Make up brush guards how to???

hi ,
ok so ive recently just got into makeup so im always open to tips and tricks [and diy]. i was surfing through youtube when this video for " the brush guard" came up in my suggested videos section.so i decided to look at it. there was this girl who i was subscribed to who was showing how to clean your makeup brushes and dry them using "the brush guard"

shown in the video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVdciJkmb7o

the thing is amazing!!! but im pretty sure ive seen a material ,that stiff woven plastic, before . either at a grocery store, hardware store or somewhere .i cant put my finger on it. i was wrackng my brain all weekend trying to think of where i saw it.

so i decided that more heads are better than one and decided to post the question her and see if anybody knew of anything.i think if i can find that material, it would be awesome if i could post a tut on a brush guard [and credit all who helped of course] so any info helps! thank you




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10 replies since 7th February 2010 • Last reply 7th February 2010

Reply #1:

Hi Roxanne

I know what you mean about thinking you have seen it before. I've seen stuff used for artist brushes and it looks like the stuff they put around cucumbers to protect them. It's also very simular tubing to that used in cyber hairfalls. Check out the hair section 'orange and green cyberlocks'. It also looks and acts like the gortex tubing that I've seen surgeons use in arterial reconstruction, but you would have problems getting hold of that Lol x

Good luck

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Reply #2:

ahhhh i love michelle phan! Happy
i've seen the material too :S
somewhere...
perhaps the puzzley thing where you put two fingers on and it "locks" then?
err-- wow it's on the tip of my tongue...

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Reply #3:

A Chinese finger trap Lol x

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Reply #4:

Hello Roxanne!!

I think I Have the answer that you are looking for regarding the makeup brush guards!! I had been looking for days for a "homemade" version as well, and I finally stumbled upon it. It's kind of funny because as I was reading your profile, you said that one of your hobbies is knitting. So...I went to the fabric store today (Joann Fabrics) and found the "brush guards" in the knitting section. Click on this link to see what they look like. http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog/productdetail.jsp?CATID=cat2874&PRODID=xprd90058. Anyway, there are 5 in each pack and the bigger one, is basically too big to use for anything but the other 4 are PERFECT. They can even be cut in half to make 8 small brush guards. They are nice and stretchy and even return to their original shape and the colors are cute. Best of all they only cost $2.79!! If you can manage to get a 40% off coupon that they often offer, than you will only pay $1.67!! Let me know if you find them. HAPPY SHOPPING!!!

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Reply #5:

I know what you mean honey, it looks a little like netting, only netting isn't stretchy... it's well annoying because they are sooooo expensive!!!

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Reply #6:

okay, ladies. im a professional makeup artist, and this is my point of view on this (just my $0.02):

i didnt watch all of the video; it was driving me crazy. 0Happy shes right about that dish soap--i even use the same kind, in apple or lemon!! anyway, i dont know what she did or didnt say after that, so im just going to go ahead and let you all in on what i do.

at all times, when washing your brushes, they should be pointed downward. if they arent, the water will get inside the brush, causing the bristles to fall out, or--grosser--mold to form inside the metal part (which will also eventually result in the bristles falling out once they rot, not to mention the "ew" factor). you should wash them with a little of the soap in your hand, rinse them well by blotting the bristles against the bottom of your sink, under running water. gently squeeze the excess out and reshape the brush. you dont need brush guards for this, and in fact, some brushes don't even have the shape of a brush guard, so it would actually be worse to use one. (angled lip brush, im talking to you!) lay the brush on its side, OVER AN EDGE (the same as hanging them upside down, really), so the water is able to drip, and not get caught under the brush, which is basically the equivalent of letting it sit straight up when wet--not good. let them dry overnight, or however long it takes. my powder brush takes all night, lol. ;)

NOTE: some people like to use a little conditioner on the brushes for about 10 minutes after washing, regardless of whether the bristles are natural or synthetic. i havent tried it yet, but im going to tonight! you can try it and see if it works for you. dont forget to rinse it out before reshaping, of course!

in the morning, when the brushes are dry, check to make sure that the larger, fluffier ones haven't gotten tangled and snarled. yes, it happens to brushes, too! i work out the tangles with a fine-bristled, rat-tail comb, because you know that if you just ignore it, it will turn into a gross matt, and be ruined.

as for storing them, i have a brush case that folds up nicely. it has individual brush-handle-sized pockets for all of the brushes. these are fairly easy to locate, and a lot of brush sets come with a case just like this. i tend to clean mine with a little bit of rubbing alcohol at the same time that i clean my brushes. one brush kit i am absolutely coveting, and that comes with a case, can be found here:

http://www.thebrushcompany.com/store/p/66-10-Brush-Walk-On-The-Wild-Side-Vegan-Makeup-Brush-Set.aspx

ohhh, yeah..... cant ever have too many brush sets......

>snaps back to reality<

sorry! ;) anyway, that's what i do with my brushes (the entire set was stupid-expensive--like, $300 or so), and ive had them since 2007, and they are still like new. you dont have to have the brush guards, but if you really HAVE to have them, try looking in beauty discount providers, like sally's or sephora. they might have them--or an off-brand that works just as well--for a lower price. if not, good luck searching for that plastic!!! it looks a lot like the plastic that grocery stores use around garlic, etc, but stiffer.

ps: ive been thinking about somehow creating a brush-holder to hold them upside-down. i will, of course, post it once ive made it. ;)

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Reply #7:

Hmm... I believe the girl in the video said something about putting the brushes in some form of olive oil to retain moisture or something... I can't remember it was a few weeks ago since I watched it.

But thank you Rachie, thats some very good advice...
I might give this a go at some point, I also need to actually buy a brush set, I have three brushes only, one puffy one for blusher, a second smaller and not so fluffy for my foundation (which I don't wear a lot) and a tiny fluffy one for my eye shadow.
They all need cleaning so I shall try your advice Rachie

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Reply #8:

Loved the vid Happy
I don't know how to make the expandable kind, it looks like it's made of a loooot of little plastic strips woven like a chinese finger trap. I do know how you can make custom-fit brush guards. You know that clear vinyl plastic that you use to cover books with? It's shiny, not the sticky kind, and it often comes in two layers in a roll. Take a layer of that, cut it into a rectangle about 2" by 3" for a big brush, and wrap it tightly around your brush, make it look like the one in the video. Then you have three options to keep it secure: Iron it against the brush to fuse the plastic together, glue it, or tape it.
Hope that helped Happy
-H.W.

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Reply #9:

I sew and I think these brush guards are the same as thread guards in sewing. See nancysnotions.com under thread nets value pack (20 for $4.98) http://www.nancysnotions.com/product/supplies/handy+notions/thread+nets+value+pack.do
or try sewforless.com under thread nets 20 pack (20 for $3.99). I'm sure there are many other sewing websites that offer them, these were just the first 2 sites I checked.

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Reply #10:

sorry guts i havent been on CO&K in for evvvver! but thank you to the people who posted and responded i remember feeling so bad cause when i posted nobody responded.so thank you guys so much

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