Hello, well whenever I get any new brush I kind of lightly press down on either side until I see the bristles separate, then I run the brush under luke warm water without letting water touch the gold part since there is glue holding it together and you do not want to loosen that at all. Once I run the brush under the faucet I take it out and firmly take water out just using my two fingers. I repeat the process until I feel like all the gunk is out of the brush. Then I sit the brush somewhere where it won't be disturbed until it dries completely overnight and then its ready to use.
Yes you can just use it thin, water it down a little with water and when you apply it you have to let it dry and then top coat. If you have a gel top coat even better.
