I don't see the harm in using other brushes. For me, I prefer using the brushes that go along with the makeup because they're specially made for the product. The brushes made by bare minerals have bristles made from goat hair or ox hair. They're soft, supple and when worn down, BE has products to clean them to keep them in tact.

For smaller brushes, a few hours perhaps and for the bigger ones, possible the next day, but longer than the smaller brushes for sure.

After washing mine, I lay them flat on a face towel on my top dresser with the lamp on (lamp doesn't have to be on though). Let the brushes naturally dry. Don't use a blow dryer. You may dry out the bristles and you don't want that. You will notice a difference.

You can soak the brushes in the brush shampoo or you can wash it by hand whichever you prefer. Wash the brushes with the bristles always facing down to keep water from getting to the bottom of your brush. You don't want the brush to mildew inside.

It depends on the brush: size of the brush head, density of the bristles, and shape of the brush.

Generally speaking, smaller brushes (like for eye colors/liners) will be dry in as little as a few hours.

Medium sized brushes (for blush and concealers) SHOULD be dry anywhere from 4 to 8 hours. If the brush head is really dense it could take longer.

Larger size brushes (for foundation, veil, etc.) can take anywhere from 6 to 12 hours or longer depending on how densely packed the bristles are. My Soft Focus Face and Handy Buki Brushes take the longest to dry. My Full Flawless Face takes longer than the Flawless Application Brush.

Whatever you do, do NOT give in to the temptation to speed up the process with a hair dryer. You WILL damage your brushes, and it's NOT worth the risk!

I went the brush before shampooing. I put the shampoo in a glass bowl. Like one of those soup bowls. Then I put the shampoo in the bowl and allow the brushes to soak and then later gently massage the bristles.

Another way is to put some shampoo in your hand, wet the bristles and do a swirl motion into the shampoo that's in the palm of your hand as if you're about to apply your BE makeup and wash it that way.

Make sure the bristles are face down when you wash them and laying flat when you dry them. You don't want water collecting at the bottom of your brush and mildew. Let the bristles naturally dry. Don't use a blow dryer. I have never used a blow dryer to my brushes, but imagine using a blow dryer to your hair without putting in a leave in conditioner or some sort of heat protection spray! I don't want my bristles to have that same drying effect so I let it naturally dry and my brushes feel like new.

Here is how I clean my brushes, and they are all in great shape:

1. I squeeze a dime sized amount of the shampoo in the palm of my hand.

2. I run the brush head under tepid/luke warm water just to moisten it. You don't want HOT water (it will dry out the bristles, just like with your hair) and you don't want it COLD (it won't lather well, and the lather needs to penetrate the bristles).

3. I dab the brush into the shampoo, and swirl it across the palm side of my fingers to build a lather. You don't need to mash the brush head with your fingertip, that will only damage the brush. I can wash at least 6 smaller brushes (eye color and liner brushes) with one dime size amount. Medium brushes I can do 3 or 4 easily, although for the largest and most dense brushes I use one dime size dollop per brush.

4. After I get a few brushes lathered, I rinse them under running water, with the brush head pointed DOWN in the direction of the water flow. This keeps the bristles from breaking or getting damaged and prevents shedding. I gently squeeze the water out of each brush head until there are no suds visible.

5. Once the brushes are fully rinsed, I reshape them with my finger tips and lay them flat to dry. You don't want to stand them up or the water will pool at the base of the brush head, which invites bacteria and also softens the glue that attaches the head to the handle. I usually dry my brushes on a microfiber mat (the kind you use for drying dishes on).

HTH =)

I dab the dime-sized drop onto the bristles, work it in for just a few seconds to get it spread out, then add a bit of water to get the lather going. I massage the bristles with my fingertips gently, then rub it around on my palm, simulating how I would apply makeup to my face. (It turns my whole hand the color of my foundation, LoL.)

This shampoo shouldn't expire as long as you use it regularly. I would use once a month to ensure you get the best out out of your brushes. Maintenance is key. It's great to know you have had a bottle for so long and not having to use it as much. It does save you the money. Here are some places I would suggest that sells Bare Escentuals just in case you can't order online:

Ulta
Nordstrom
Dillard's
Bare Escentual's Outlet Stores
Sephora

I usually wash my brushes once a month. It depends on just how much you use your makeup. Less is more to get a flawless look. I have enough makeup to last me years to be honest lol. I used it tastefully and keep my items in a cool, dry place and in a storage bag to keep them fresh and organized.

If you are using your makeup everyday, you should wash your brushes at least once a week. If you only wear your makeup once in a while, they should still be washed at least once a month to keep them in good condition.

Here is how I clean my brushes, and they are all in great shape:

1. I squeeze a dime sized amount of the shampoo in the palm of my hand.

2. I run the brush head under tepid/luke warm water just to moisten it. You don't want HOT water (it will dry out the bristles, just like with your hair) and you don't want it COLD (it won't lather well, and the lather needs to penetrate the bristles).

3. I dab the brush into the shampoo, and swirl it across the palm side of my fingers to build a lather. You don't need to mash the brush head with your fingertip, that will only damage the brush. I can wash at least 6 smaller brushes (eye color and liner brushes) with one dime size amount. Medium brushes I can do 3 or 4 easily, although for the largest and most dense brushes I use one dime size dollop per brush.

4. After I get a few brushes lathered, I rinse them under running water, with the brush head pointed DOWN in the direction of the water flow. This keeps the bristles from breaking or getting damaged and prevents shedding. I gently squeeze the water out of each brush head until there are no suds visible.

5. Once the brushes are fully rinsed, I reshape them with my finger tips and lay them flat to dry. You don't want to stand them up or the water will pool at the base of the brush head, which invites bacteria and also softens the glue that attaches the head to the handle. I usually dry my brushes on a microfiber mat (the kind you use for drying dishes on).

HTH =)

Like most of the other answers, I wash mine once every 2 weeks. I use the same brush for both foundation and Mineral Veil. The Mineral Veil "sets" your makeup, so it essentially "sets" in your brush. If you tend to use more Mineral Veil, you might want to wash it more often.

I wash my brushes every two weeks - I do this because I have sensitive skin and can be prone to break outs.

You should wash all of your brushes once a month. This will give your brushes a longer life and keep them in the best condition possible.

Honestly with the amount of bacteria that can grow in any brushes you should wash them when ever you can once a week is what i do, exspecialy if your prone to acne. But most people do them every three weeks..I'm a skin freak tho so =] its up to you.

You know what, I had the same thing happen to me with my full flawless brush. It was fine before shampooing and then I shampooed it for the first time and it was all poofy and gaudy looking like those actors in the movie Hairspray lol! I think I'll shampoo it again just to see if I get a different result. All of my other brushes were fine.

I've seen a review somewhere, I can't think of where or maybe it was on the bottle for the directions, to form the bristles with your fingers. So I thought I did that and laid it flat to dry...but I think instead of squeezing the bristles FLAT, I would perhaps trying squeezing the bristles into a more rounded shape.

See if this works and I will try the same!

The trick is to reshape them after rinsing, and make sure that all the shampoo is fully rinsed out to prevent buildup.

Here is how I clean my brushes, and they are all in great shape:

1. I squeeze a dime sized amount of the shampoo in the palm of my hand.

2. I run the brush head under tepid/luke warm water just to moisten it. You don't want HOT water (it will dry out the bristles, just like with your hair) and you don't want it COLD (it won't lather well, and the lather needs to penetrate the bristles).

3. I dab the brush into the shampoo, and swirl it across the palm side of my fingers to build a lather. You don't need to mash the brush head with your fingertip, that will only damage the brush. I can wash at least 6 smaller brushes (eye color and liner brushes) with one dime size amount. Medium brushes I can do 3 or 4 easily, although for the largest and most dense brushes I use one dime size dollop per brush.

4. After I get a few brushes lathered, I rinse them under running water, with the brush head pointed DOWN in the direction of the water flow. This keeps the bristles from breaking or getting damaged and prevents shedding. I gently squeeze the water out of each brush head until there are no suds visible.

5. Once the brushes are fully rinsed, I reshape them with my finger tips and lay them flat to dry. You don't want to stand them up or the water will pool at the base of the brush head, which invites bacteria and also softens the glue that attaches the head to the handle. I usually dry my brushes on a microfiber mat (the kind you use for drying dishes on).

HTH =)

Try this: Rewash your brush with the shampoo. When you're done and it's all rinsed out, remove the water carefully via squeezing, but DON'T flick the brush around (such as the tapping motion when we Swirl-Tap-Buff). Instead, carefully reshape the damp bristles with your fingers into their original main shape, then lay it on a paper towel carefully to dry. I recommend putting something under the handle-end (such as a piece of another paper towel rolled up) to keep the bristles angled downward slightly and encourage any lingering water to run out of the brush instead of getting stuck inside. If you reshape it carefully and let it sit, they should go back to the original shape.

they do get poofy if you wanna bring em back in i would use a rubber band and leave it around the bristles for a while, but you wanna be careful to do it to tight or long it can make them brittle and break off.

Some of the bigger, fluffier brushes do come out a bit poofy after they are cleaned and dried. Once you start using them again after they have dried the poofiness will go down and they will get back to their normal shape.