Impulse Buy Monday: Lil' Scrubbies Facial Cleaning Pad

I have a deep love/hate relationship with Walmart. I love the wide cosmetics selection and exclusive brands like Hard Candy, but I hate the crowds. I will only go to Walmart if I can get there by 9:30 on a weekday morning, hoping to miss the inevitable hordes. Needless to say, I don't go very often, and when I do, I stock up. In my most recent trip, I noticed a hanging display with Lil' Scrubbies for $2.99 and I thought they might do well as a silicone mat type of brush cleaner. For $2.99, I figured might as well try it.

I've seen so many alternatives to the Sigma Spa Brush Cleaning Glove and Mat, such as the brush cleaning egg, knock off mats, etc. The Sigma originals are incredibly expensive, and I'm delightfully frugal, so if I can find a cheaper option to get similar results, I'm going to try it. I was hoping that the Lil' Scrubbies would be it.

The product's original intention is to gently exfoliate and polish your face to reveal "radiant results." I can't speak to those claims (although I may have to try it), but the hundreds of little silicone nubs on the Lil' Scrubbies pad theoretically would provide a lovely lather for my makeup brushes. Much like the Sigma Glove and Mat, different silicone textures should help to scrub and deep clean the buildup and bacteria off the bristles.

Unfortunately, my hopes were dashed. The Lil' Scrubbies, while giving it a good try, were just too small and the texture too fine to efficiently lather and clean my face brushes. My fingers were much more effective at getting rid of the makeup and making them look new again. I tried a few different types of soap, hoping that one would provide the foamy, rich lather I wanted, but none worked. Also, the Lil' Scrubbies are difficult to hold when the pad gets wet, even with the intended handle on the back.

There is a bright spot, however, in that it does a great job cleaning my eye brushes. The small heads of the eye brushes are far more suited for the delicate silicone nubs of the Lil' Scrubbies than the bigger face brushes. I was very pleased at how well the Lil' Scrubbies cleaned the colors out of the eye brushes, and I will definitely continue to use it for that.

Seriously, the temptation to use it on my face is real and I may succumb. I'll let you know how it goes.

Have you tried the Lil' Scrubbies for your makeup brushes (or for your face)? Tell me about it in the comments!