The brushes themselves did not have any weird smells. I always wash my brushes before I use them for the first time, so in doing that, I noticed no paint/ink fading off the bristles, no hairs falling out, and they all dried perfectly in shape! I didnt even need to use my brush guards to reshape them. Were off to a shocking start, as all of my Sigma brushes need brush guards post-washi... https://thesocalcosmeticnetwork.com/