Brush Set

Wayne Goss The Face Set ($250.00) includes six brushes, which have been updated–some more than others–and released a couple of months ago. The set returns this morning, along with the ability to purchase brushes from the set individually. Long-time readers will know that I prefer to spend some time with new brushes to get to know them best, see how they fit and perform in my routine, and how they hold up to multiple washings and uses.

One thing that I can appreciate about the Wayne Goss brush range is the choice of shapes is often smart; they are often multi-functional and not too small or too large. The brushes are of good quality with useful shapes that did not shed during or after washes nor during application. There is no advantage to purchasing the brushes as a set, as purchasing them individually also adds up to $250.00, so unless you’d use all of the brushes in the set, it would make more sense to purchase the ones you’d actually use individually.

The brush that is completely different is the Brush 10, which is now a small, lightly tapered, dome-shaped brush, whereas the previous Brush 10 was a flat-topped stippling brush–the two styles of brushes serve completely different purposes. (For clarity, I think using different numbers would have just been easier, especially if someone searches for “Brush 10.”) The second major difference was that the new set uses undyed, goat hair instead of dyed goat hair (undyed is often softer). Hakuhodo has a good guide to brush hair for those who would like to learn more. For the other brushes, the new set feels denser overall but the shapes are very similar.

Brush 10 (White)

Wayne Goss Brush 10 (White) ($38.00) is a small-to-medium brush that flares outward from the base until its mid-point and then tapers to a rounded, more dome-shaped edge. The brush head is 35.00mm in length, 21.10mm in width and depth, and it uses goat hair. The brush (from end to end) had a total length of 16.30cm.

It is less tapered and pointed at the end compared to Brush 02, but the two are similar in purpose and function. I find the Brush 10 does a better job at blending and diffusing a more metallic/shimmery highlight compared to the Brush 02, which excels at precision. I also liked using it for a softer contour in the hollow of my cheeks or for applying a shimmery blush. While soft against the skin, the brush still picked up powder products well.

The bristles were soft, smooth against the skin with enough spring that I could blend in any direction and never feel the edges of the bristles against my skin. The brush seemed well-shaped and had no stray or shedding hairs thus far. I did not find it any more or less soft in comparison to Brush 02, and I think if you have one, it’s unnecessary to have both (from a functional standpoint, but one could surely have both and enjoy them as I obviously do!).

This brush is similar to ones like Hakuhodo J5521 ($38) and MAC 165 (discontinued).

Brush 11 (White)

Wayne Goss Brush 11 (White) ($48.00) is a medium-to-large, dome-shaped face brush that would work for cheek colors as well as for blending out product in general. It flared outward from the ferrule and then flared inward to create a soft, rounded edge. The brush was slightly less dense (as the bristles tapered in length from the edge to the center) at the edge (where it makes contact with the skin). The brush head is 39.40mm in length, 35.40mm in width, and 25.55mm in depth, and it uses goat hair. The brush (from end to end) had a total length of 17.50cm.

This one wins “most improved” compared to the original set, as it was significantly softer than the original Brush 11, which I actually noted as feeling less soft than expected in my original review. The new, updated version is smoother against the skin, easily used in any direction, and great for blending and applying sheer to medium pigmented products. It has moderate density, so it can pick up a lot of product in a single tap, which may make it easy to over-apply any ultra-pigmented products (like blushes and bronzers).

Personally, this was also the brush that I reached for least; the shape was larger than I needed for blush, and I do not often wear bronzers anywhere but cheeks (I think it would work well for applying bronzer all over the face, as it was larger but not so large that there was no precision). For actual buffing out of product on the face, I prefer a larger, more flat-topped kabuki-style brush compared to this–again, a preference rather than a functional issue.

I would compare this brush to the shape and quality of Hakuhodo’s J110 ($54) and shape of MAC 129 ($35).

Brush 12 (White)

Wayne Goss Brush 12 (White) ($53.00) is a dense, medium-sized cheek brush that flares outward from the ferrule and then finishes to a slightly rounded, domed shape. The brush head is 31.20mm in length, 36.20mm in width, and 23.35mm in depth, and it uses goat hair. The brush (from end to end) had a total length of 17.00cm.

Compared to the previous version of Brush 12, the new, updated version was denser but also more rounded and less flared. It was noticeably softer, and it picked up marginally less product compared to the original, but I did not feel like it was really meaningful in practice. This style of brush is one I reach for to apply sheer to medium coverage cheek colors–blush, bronzer, highlighter, whatever–as well as for buffing and blending out edges of more pigmented brushes. It can be easy to over-apply a very pigmented cheek color with this brush as it was denser. I use this shape mostly for applying blush and for blending out edges of stiffer blushes.

This brush is comparable to Tom Ford Cheek (06) ($78) and Hakuhodo J5543 ($63).

Brush 13 (White)

Wayne Goss Brush 13 (White) ($53.00) is a small, rounded brush that flared outward from the ferrule and then rounded in toward the edge of the brush head. This brush has always reminded me of a smaller, buffer brush with a longer handle than your typical buffing brush. The brush head is 31.65mm in length, 29.85mm in width and depth, and it uses goat hair. The brush (from end to end) had a total length of 16.50cm.

The new version seemed denser and slightly fluffier right at the edge, so it seemed to blend a smidgen more efficiently, though functionally I did not notice significant differences between the two. I actually found the original to be a little smoother against the skin, as the (new) Brush 13 was not as soft as other brushes in the set. The shape and style of this brush worked well in cream-based products like blush and contour with the flatter edge.

It had a similar shape as MAC 109 ($35), Hakuhodo J210 ($53), and Chikuhodo GSN-04 ($64).

Brush 14 (White)

Wayne Goss Brush 14 (White) ($33.00) is a long, fluffy, and airy brush that flares outward from the ferrule until the midpoint and then tapers to a rounded edge. The bottom half (closest to the ferrule) has a denser feel and less spring, whereas the top half is fluffier and has more movement. The brush head is 40.00mm in length, 20.80mm in width and depth, and it uses goat hair. The brush (from end to end) had a total length of 16.60cm.

Compared to the original version, the new version has a more tapered edge–the original has a fluffier, wider edge, so the new version offers greater precision while the previous version diffused over larger areas more efficiently. They both felt moderately soft; not at all scratchy or rough, pleasant to use on the skin, but still picked up and moved product well.

It had a similar to shape as MAC 137 ($42).

Brush 15 (White)

Wayne Goss Brush 15 (White) ($25.00) is a medium fan brush, which flares outward significantly from the ferrule and has a more feathery, airy edge with little density. The brush head is 38.33mm in length, 59.95mm in width, and 12.73mm in depth, and it uses goat hair. The brush (from end to end) had a total length of 17.10cm.

The older version felt denser and “thicker” in a way, so the new version’s more feathery feel led to more diffused, gentler product application on the skin. The new version picked up slightly less product, which would be ideal for someone who prefers sheerer or more buildable coverage. I like this style of brush for highlighters and applying powder underneath the eyes. I also use fan brushes for applying more pigmented blushes or for contouring underneath my cheek bones. I noticed that this one was least able to hold its shape on its own post-washing.

The shape is similar to MAC 184 ($25), Sephora Pro Fan Brush (#65), and Hakuhodo J4004 ($27).

Wayne Goss Brush Set  

Wayne Goss Brush Set  

Wayne Goss Brush 10 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 10 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 10 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 10 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 10 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 11 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 11 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 11 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 11 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 11 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 11 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 12 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 12 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 12 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 12 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 12 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 13 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 13 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 13 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 13 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 14 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 14 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 14 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 14 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 14 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 15 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 15 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 15 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 15 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 15 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush Set  

Wayne Goss Brush Set  

Wayne Goss Brush 10 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 10 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 10 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 10 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 10 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 11 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 11 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 11 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 11 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 11 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 11 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 12 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 12 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 12 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 12 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 12 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 13 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 13 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 13 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 13 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 14 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 14 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 14 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 14 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 14 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 15 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 15 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 15 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 15 (White)  

Wayne Goss Brush 15 (White)