Wayne Goss Brush Set Review
As soon as the pre-order for the Wayne Goss Brush Set went live on Beautylish, I ordered it. I was a bit worried about buying brushes that I’d never seen in person, but I’ve seen enough of Goss’s videos to know that he knows brushes. From watching his videos where he discussed how the brushes were made, I knew they’d very high quality, as he put a lot of time and effort into the production. These brushes are currently sold out at Beautylish (and for good reason, they rock!), but I wanted to get this review up as soon as possible so that if you were interested, you could sign up for the next pre-order.
The Website Says
Wayne Goss, The Collection is an 8-piece set of makeup brushes designed by Wayne and handcrafted in Japan with the softest, 100% cruelty-free natural hair bristles. Wayne is not only a beauty vlogger, but a classically trained makeup artist with 15 years of experience. More than a million YouTube users subscribe to his application-based makeup tutorials and candid product reviews, which have earned Wayne more than 100 million views since he started making videos in 2009.
- The tips are never cut, leaving the softest natural hair bristles, sourced 100% cruelty-free.
- Bristles are carefully bundled into a brass ferrule to prevent them from coming loose. The construction also ensures the smoothest makeup application.
- Hornbeam, a wood known as “shide” in Japanese, was chosen for the handles for its durability and sturdiness.
- Each brush was handcrafted by more than 20 artisans from start to finish. The collection was made in Kumano, Japan, a region known for constructing makeup brushes for the past 200 years.
Animal Testing Policy
Wayne Goss brushes are cruelty free. They are not vegan.
Follow Goss
You can follow Goss on Youtube, his second Youtube, his Facebook, and his Twitter.
Price
$210 for the set. I list prices for each individual brush as well.
Availability
Beautylish
For the $210 set you end up paying $26.25 a brush, which is a pretty good deal considering how fantastic these brushes are. No, really, I’m so glad I invested in them!
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You can see the Autumn Leaves Tutorial with OCC Dope that I mention in the video.
Brush Detailing
The brushes are all glossy black, and with the exception of the foundation brush, all of the bristles are black. The wood handles are shorter than my MAC, Furless Cosmetics and other brushes, so they fit in my hand perfectly. I like shorter brush handle lengths. Goss recommends going over the numbers on the brush with clear nail polish to keep them from wearing off. They’re stamped in the same fashion as MAC brushes.
Brush 01 Foundation ($45 individually)(See Goss’s video for this brush)
This brush is meant to be used to apply foundation. It can hide your pores and imperfections. It’s angled, like my Sigma F88 Flat Top Kabuki, so it really does an amazing job when you apply foundation with it. The size of the brush head fits around all the nooks and crannies of the face and does a great job at applying product evenly.
To hide pores, you need to use a firm circular motion, going over the pores until they’re concealed. If you’ve got redness on your face, like I do thanks to my rosacea, you want to apply your foundation, then go back over the red spots with a stippling motion. One of the neat things that Goss recommends in his video with this brush is to put highlighter on the shorter part of the bristles only, then take that shorter part and start at the back of your cheekbone, blending forwards down where you want to highlight. It blends out the product nicely.
Brush 02 Powder ($35 individually)(See Goss’s video for this brush)
This brush is meant to be used to apply powder products like blush, bronzer, or highlighter on top of foundation without mussing the foundation. This brush makes it easy to contour. You start back by the ear, suck in your face, and follow the hollow of the cheeks down. The shape of the bristles make it easy to apply and blend out color, so you never look like you have tiger stripes on your face. (I know I’ve been guilty of that!) It’s great with powder blush if you use a circular motion to apply it starting at the apples of the cheeks. This brush is similar in shape to the Senna Cosmetics bronzing blush brush I own.
One of the things that I learned from James Vincent at the Makeup Show Orlando is that if you’re applying pinks and reds, apply blush to the apples of the cheeks. If it’s an orange or hotter type shades, apply it more towards the back of your cheeks. This brush makes it easy to do both.
Brush 03 Large Crease ($32 individually)(See Goss’s video for this brush)
This is the largest of the eye brushes. It can be used in the crease and it’s perfect for blending. It can also highlight the face and nose. This is such a great brush. If you use it to conceal under the eyes (remember the magical triangle shape), use downward strokes. Then set the concealer with powder on top.
This is really my ideal brush shape for blending out in the crease.
Brush 04 Medium Crease ($28 individually)(See Goss’s video for this brush)
This is the medium sized crease brush. It can be used to conceal under-eye bags, highlight and contour the face, for crease work in the eyes and blending. This is the brush that Goss recommends for hooded eyes. It’s really great for blending colors in the crease in a windshield wiper or circular motion.
If you watch Goss’s video he recommends using this to hide under eye bags. You do that by looking down and you’ll be able to see the shadow that the bag creates in the mirror. You take powder or concealer that’s a shade lighter than your foundation and pop it where that shadow falls, and boom, it’s gone! Bags are magically hidden! Pretty impressive, really.
Brush 05 Small Crease ($25 individually)(See Goss’s video for this brush)
This is the smallest of the crease brushes in this collection. It’s perfect for precise color application to the outer crease, for smudging products along the upper lids or along the lashline. It’s really perfect for highlighting the inner corner of the eye, too. You can contour around the nose and lips as well. Goss recommends that if you apply a charcoal liner to the upper lash line that you use this brush to smudge it out perfectly without irritating your eyes.
It’s easy to use like a pencil brush, except it’s much better at blending than any of my pencil brushes.
Brush 06 Blending ($25 individually)(See Goss’s video for this brush)
This is the brush that I love for applying color to the lid and crease! It’s got a sort of oval brush head. It’s meant for pulling eyeshadows out or upwards toward the brow. It’s good for applying and blending creams. Goss recommends that you remember to blend in little circles if you’re using this to pull color outwards towards the end of the brow. This brush is also great for blending concealer under the eyes and using just a tiny amount of powder to set it. If you can only buy two brushes from the set, this is one of the two I would say you need.
Before trying this brush, I would have never felt confident about using a single brush to do my eyes. With this brush, I really think I could do an entire eye look with it alone. It’s amazing for me.
Brush 07 Lip ($17 individually)(See Goss’s video for this brush)
This is designed as a lip brush, but it also works for gel eyeliner or precise application of eyeshadow at the inner v. It’s got very stiff bristles. It’s about twice the width of most of my other lip brushes. I like it! Goss recommends starting at the outside corner of your lips and work your way up, following the lip line. You can also wipe it off and go back with your foundation to clean up the edges of the lips. It can be used to fill in the brows or add dark shadow to the outer v. It’s great for detail work at the inner v.
The most similar brush that I own to this one is a Too Faced smudging brush. It’s about the same shape and density. I would have not thought to try a brush this shape and density for the lips but it’s really perfect. It’s definitely more stiff than my other lip brushes.
Brush 08 Precision ($17 individually)(See Goss’s video for this brush)
This is the tiniest tightlining / push brush I’ve ever seen! I love it! It’s perfect for hooded eyes. You can apply product right at the lash line with such precision with this brush, without smearing the color onto the lids. If you have limited lid space, like I do, this is a blessing! It really is the smallest push brush I’ve ever seen. If you can only get 2 brushes this is the second brush I recommend. I love it! It’s amazing. It can also be used to fill in brows. Goss recommends using a slightly lighter shade to fill in the inner part of your brows and use a darker shade for the outer brow.
Originally when I saw these brushes, I was only planning on ordering 08, 06, and 05. However, I decided to splurge and get them all and I’m very glad that I did. These are the nicest brushes that I own, and I have a lot of brushes (over 200 at this point, though I should really cull them).
I can’t get over what a difference in blending between using these brushes and some of my other brushes. I know I get frustrated sometimes because I feel like I’ve had to blend forever. Now I know it’s because the brush just wasn’t up to par. These brushes are amazing at blending! They’re so amazingly soft. There’s not a single scratchy point.
I haven’t yet experienced shedding with the brushes from cleansing them. I’m using the Cinema Secrets vanilla scented brush cleanser. (see the Cinema Secrets review) Goss recommends using brush guards to shape them after washing. I should probably look into getting them for my brushes because I don’t own any anymore.
If you’ve been thinking about investing in a nice set of brushes, I highly recommend this set. They’re heads and tails better than any of my other brushes, and I really didn’t know there could be such a difference in makeup brushes until I tried these.
Have you tried the Wayne Goss Brush Set from Beautylish? Love it? Hate it? Let me know in the comments below!
I really want to try Wayne Goss’ brushes. I’ve heard so many great things. Thanks for your review!
The brushes must be great! I loved you hair color. Looks perfect on you.
These brushes are NOT cruelty free.
Hi girl! This post just popped up and I’m so glad-I was just browsing Beautylish last night*which has COVER FX too* and I saw this brand, they looked great! Nice that they are CF! Thanks for the review! I’m not sure if Beautylish has the set but they do definitely have the collection. The number 8 sounds amazing! Right now I’m using Ecotools, I was going to buy a brush but then I saw the ETUDE palette back in stock! LOL
I am drooling over these brushes. I was dropping hints to my guy they’d make the perfect combined Christmas-Birthday present. He didn’t take the bait (instead, he made me something incredible). My picks are 02, 03, 04, 05, and 06. I tightline my eyes too and I’m dedicated to my Bdellium 760 brush. I think you’d like it too.
Did you try Wayne Goss 08 for tightlining? If so, how did it compare to your 760 brush? I am seriously considering getting the no. 08.
The 8 brush is one of the ones I use every time I do makeup. It’s awesome.
I’ve never spent so much on brushes, but you are seriously making me want these.. between your video and Vintage or Tacky, I’m falling in lust!
I’m kinda hesitant to get the set because 3 crease brushes seem like duplicates. Are they significantly different enough to warrant getting them all? Oh and does the set come with a brush roll or no?
Hi Lucy,
For me, this set is perfect and I don’t feel like the 3 crease brushes are duplicates. They’re different sizes and work for different things. Also it does not come with a brush roll. At least, mine did not.
Thank you for your reply. I really appreciate your time.
No problem!
Lucy, I am with you. I am purchasing them separate rather than in the set.
@Brooke Pakulski Exactly!
bcrueltyfree It’s a great shape for blush application
PlasticDiaries Well, that’s definitely the tricky part. I grew up around horse, cow and sheep farms in the Midwest. I always saw the animals out in the fields, hanging out. They’d get rounded up to get shorn (if sheep) or milked (if cows), but these were small, non commercial farms. So I thought they had a pretty good life. I don’t think it’s the same at larger farms.
But I really don’t know :/ To me it makes more sense to keep a herd of ponies or sheep, sheer them down and collect the hair, then wait for the hair to grow back out, as opposed to buying and killing them.
My parents have horses and have theirs groomed regularly, but I’m not even sure how many times a year they need that.
Phyrra Ye it is something I have tried to research as much as possible as well, but as you found the information doesn’t come too freely. What I found exactly matches your findings but the thing I question is how the animals are treated. I don’t believe all these animals are roaming around and loved like pets. For the sheer volume of hair they need they would have to be farming the animals and keeping them contained (for smaller animals it is usually cages). I know they definitely aren’t vegan but I just wish the term “cruelty-free” when applied to brushes would give us more information other than that they didn’t kill the animal. You know what I mean?
PlasticDiariesIt’s really confusing, because I tried to research it. Wayne Goss has made a point to say in videos that he does feel you can get naturally sourced cruelty free hair for brushes. When I emailed to ask Beautylish, I was told that the brushes were cruelty free and the hair was from a cruelty free source. From researching what ‘cruelty free hair souces’ are for brushes, I learned that Shu Uemura, Stila and MAC use hair taken from goats or ponies and that they are not harmed when it is removed. So I can see why these brushes would not be vegan, but I believe that they are cruelty free.
From what the research I did turned up, and there wasn’t a lot of good information to be honest, it sounds like if it’s ‘cruelty free hair’ that they’re animals kept on a farm, like sheep, ponies, goats, etc, and they shave the hair.
If it’s not cruelty free, they take the hair from animals being slaughtered.
I always question when they say natural bristles but cruelty-free. Does that mean they are from brushed animals? It is such a grey area.
So glad these turned out great, though I expected nothing less! The shape of the powder brush, I love. I’ve been looking for a brush like that forever
LisaMarieHeath I think you’ll love them 🙂
Marcia beauty info zone Yay! I can’t wait to read your review!
trumpette I am culling my brushes now! I don’t feel bad about it because these are so nice.
blendybrush They leave MAC brushes in the dust.
Do they trump mac brushes?
When I saw these I thought I’d go for just 8, 5 and possibly 1 but I think I am going to splurge on the set with the hopes it will mean I can cull those brushes that are just mediocre! Excellent review – thanks!!
I’m so excited to get mine. As soon as I saw it for preorder on Beautylish I bought it. I need to go back through his videos again. Your review just cemented my instant lust for them.
Love this pic.. it’s all “you need this, yo” and I totally do, I’m lemming the foundation brush HARD
Great review! I may have to keep an eye out for these for when my wallet is replenished!
Mandy-E I think you’d like the foundation brush, especially if you like that sort of angled brush shape.
AnastasiaTonberry Yes, it’s a rarity to find cruelty free natural brushes.
Charisma@charismafull.tv You’re welcome! 6 is definitely awesome 🙂
Thanks for a very thorough review, Phyrra! From this collection, I’ll probably try first #4 and #6 then go from there.
I think the foundation brush looks really interesting, it would probably be the one I would go for out of all of them since I already have more brushes than I care to admit to. 🙂
These look beautiful. If you take care of them, I’m sure they’ll last forever. I like that the brushes are all well-shaped without useless excess brushes you’d never use, and I think cruelty-free natural brushes are very hard to find. It’s curious that the bristles all look significantly longer than other similarly shaped brushes.
Marcia, I can’t wait to hear what you think of them!
I’m even more excited now to receive them.
loveforlacquer Thanks! I strived to be thorough.
Neenersmakeup I’m glad to hear it 🙂
These look incredible! Nice review!
These brushes look pretty nice but they are way out of my price range.
I love Wayne so much! I’m definitely excited to pick up some of his brushes as soon as I can 🙂 great review!
blushingnoir It’s surprisingly easy to clean with the Cinema Secrets brush cleanser.
paintedladies09 They are so worth the lust!
Erika Costello If it helps, the kit breaks down to $26.25 per brush for 8 brushes, and you can of course purchase them individually. The prices are on par with MAC brush prices, but I think the quality far exceeds them.
I have heard good reviews about this line but the price is a bit much for me.
Oh, geez. Total brush lust has commenced!
I need that white foundation brush to live at my house.
SlashedBeauty I am thoroughly impressed. I own a lot of brushes – Furless, Too Faced, Urban Decay, Sonia Kashuk, MAC, Crown, Sigma, e.l.f., ecoTools, Real Techniques, Sephora, etc, but these blend better than any of the other brushes I own. It makes blending easy. I’ve always heard ‘Invest in a good set of brushes,’ but this set is so much better than the other ones I own.
They look so nice!! I love myself a good brush!!!!
Christina, you’ll love playing with these when you get a chance.
Im on a no buy for awhile LOL
I am so jealous!!! I want to try these out!!
Amal, i’m really impressed!
Jade, good! It was supposed to be funny / serious
God, I wish I could afford these. I’m a huge fan of Wayne’s videos (his accent helps too :]) and I know these would be amazinnnng
I want these bad..
I love love love this screen cap! 😉