the bristles back-and-forth until the makeup comes off and reshape and lay flat. The bristles dry up rather quickly. The pink color of the solution and the light scent (that does not irritate the nose) helps too. Oh by the way, the bottle's plastic and it's suitable for Back-2-MAC as well.

I think it's okay. The brushes are in overall good condition. I was very generous in cleaning the brushes since I don't want clients complaining of the brushes being dirty or itchy, but there's still some left on the bottle. Very economical. :) Since the bottle is quite bulky (235 mL), what we could do is transfer the contents in a smaller spray bottle/atomizer.