When I first read the review of The Brush Guard on My Makeup Reviews, and then on Viva Woman, I knew I had to get it. I treat my makeup brushes, regardless of whether they’re cheap or expensive, like gold. This would be great for my storage and maintenance of some of my regularly-used brushes.

Just to try it out, I ordered the Variety Pack, which comprises one shadow/liner brush tube (extra small), two blush brush tubes (small), two foundation brush tubes (medium), and one powder/kabuki brush tube (large).

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Brush Guard, well, they are stretchable, breathable tubes which slide over the brush handle onto the bristles. It’s a great way to keep the brushes separate from each other, and you can chuck the brushes into your makeup kit without worrying that the bristles would be crushed out of shape. The tube protects the bristles from getting squashed.

Pretty cool, huh?

You can also dry your brushes after wash with the Brush Guard on. Contrary to the rave reviews on using it to dry the brushes upside down, I’m not too sure if I like this idea though. Drying the brushes with the Brush Guard on, I mean.

Drying my brushes in a takeaway carton

I washed my brushes and then slid the tubes over them. However, the brushes took a longer time to dry with the Brush Guard on, especially my Everyday Minerals flat-top brush. It’s because the tube keeps the hairs tightly together to maintain the shape, but in the end, it does not let enough air in. Hmm. That’s what I think anyway.

Having said that, the tubes are really sturdy and I really like how it keeps the shape and, more importantly, separate from other brushes and won’t get squished in my makeup bag. These tubes are also pretty elastic, and can stretch up to 1/4 inches beyond the bristles. It is recommended that you select a size with a snug fit over your bristles so that it does not slip.

I used the large tube on my MAC #150, the medium tubes on my Everyday Minerals angled blush brush and flat-top brush, the small tubes on my Everyday Minerals eyeshadow brushes, and the extra small tube on my Bloom angled brush. These fit perfectly.

I’m thinking of purchasing another set for the rest of my brushes. Might as well keep them well since I spent so much money on ’em, right?

A side note – Two weeks into ordering the Brush Guard, they never arrived. I was rather concerned about the it, and emailed the owner, Diane, if she’s indeed already sent the item. Apparently there’s been some discrepancies at the post office (we still had no idea which post office mucked the delivery up), and a few deliveries never arrived. Diane was most apologetic about it, and immediately sent out a replacement package. This was very nice of her, because I have encountered nasty sellers on eBay who would not give me a replacement on a lost item stating that it wasn’t their fault if the post office screwed up. So, thanks Diane 🙂

Do check out Vivawoman and My Makeup Review’s sites for more comprehensive reviews on the Brush Guard. These ladies did such a great job with their photos in explaining how it works, I’ll leave it to them to give you much better reviews. But I do highly recommend these if you’re one who treasures her makeup brushes. These would do a great job.