Home Brushes WAYNE GOSS – THE ARTIST BRUSH

WAYNE GOSS – THE ARTIST BRUSH

by Sonia G.

Wayne Goss just came up with the idea of combining calligraphy and make-up in one brush, this resulted in This Artist Brush.

My eyes were wide open when I read on the Beautylish newsletter : “a collector’s item, not a brush for everyday use“.  Don’t even pronounce the word collector cause I get all excited. For sure they captured my interest, even thought I hoped I could  still use it daily.

I was paying attention to my emails and when it got released I handed up baby girl to sweet hubby and went to do what I do best, order brushes… XD

I saw the Artist Brush lookbook on Beautylish,  I also saw the price 150$…  it hurt to see it wasn’t cheap but I could understand the price, the handle is inspired from calligraphy brushes, preciously handcrafted in Japan and it’s huge, it was helpful that Beautylish added a picture side by side with his other two brushes or I would have missed how huge it was in comparison. It’s packaged in a wooden box which is fantastic both for transport and for safe storage if you want to just keep it in a drawer in its own little big box.

Prewash picture

You may be pondering if you should order it, maybe it’s even in your cart but you are still undecided, I can share my thoughts and some pics now that I have received mine, hope it helps.

For me this Artist brush is a necessity since I am a collector,  what surprised me most is that I spent several weeks browsing websites trying to find a gorgeous huge calligraphy brush to hang on the wall of my “Brushroom” (well, my office), that would be the perfect final deco touch, but the shipping  was even more expensive than the brush so instead I wrote it on my shopping list for my next visit to Japan. It’s a spooky coincidence, it feels like Wayne is either reading my mind or my browser history! 😀

Since I was unable to find a nice calligraphy brush I filled the walls with acrylic shelves and deco so now I don’t have any wall room left 😀 Instead I found a place inside one of my glass cabinets, hanging close to the Koyomos and the Japanese Ying-Yang bell that my mother in law just gave me for this Christmas 🙂

This Artist brush is the mama of all powder brushes, when you realise how long it is then you understand why it’s not travel friendly! This is a brush to hang close to your vanity, maybe not for every day use but why not if you so desire? The maintenance is just like any other brush, and just like any other brush you have to wash it carefully, it doesn’t require frequent wash with water, just regular spot cleaning with a cloth in between washes.

I have washed mine, then wrapped some kitchen paper around the bristles to help retain its shape while drying, It took around 4 hours to dry during which I was paying it some visits and gentle but eager pats to help circulate air so that it would dry even faster.

The material is a mix of sokoho goat and grey squirrel, it is definitely softer than I expected, much softer than Wayne Goss 00 goat brushes, both the white or the black, you could barely feel the goat bristles in the Artist brush, you can see it’s not 100% squirrel and yet it feels really soft, that was a very good surprise.

Pre-wash picture

It is longer and less dense than the WG 00 brushes, you won’t have the same strength and coverage but you still get functionality, more than I had previously imagined when I read “not a brush for everyday use” 😀

I think Wayne loves candle shaped brushes as this Artist brush confirms and follows the same pattern.

After wash picture

I love long handles,  Wayne went a bit crazy here but this brush makes the collector side of me happy and proud to own it.  LE brushes are (or should be) often oriented towards collectors, these are the type of brushes that artisans make as challenges or to change a bit from the ordinary, and you don’t want a daily must have to be released as an LE item, that would be unfortunate.

These type of “no-ferrule” handles are more difficult to make, that’s why you don’t see many out there, they would result quite expensive.

When my WG Artist brush arrived, my hubby who loves handcrafted brushes rushed to see it, he immediately said the handle was gorgeous. The wavy shape of the handle makes it ergonomic and easy to hold, it drives your hand into the writing position and you have to fight the envy to write! Those same ergonomics apply if you use it for make-up but keep in mind that this is a huge brush!   The great thing about its size: I can’t loose it in my vanity mess! this is something my sarcastic hubby will tell me at some point 😀 allow him a day or two.

So it is definitely a collector’s brush and Wayne can be proud to have his name engraved in such a special item.

 

Don’t hesitate to share your thoughts!

I hope you are having a wonderful holiday 🙂

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15 comments

Kuri 29 December, 2016 - 1:27 am

Loved reading your thoughts on this! I’m not a collector but fascinating to know what you think.
And your glass cabinets are beautiful!

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Sonia G. 29 December, 2016 - 7:59 pm

Thank you Kuri, how nice of you 🙂 you made my day ! xoxo

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Tracey E 29 December, 2016 - 1:42 pm

Curious if you have used it and, if so, with what product?

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Sonia G. 29 December, 2016 - 7:58 pm

Hi Tracey,
yes I did use it, with bronzer (Gucci Oriental Sienna, Tom Ford Gold Dust), the expectations to have with this brush is a sheer veil of color, works best with bronzers that you will apply all over the face versus bronzers that you have to pack more heavily and evenly. I also used it with healthy finishing type of powders (Chanel Lumieres d’Artifices Beiges and Trish McEvoy Pressed shimmer powder in Bronze), those powders combined with that brush will just deliver a sheer application to just even out the skin a bit and add some glow. When you need a strong buffer or stronger application it’s better to use denser brushes but if you don’t need polishing or medium to heavy application then this brush will do. I also tried blush (the new ones from Surratt that I had on my vanity), if it’s a sheer shade and you don’t require extra precise placement it will be fine, if it’s a stronger shade then I recommend you a brush that can have equal pressure on all bristles so that you can better control the application 🙂

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Tracey E. 13 January, 2017 - 7:12 am

Thank you so much for taking the time to provide such detailed insights. My brush is waiting for me as I have been away and have not laid eyes on it yet. I have some reservation about the brush (the handle length) and its price. Thank you for sharing how you use the brush and when to consider others for more precise application. Many thanks again!!

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Maria 30 December, 2016 - 12:51 am

Hi Sonia thank you for a such a good review . This brush didn’t interest me at all I don’t think it is even worth half the price.

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Tashonda Daniels 30 December, 2016 - 5:40 am

Thanks for your review. You were the first person I thought of when I saw this brush was being sold. I am not a collector….Let me rephrase that. I am only a collector of Wayne’s brushes and I HAVE to have each one. I received mine two days ago and I am in love. It is so soft, softer than I expected and it is stunning. I have not used it yet, but I will on special occasions. I’m excited to have it in my possession.

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Kiss & Make-up 30 December, 2016 - 2:05 pm

Everyone raves about these brushes so of course I’m dying to try Wayne Goss brushes.

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decibelle 30 December, 2016 - 3:12 pm

Not quite everyone …

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Tracey E. 13 January, 2017 - 7:17 am

They are truly lovely and the cost is very affordable for the quality. I upgraded my limited set of brushes with the Anniversary Set (I wanted that larger brush 1) and have purchased the holiday brushes revealed each yet. I do use WG brushes daily. I’ve yet to lay eyes on my Artist Brush, however it seems you either love it or have decided it’s not worth the high price.

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Jana 30 December, 2016 - 2:45 pm

Hi Sonja
Do you think the brush is good for using it with loose powder like the once from bareminerals?

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decibelle 30 December, 2016 - 3:18 pm

Sonia, delightful review as always. 🙂

Such intense grain and colour, so beautiful to look at, do you know what material the handle is made from?

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Anca 8 January, 2017 - 9:06 am

Hi Sonia, totally unrelated to this but I’ve been reading that the new Giorgio Armani brushes are made by Hakuhodo. I’d be very interested to hear your thoughts on them! The blush brush and angled eye brush look interesting!

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Sonia G. 27 January, 2017 - 12:54 pm

Hi Anca,

I was at the counter and tried them, I was not very impressed with them, very much prefer some similar Hakuhodo options for example. Let me know if you want me to tell you what options to check out 🙂 If I go to the counter I will check them out again, sometimes depending on the counter they can be feel and look old and not in great condition 🙁

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Annie 19 March, 2022 - 12:04 am

Hi Sonia
I have started a new tradition of having some new make up brushes for my birthday every year. I had wanted to get the Wayne Goss Artist Brush in the large size, having seen it on Beautylish for many months. To my horror I’ve discovered that it is no longer on their inventory and they can’t seem to give any information as to whether it will return. I had been looking for this shape brush in predominently squirrel hair as I want a light application of bronzer but with a shape that gives controlled but subtle definition – my Chantecaille Goa shade is very pigmented and this brush would have been perfect. Can you advise where else I might find a brush like the WG one? I have been trying to find out if there is a pre-owned site anywhere to source this brush but can’t find anywhere. I am based in the UK. Any help would be so welcomed. Thank you so much x

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