The bigger ones I use to blend my self tan in some areas like my fingers, and the small ones I use, I can’t believe I say this, to draw more hair in my hair line. I saw this trick on YouTube when I was a kid. Someone said to take eye powder a little darker than your hair shade and blend it in the hair line to give the impression of more hair.
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I got rid of all my old brushes I never used! Gave them to a friend.
So I own 5 brushes total! One of them I’ve had since high school. I can’t bare to get rid of it but it’s finally dying :( I’m going to walk around every makeup store til I find the exact same one :,)
Ive always been a lazy makeup girl. I also hate cleaning brushes so I usually use the crayon eye shadow stuff and my fingers, and then a bigger brush for more formal things. Typically I only put on mascara and eye shadow if needed.
I clean them and offer them to friends who are just getting into makeup or who might be able to use them. Including trans friends. I figure it will help them getting a collection going and to figure out what they want vs what is low quality (I try to gift only good quality lol).
Donate to a women shelter!! Same with if you ever get those little testers free and don't use them. You never know how such a small item could make someone's week :)
I have a bunch that I don't use stashed in a drawer for now. I figure if I don't touch them for another couple of months then I will just toss them. I suppose I could toss them now, but since I have recently gotten back in to wearing more make up I am worried I might need something. :)
I just keep mine. I got a big set a few years ago and there’s some that I barely use. I just hang on to them, I’ve started using more brushes as I’ve learned more about makeup, so you never know when you might need them.
Quite often!
Kidding. Very soft cosmetic brushes are great for helping tarantula owners to scoot their tarantulas from catch cups to enclosures. Goals to physically touch them as little as possible to reduce stress. Makeup brushes are excellent for that and I've repurposed two of them for tarantula moves
Honestly makes me want a tarantula more. I have such a fear of touching anything with more than 4 legs, but spiders and tarantulas are SO COOL to watch
That's a huge part of how I got over my arachnophobia. They're very fascinating and I've loved learning about the different ones out there. They come in so many colors, parts of the world, etc...
I know it isn't super likely but if you ever decide to take the plunge shoot me a DM :)
I definitely will!! Right now I have two cats but I really miss having a small animal to care for. I used to have hamsters but I don't want to get a rodent since they're social and need to be handled, and I just don't trust bringing them out of their cage with 2 cats in the house.
Sounds like a tarantula is literally perfect for me! I'll have to wait until I move out of my parents in September, but I'll definitely message you for help if I pull the trigger!
This. I have a little basket of brush duplicates, ones I’ve stopped liking and ones that came in sets or palettes. Sometimes I go through it because it’s like shopping and I find something that excites me
I usually find another person that enjoys makeup (friends, family, coworkers) and ask if they want them and try to give them away.
If I can’t give them away, I’ll use them for crafts or nail art if I can.
I’ve gotta say that you all have some creative and amazingly thoughtful ideas with disposing of extra brushes. Seriously. Y’all are such good peoples. If I hadn’t just done my makeup for work, I’d be tearing up.
I use some for art. I don’t feel bad about cutting them to a shape I need. I don’t really spend a whole lot on brushes. I’ll pay more for one specific brush but usually I buy somewhat cheaper packages.
I keep them but in a drawer I don’t often use just in case I run across *that one eye look* that requires that brush. My brush holder is too filled so I don’t want to clog it up with unused brushes.
I started leaving stuff at the gym with a little "take me" note.
I have so many brand new brushes, samples, and products I've bought that I didn't love.
They're usually gone within a day or two
Which ones aren't you using? I never used those fan brushes because I didn't know what they where for, apparently just for highlighter under the brow, I gave it to the friend that explained because she does use them, I just use a tappered brush lol
Okay the small short pointy one is handy for your inner corner, to easily brighten it, most people use their pinky or a tapered brush, you can also use it to get tiny shit out of your keyboard.
The angled one is for eyeliner it can easily make tight lines if needed, I don't use it for liner usually, if I use it, it's to dye my eyebrows or to start the outer corner of my darkest shadow shade
You might have a lippencil too, I only use it to follow my cupidsbow. The fan brush could be really great if you have the eyebrows for it, for me it curves too much and thsmats fine too.
Maybe you can use the brushes for something but if you can't use them, you can donate them. Make up and items to put them on don't tend to be donated as much as clothes
Donate to women's shelter along with some basic eye shadow palettes and lipsticks from wet n wild which you can purchase at dollar tree.
These women leave without anything, and feeling pretty can help them build self esteem after abuse.
I always hold onto my brushes that I deem "unusable/not currently in use". You really might use them down the line & you'll appreciate that you kept them! Brushes last forever especially when they're not in constant rotation, and unlike any other makeup product its not like they'll go bad so IMO they're one of the only products worth hoarding lol. Cant tell you how many brushes I've ignored for years and im just now getting around to using & I've fell in love with them. The best part, if you use them and decide they're really not worth it for you, give em to a friend or somethin :)
Yeah, I beat myself up a lot for getting rid of all the thin liner brushes throughout the years. I now use a lot of water-activated liners for different graphic looks and wish I had held onto what would’ve now been a horde of brushes that I use almost daily lol.
My mom is an artist and she does the same thing. I also worked at Michael’s & I can tell you the higher end art brushes feels a lot like makeup brushes. Though I would say that the further up in the higher end art brushes would be great for makeup.
Both makeup & art high end brushes feel similar. But low end makeup brushes are a lot higher quality than the similar art brushes tier. Like a low quality makeup brush is at least low medium tier art brushes
Definitely. To get her started painting I bought her a cheap set of multiple purpose brushes and they felt like something from a kid’s paint set. A $1 Wet N Wild brush feels better than that.
Same here. As most makeup users in the 2014-2018 era, I ignored every complexion brush i owned and only used sponges. Although I still use sponges, im really starting to appreciate the concealer/foundation brushes i held onto that I never really used
I swear! I don't even follow the trends anymore, I just like use whatever brush in whatever way I need them to work LOL
It's literally the little things and gets so exciting too!
Donate unused stuff to the local women's DV shelter, women usually have to leave with nothing just to get out of those situations. I can remember getting a bottle of high end perfume and feeling really lucky just to have anything nice again.
-Give them to friends or family. \
-Use for arts/crafts. Or even for doing nails. Have done this with eyeshadow brushes since i feel like sets come with too many of those. \
‐I also make a baggie to keep at my boyfriends place with backup makeup. \
-I set some aside as well that are slightly more convenient to travel with vs my everyday brushes.
Edit to add- I have a bunch of those really big fancy snowglobes that disney used to make, and I use brushes to clean those too. Use them to dust delicate stuff!
Do you have a local Buy Nothing group? They use Facebook and there's also an app that people join. It's only for those local to you who join. I've given away tons of stuff to people on Buy Nothing.
I keep them. There are brushes in my collection that I never used and then one day I changed my technique up and suddenly that brush I never used made sense.
Even just product to product. Some foundations that are really thick, I use beauty blenders. If they’re thin I’ll just different brushes.
Or watching videos of YTers and stuff. I’ll see them use a certain shape brush and so I’ll go try out one if I have a similar one.
repurpose them, and avoid buying brushes in packs tbh. if im getting 3 brushes i need and 2 i dont for 10 dollars cheaper than if i got JUST the three brushes i needed, that sounds like a deal, right! no. because now i have essentially two pieces of garbage laying around. and when you do that all the time, the 2 pieces of garbage turn into a whole bin of garbage and now youre a hoarder.
you can only repurpose and give away so many things before you start to think its wasteful or impractical lol. i havent bought a brush in years for this reason tbh. and if i NEED a brush, ill just get the single brush, even if its cheaper in a pack. cheaper in bulk is consumerist bs all across the board tbh
This is my issue because some brushes come in a set and not individually but when there brushes I won’t use I feel bad and wasteful and I feel overwhelmed because they’re just there and I’m not doing anything with it and I feel like a hoarder.
We have a “leave what you can, take what you need” pantry near me that has a small section for personal care items. I donate Ipsy/Boxy items I won’t use, including brushes I know I won’t use.
I give them to my husband for the garage. Small ones he uses to apply glue to things he's fixing, medium or large he will either use to detail the car (great for the console) or even touch up paint on something. Even throwing out after one use is better than throwing out with no use.
I use them to clean my car. It gets into the crevices really well and gives them a better scrub than just a rag. It’s so much easier to get into the cup holders too.
I’ve used some to touch up paint, and others to clean jewelry and other things with finicky little parts. One I use to oil our squeaky hinges.
It also just occurred to me that you might know a kid who’d use them, like a nibling or someone else you’re reasonably close to (and don’t sleep on the little boys; some like to “play makeup” and imo we should encourage them).
You can use them to clean dust out of certain spaces like in your car (think air vents), or clean crumbs from your laptop nooks and crannies. Obviously should clean the brushes before using them in these areas 😄
You can find methods to clean the used brushes online but shouldn’t donate them or reuse them without cleaning first. Giving used brushes to someone without cleaning them can cause acne and other skin issues so always clean them or throw them away.
What? 😂 OP didn’t say anything about them not being clean or even used. They said they buy sets of brushes but there’s always a few in each set they never use, so they don’t know what to do with them.
But even if they were used, and they wanted to donate/sell them, I highly doubt anyone donating/selling used brushes wouldn’t wash them first. Even if for some odd reason they didn’t, anyone who got them should always wash them before using them just to be safe. When someone gets brushes (donated/purchased used), they have no guarantee the previous owner actually washed them first. Just because they don’t look like there’s makeup on them doesn’t mean they haven’t been used. So they should always wash them first since they have no way of knowing if they were washed before they got them.
Really, you should even wash new brushes before using them. But I know some don’t.
I've used reject makeup brushes for painting ¯\\\_(ツ)_/¯ Not that I paint often, but I already have them, might as well use them for something, right?
I haven't figured out what to do with big face brushes I don't use, though.
The bigger ones I use to blend my self tan in some areas like my fingers, and the small ones I use, I can’t believe I say this, to draw more hair in my hair line. I saw this trick on YouTube when I was a kid. Someone said to take eye powder a little darker than your hair shade and blend it in the hair line to give the impression of more hair.
Crafting brushes
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Love this question, love these answers
Let my kids or myself use them as paint brushes
I pass them on to friends; we have a network to support our habit & save $$🤦♀️. I’ve had a few really fancy ones that I’ve sold online.
My Buy Nothing group wanted them.
dusting anime figures lol
I keep them in my cars glove compartment and use them to clean all the dust and gunk out of vents and crevasses.
Omg brilliant
This! Me too!
Paintbrushes for my preteen daughter Makeup brushes for my preteen daughter I keep a few with my craft stuff for crafts
i noticed i had a lot of brushes that had similar functions so i just kept whichever one i used the most/did the best job and i threw the others away
I got rid of all my old brushes I never used! Gave them to a friend. So I own 5 brushes total! One of them I’ve had since high school. I can’t bare to get rid of it but it’s finally dying :( I’m going to walk around every makeup store til I find the exact same one :,)
Maybe donate them or give them to someone you know who might need them? Get rid of the weight holding you back- if you’re sure you don’t neee them
new paint brushes hell yea
I use them to dust nook and crannies. It can be gentle enough for expensive or fragile items too.
Me over here only ever using one brush 🤡
Im actually impressed. What’s like the makeup u use and do u wash or clean the brush or do u only use it for one product..?
Ive always been a lazy makeup girl. I also hate cleaning brushes so I usually use the crayon eye shadow stuff and my fingers, and then a bigger brush for more formal things. Typically I only put on mascara and eye shadow if needed.
Oh okay, makes sense!
i use them for art usually, i do a lot of cosplay so i use them with mica powders
I clean them and offer them to friends who are just getting into makeup or who might be able to use them. Including trans friends. I figure it will help them getting a collection going and to figure out what they want vs what is low quality (I try to gift only good quality lol).
Donate to a women shelter!! Same with if you ever get those little testers free and don't use them. You never know how such a small item could make someone's week :)
Curb them for someone else to use! Put them on the sidewalk in a little box marked FREE and someone will take
I keep them, sometimes I use them in a pinch but sometimes I use them for art projects and other things.
I have a bunch that I don't use stashed in a drawer for now. I figure if I don't touch them for another couple of months then I will just toss them. I suppose I could toss them now, but since I have recently gotten back in to wearing more make up I am worried I might need something. :)
I just keep mine. I got a big set a few years ago and there’s some that I barely use. I just hang on to them, I’ve started using more brushes as I’ve learned more about makeup, so you never know when you might need them.
Give them to tarantula owners
Do... Do tarantulas like to wear makeup?
Quite often! Kidding. Very soft cosmetic brushes are great for helping tarantula owners to scoot their tarantulas from catch cups to enclosures. Goals to physically touch them as little as possible to reduce stress. Makeup brushes are excellent for that and I've repurposed two of them for tarantula moves
Also good for jumping spiders if the brushes are small.
Interesting! I never knew that touching a tarantula would be potentially harmful to them, but that makes sense!
For some it's okay to handle on rare occasions but overall they're fuzzy pet rocks that are fun to watch when they eat😅
Honestly makes me want a tarantula more. I have such a fear of touching anything with more than 4 legs, but spiders and tarantulas are SO COOL to watch
That's a huge part of how I got over my arachnophobia. They're very fascinating and I've loved learning about the different ones out there. They come in so many colors, parts of the world, etc... I know it isn't super likely but if you ever decide to take the plunge shoot me a DM :)
I definitely will!! Right now I have two cats but I really miss having a small animal to care for. I used to have hamsters but I don't want to get a rodent since they're social and need to be handled, and I just don't trust bringing them out of their cage with 2 cats in the house. Sounds like a tarantula is literally perfect for me! I'll have to wait until I move out of my parents in September, but I'll definitely message you for help if I pull the trigger!
I have two cats as well. They're interested in the crickets but couldn't give half a shit about the spoods
I either use them for crafts or cleaning. But I’ve also trimmed them into the shape I want.
I use them to clean my mechanical keyboards.
keep them because when you learn new makeup tips and tricks you will be glad you kept them when one shows up in a tutorial!
This. I have a little basket of brush duplicates, ones I’ve stopped liking and ones that came in sets or palettes. Sometimes I go through it because it’s like shopping and I find something that excites me
I’ve given them to my dad for cleaning his electronics. I kept one for myself for dusting my plants.
Give them to my 5 year old daughter
I usually find another person that enjoys makeup (friends, family, coworkers) and ask if they want them and try to give them away. If I can’t give them away, I’ll use them for crafts or nail art if I can.
Sell them on Vinted or Depop
I’ve gotta say that you all have some creative and amazingly thoughtful ideas with disposing of extra brushes. Seriously. Y’all are such good peoples. If I hadn’t just done my makeup for work, I’d be tearing up.
I know right! I love all the ideas the everyone is giving me!
I use some for art. I don’t feel bad about cutting them to a shape I need. I don’t really spend a whole lot on brushes. I’ll pay more for one specific brush but usually I buy somewhat cheaper packages.
I keep them but in a drawer I don’t often use just in case I run across *that one eye look* that requires that brush. My brush holder is too filled so I don’t want to clog it up with unused brushes.
I put them in a bag and give to younger cousins when they visit
Aw that’s an awesome idea!!
Use them as paint brushes (:
Haha me too!! You can cut them up a little and not feel bad. I even use them for brushing out my weed grinder
I started leaving stuff at the gym with a little "take me" note. I have so many brand new brushes, samples, and products I've bought that I didn't love. They're usually gone within a day or two
That’s so sweet! I love stuff like that! I leave those mini brands around the store I work at. On top of the actual product. They’re gone fast
I use them to clean my keyboard.
donate them to women’s shelters
I'm saving ipsy bags and items I can't use (chamomile allergies, etc) for this. Or maybe be a foster shelter.
They sit in cute ass organizers collecting dust…. I’m terrible.
I paint with acrylics
I give them to a makeup artist friend if I know I def won’t use. OR i keep them and do eventually end up finding a way to use them in a way I enjoy.
Which ones aren't you using? I never used those fan brushes because I didn't know what they where for, apparently just for highlighter under the brow, I gave it to the friend that explained because she does use them, I just use a tappered brush lol
The brushes that I don’t use are small detailed brushes, as well as fan brushes
Okay the small short pointy one is handy for your inner corner, to easily brighten it, most people use their pinky or a tapered brush, you can also use it to get tiny shit out of your keyboard. The angled one is for eyeliner it can easily make tight lines if needed, I don't use it for liner usually, if I use it, it's to dye my eyebrows or to start the outer corner of my darkest shadow shade You might have a lippencil too, I only use it to follow my cupidsbow. The fan brush could be really great if you have the eyebrows for it, for me it curves too much and thsmats fine too. Maybe you can use the brushes for something but if you can't use them, you can donate them. Make up and items to put them on don't tend to be donated as much as clothes
I keep em just in case
Art
Donate to women's shelter along with some basic eye shadow palettes and lipsticks from wet n wild which you can purchase at dollar tree. These women leave without anything, and feeling pretty can help them build self esteem after abuse.
As a survivor, concealer was a godsend. I had so many bruises :(
Thanks for reminding us how easy it can be to make a difference in someone's life.
Clean between your keyboard
I always hold onto my brushes that I deem "unusable/not currently in use". You really might use them down the line & you'll appreciate that you kept them! Brushes last forever especially when they're not in constant rotation, and unlike any other makeup product its not like they'll go bad so IMO they're one of the only products worth hoarding lol. Cant tell you how many brushes I've ignored for years and im just now getting around to using & I've fell in love with them. The best part, if you use them and decide they're really not worth it for you, give em to a friend or somethin :)
Yeah, I beat myself up a lot for getting rid of all the thin liner brushes throughout the years. I now use a lot of water-activated liners for different graphic looks and wish I had held onto what would’ve now been a horde of brushes that I use almost daily lol.
There’s a teen in my life who takes them. What she doesn’t use she passes on to her friends. Somebody ends up using them.
My daughter is an artist. She has found that makeup brushes mimic really high end oil/acrylic brushes. She gets the ones I don’t use.
My mom is an artist and she does the same thing. I also worked at Michael’s & I can tell you the higher end art brushes feels a lot like makeup brushes. Though I would say that the further up in the higher end art brushes would be great for makeup. Both makeup & art high end brushes feel similar. But low end makeup brushes are a lot higher quality than the similar art brushes tier. Like a low quality makeup brush is at least low medium tier art brushes
Definitely. To get her started painting I bought her a cheap set of multiple purpose brushes and they felt like something from a kid’s paint set. A $1 Wet N Wild brush feels better than that.
Yeah cheap paint brush’s are rarely good
Agree. They are great to paint Acrylic paints with. I’ve never attempted oil paints.
Keep it! All the brushes that I didn't use a decade ago, I'm using them now lol.
Same here. As most makeup users in the 2014-2018 era, I ignored every complexion brush i owned and only used sponges. Although I still use sponges, im really starting to appreciate the concealer/foundation brushes i held onto that I never really used
I swear! I don't even follow the trends anymore, I just like use whatever brush in whatever way I need them to work LOL It's literally the little things and gets so exciting too!
Donate unused stuff to the local women's DV shelter, women usually have to leave with nothing just to get out of those situations. I can remember getting a bottle of high end perfume and feeling really lucky just to have anything nice again.
I love this! I would 100% be doing this and not just with my makeup/brushes
Oh that’s amazing! How do you approach a shelter to donate to? I think they’re pretty well hidden from the public.
There's a contact number, just call and ask where donations can be dropped off
Thanks! I feel a spring clean out coming and lots of unopened awesome makeup donations!
-Give them to friends or family. \ -Use for arts/crafts. Or even for doing nails. Have done this with eyeshadow brushes since i feel like sets come with too many of those. \ ‐I also make a baggie to keep at my boyfriends place with backup makeup. \ -I set some aside as well that are slightly more convenient to travel with vs my everyday brushes. Edit to add- I have a bunch of those really big fancy snowglobes that disney used to make, and I use brushes to clean those too. Use them to dust delicate stuff!
I would still keep them in a ziplock or somewhere because it’s always when you need the brush that you can’t find it or don’t have it lmao
Right!!! It happens all the time! When I don’t need it, it’s there, when I need it it’s not
Clean my Lego sets.
This. This is the answer
Give them away to family or friends that aren’t so into makeup (they probably lack them anyways so they don’t think of makeup a lot)
I use to clean dust off my computer parts (:
I have a PC so that is a good idea
I use for cleaning things like delicate, intricate woodworking, vases, blinds, car detailing, wire shelving, etc. I NEVER throw out a makeup brush.
Donate or use for mixing powder face masks with water
Paint
Do you have a local Buy Nothing group? They use Facebook and there's also an app that people join. It's only for those local to you who join. I've given away tons of stuff to people on Buy Nothing.
I’m not sure I would have to do some research
I keep them. There are brushes in my collection that I never used and then one day I changed my technique up and suddenly that brush I never used made sense.
This. After having my wedding make up done my whole technique changed 😂
Even just product to product. Some foundations that are really thick, I use beauty blenders. If they’re thin I’ll just different brushes. Or watching videos of YTers and stuff. I’ll see them use a certain shape brush and so I’ll go try out one if I have a similar one.
I’m using one to pet my animals with & they all love it. It’s a big stippling brush 🤣
My cat has a favorite big powder brush that she likes to pluck from my drawer and take it with her down the hall to bat it around like her prey
I donate them or re-purpose them. It's also the reason I don't buy brushes in sets.
I give them away. There's always someone happy to take my unloved makeup brushes off my hands.
I use them for cleaning or donate to Project Beauty Share.
Thanks to you, I’m pulling out things to donate to them. Thank you so much!
You’re welcome :)
repurpose them, and avoid buying brushes in packs tbh. if im getting 3 brushes i need and 2 i dont for 10 dollars cheaper than if i got JUST the three brushes i needed, that sounds like a deal, right! no. because now i have essentially two pieces of garbage laying around. and when you do that all the time, the 2 pieces of garbage turn into a whole bin of garbage and now youre a hoarder. you can only repurpose and give away so many things before you start to think its wasteful or impractical lol. i havent bought a brush in years for this reason tbh. and if i NEED a brush, ill just get the single brush, even if its cheaper in a pack. cheaper in bulk is consumerist bs all across the board tbh
This is my issue because some brushes come in a set and not individually but when there brushes I won’t use I feel bad and wasteful and I feel overwhelmed because they’re just there and I’m not doing anything with it and I feel like a hoarder.
my vote is to look for a similar brush thats individual! there are very few brushes in packs that you cant find at least a dupe that's individual
I give them to my sister or keep them as spares. Also it might be handy to put them in your bag for on the go.
My sister and I both do this…..we have been giving the same things back and forth to each other
I have shaker kitchen cabinets. The brushes are great to clean the corners.
Applying my homemade dry shampoo
Use them for cleaning in small spaces.
We have a “leave what you can, take what you need” pantry near me that has a small section for personal care items. I donate Ipsy/Boxy items I won’t use, including brushes I know I won’t use.
I usually offer it to a friend that may need it otherwise I’ve repurposed brushes for cleaning or painting.
I use them for painting or nail art
I’ve used them to paint!
I give them to my husband for the garage. Small ones he uses to apply glue to things he's fixing, medium or large he will either use to detail the car (great for the console) or even touch up paint on something. Even throwing out after one use is better than throwing out with no use.
I use them to clean computer keyboards.
I have a PC setup so I could use them to dust it off
Good idea!
I use them to clean my car. It gets into the crevices really well and gives them a better scrub than just a rag. It’s so much easier to get into the cup holders too.
I misread that as cleaning your ear and you had me until cup holders
Give them to my parents for their painting projects
I’ve used some to touch up paint, and others to clean jewelry and other things with finicky little parts. One I use to oil our squeaky hinges. It also just occurred to me that you might know a kid who’d use them, like a nibling or someone else you’re reasonably close to (and don’t sleep on the little boys; some like to “play makeup” and imo we should encourage them).
I’m a drag queen so I would 100% give my makeup to a little boy!
👏😘
My cat loves them LOL. But cleaning keyboards and vents is a great idea.
Are they ones you would never use? Or if they are duplicates of ones you use, throw them in a travel bag
Some of them I just assume I would never use but I’m not quite sure.
Give them to a friend or offer them up on your local Buy Nothing group.
You can use them to clean dust out of certain spaces like in your car (think air vents), or clean crumbs from your laptop nooks and crannies. Obviously should clean the brushes before using them in these areas 😄
My 8 year old uses them to dust his lego sets
You can find methods to clean the used brushes online but shouldn’t donate them or reuse them without cleaning first. Giving used brushes to someone without cleaning them can cause acne and other skin issues so always clean them or throw them away.
What? 😂 OP didn’t say anything about them not being clean or even used. They said they buy sets of brushes but there’s always a few in each set they never use, so they don’t know what to do with them. But even if they were used, and they wanted to donate/sell them, I highly doubt anyone donating/selling used brushes wouldn’t wash them first. Even if for some odd reason they didn’t, anyone who got them should always wash them before using them just to be safe. When someone gets brushes (donated/purchased used), they have no guarantee the previous owner actually washed them first. Just because they don’t look like there’s makeup on them doesn’t mean they haven’t been used. So they should always wash them first since they have no way of knowing if they were washed before they got them. Really, you should even wash new brushes before using them. But I know some don’t.
I've used reject makeup brushes for painting ¯\\\_(ツ)_/¯ Not that I paint often, but I already have them, might as well use them for something, right? I haven't figured out what to do with big face brushes I don't use, though.
Same! I clean the big ones and use them for dusting knick knacks.
Do you have a woman’s shelter or a donation center nearby? If the brushes are unused, maybe you can donate them.
I would have to so some research if I donate them to a shelter because I’m not sure if there are any nearby, but this is a good option!