Custom Printed Makeup Brush Boxes for Sets and Single Brushes

A rigid tray with a die cut insert holds each brush. The tray slides into a printed sleeve with a thumb cut on the end.

The insert does the real work. Each handle sits in a slot cut a fraction narrower than the handle. The brush presses in and the heads float above the tray floor.

The cream box in the second photo is a lid and base. The brushes lie in a tray and the lid lifts off, which suits a set shown open on a counter.

A printed box with the academy name becomes part of the kit the student keeps.

Salons and brow bars that sell a small brush set at the till order the 5 brush size. Pro artists who sell a signature brush singly order the tall carton.

Brush sets often pair with a palette or a sponge. For a kit that mixes brushes and products, see our makeup kit boxes with cut inserts instead.

• Brush brands with a face and eye set of 8 to 15
• Makeup academies issuing student brush kits
• Salons and brow bars with a 5 brush till set
• Pro artists selling a single signature brush
• Gift companies bundling brushes with a sponge

The inside length of the box is that brush plus about 10 mm.

Width depends on the count and the handle thickness. Allow the widest handle plus 8 mm per slot, and about 12 mm at each edge of the tray.

Depth follows the fattest brush head, since the heads sit above the tray. The table gives common sets. Our UK cosmetic box sizes reference covers other products.

It also feels like a thing to keep, which is why pro sets use it.

A lid and base box opens wide and shows the whole set at once. Retailers who display an open sample on the counter prefer it, and it is a little cheaper to make.

Magnetic lid boxes are a third option when you want the open display with a lid that stays attached. All three closures are compared in our cosmetic box styles explained guide.

The box has to keep every head clear of the tray floor, the other brushes and the lid.

Handle slots that grip, and a tray floor set 10 to 15 mm below the head, solve most of it. For large powder heads, we can cut a wider well at the head end so the hair is not squeezed.

Tissue over the heads before the lid or sleeve goes on is a cheap extra. It stops the hair catching on the sleeve edge when the tray slides.

It gives the tray enough stiffness to carry 15 brushes without flexing when the drawer is pulled.

The dark brown sleeve in our photos uses a single line of copper foil for the set name and nothing else. On a plain matt or soft touch wrap that reads as expensive without a lot of print.

Linen or textured paper on the sleeve is an option for a more traditional look. Board, rigid and finish options are quoted on request, with a sample on larger runs.

Make it about 25 mm square and 10 mm longer than the brush. A wider head, such as a powder brush, needs a carton that steps out at the top.

A window on the front shows the head and the handle colour, which is what a customer compares between brushes. Keep the window to the top half so the handle print stays covered.

The carton can be hung from a hook with a punched tab, or stood upright in a counter unit. We can add the hang tab at the proof stage.

The sleeve corners mark, though, if the box is loose in a bag. Put it inside an outer box with a few millimetres of padding.

Single brush cartons are long and thin, so they bend if posted in an envelope. Pack them in a mailer with a card stiffener or alongside other cartons.

Our mailer boxes for cosmetic orders are made to the outer size of your set box so there is no loose space.

If one brush in the set has a fatter handle, it will not press into the tray. Send the full list of handle widths.

The second is forgetting the head height. A tray that holds the handles perfectly but lets the lid press on the heads defeats the point of the box.

The third is printing the brush names on the tray in a colour that does not show. Dark trays need a light ink or foil for the labels under each slot.

Quantities are quoted per order, from £0.25 per unit for single cartons, and the written quote confirms the figure for your set box.

Our designers lay out the sleeve, tray and labels for free and send a proof. After approval, production takes 4 to 6 business days and the boxes arrive by free tracked delivery to your UK address. Anything misprinted or damaged, reported within 10 days with photos, is reprinted or refunded. To see your logo on a sleeve first, use the Design Your Packaging page.

1. List every brush in the set with its length and handle width in millimetres.
2. Choose a drawer box, lid and base, or magnetic lid.
3. Decide whether the tray is card or foam, and whether brush names go under each slot.
4. Send your logo and any artwork, or a brief for our designers.
5. Approve the free proof and we start production.