Wayne Goss – The Goss Edit

Please let me introduce you to the newest brushes from Wayne Goss: The Goss Edit. These calligraphy-inspired brushes will be available as a set starting Wednesday, May 26th at 10am PT / 1pm ET exclusively on Beautylish.

At this stage, we don’t know if they will be sold individually, the price of the set is $225. I find the price fair considering these brushes are made in Kumano, Japan, they are bundled with saikoho bristles and have a maple handle. When a brush is handmade it is going to cost more and items made by artisans are definitely more costly to produce.

I have just received them so this post is more like a first impressions as I could only use them a couple of times. Since they launch very soon, you may be interested in having a first closer look at the comparisons and I will update this post in a few days with more details on how I have been using them. They are now on my vanity and these will be my only tools for the upcoming days.

It’s very important that you watch Wayne’s video because he is going to explain all the different ways you can use these brushes and also the thought behind them.

These are the 7 brushes in the set, all are bundled with saikoho goat bristles, except for the number 7, this little one has a mix of synthetic bristles (PBT) and saikoho goat.

The handles are made with hard maple wood and coated with a black lacquer. At the bottom of the handles you’ll see the little cord so you can hang them either to store them or to dry them, but just be careful, I have some experience with calligraphy brushes storage and this part is solid enough but don’t pull on it.

Now, let’s talk about the waw factor and this conversation-starter design. Isn’t it amazing? There are big chances that, if you use these in a public place, someone is going to ask you if you are using calligraphy brushes to apply your make-up. That’s really super cool and I love this! I have some calligraphy brushes that I use to apply make-up but the majority are on the rougher side, except for some that are kolinsky.

They are lightweight, they feel good in the hands. There is a double ring indentation in the middle separating the handles in two sections, you can hold these brushes by the bottom part or closer to the head, the further down you hold the brushes, the more delicate or gradual the placement and application are.

When washed, these brushes will splay out a bit, the ones that change the most are brushes number 01 and 02.

You asked me via Instagram and dms to compare them to his Artist brushes, the Artist brushes from Wayne Goss are this trio below with the more natural handles and with the squirrel bristles. With regards to the shapes, the size of the ferrule and hair length, it’s the same specs. The bristles and handles differ.

If you don’t know which ones to chose, if you have very sensitive skin and never use creams, you may want to go for the Artist brushes. If you are looking for more versatility the Goss Edit is truly wonderful.

GOSS EDIT 01

Ferrule: 20mm
Hair length: 40mm
Material: saikoho goat

This Goss Edit 01 is exactly in between his WG 02 and the WG 00 in terms of size, it’s softer than the WG00.
The versatility of this brush is its strength, it’s not too dense and it’s stronger than Wayne’s squirrel version (the Artist Large). Anyway, I have already praised the versatility of his Artist Large brush so this one is even more versatile since it’s goat, and it can therefore be used with creams -should you want to.

I can use it for bronzer, blush, powder and to buff. Its airiness allows a placement that is not too bold on first swipe, it’s effortless. I used several type of bronzers, from harder textures to more powdery and all applied without effort or frustration. It pairs very well with his own bronzers, I have used the one that is on the sheer side for me and the one that is darker and I could apply both with the proper intensity, this is great because some brands don’t release brushes that actually pair nicely with their products so it’s a good point!

The Chikuhodo T-5 is a bit smaller and has an oval ferrule, the shape is just slightly more tapered, offers more precision in comparison to the Goss Edit 01.

In terms of softness, it feels the same as the T-5 which is also saikoho goat. The Goss Edit 01 feels more feathery on the skin because it is more airy and splays out more, but in terms of bristles quality, I believe they could be sisters.

GOSS EDIT 02

Ferrule: 20mm
Hair length: 30mm
Material: saikoho goat

It reminded me instantly of the WG 13, the Goss Edit 02 has a large ferrule but the contact surface at the top is quite similar. Since the Goss Edit 02 is a bit less dense, it will splay out a bit more during buffing but I could say that both brushes can do a similar function.

All the brushes here can be used for foundation but not the Chikuhodo T-4 which I find way too flexible for a foundation application, putting pressure on these fine bristles is going to damage them so not a good idea for the longer term.

The Koyudo CW-07 is denser and firmer than the Goss Edit 02, it’s sokoho goat.

The Takeda EX <s> is much more directional in comparison to the Goss Edit 02 and it actually remains firm in its core when moving so it doesn’t adapt and move as easily.

I have used the Goss Edit for foundation, cream blush and powder blush. For foundation I had no issues applying my usual foundation, the Denona Face Glow. I also used Denona cream blush and it had enough strength to pick it up and blend. I have used Wayne’s blush and it worked too. Very versatile and very very soft.

It shed a couple of bristles but this is normal for several reasons. When buffing or applying foundation, we tend to use a bit more pressure than usual, since this brush is quite dense, it is normal that some bristles are released in the process during the first uses and those last unattached bristles can only come out once the brush is put into action.

In order to talk softness and compare its size, I added the Koyudo Fu-pa01 and the Houkodou BZ-01.

The softness of the Goss Edit 02 is in between the Chikuhodo Takumi T-4 and the Wayne Goss 13, the Wayne Goss 13 is a bit softer than the Takumi here.
I have this old Takeda “Fine Goat” brush but I don’t know the exact name and I think it’s quite upsetting not putting a reference or name on the brushes when those are part of their main line. It has a similar ferrule size as the Goss Edit 02 but this Takeda is not at all the same brush, it doesn’t have movement and it’s very rough, this is not really fine goat in my humble opinion and it feels very pokey, which is rare for Takeda. The Smith 115 also feels very rough in comparison to the Goss Edit 02.
The Koyudo Fu-pa01 and Houkodou BZ-01 are very very soft, but very very dense, not as versatile as the Goss Edit 02. I can use the Goss Edit 02 for blush but I definitely wouldn’t use this Fu-pa01 or BZ-01 for blush application.

GOSS EDIT 03

Ferrule: 14mm
Hair length: 35mm
Material: saikoho goat

Similar to the Artist Medium from Wayne’s collection but splays out and blends with more strength. If you are going for softness, go for the Artist medium, if you are going for a bit more oomph and versatility, go for the Goss Edit 03.

The Goss Edit 03 is such a nice shape for placing powder under the eye area or to apply highlighter, I tried it and it packs a punch. Just watch Wayne’s video because he is going to explain the multiple ways to use these and how you can take the most out of each brush.

This brush is really like a calligraphy brush, hold it near the bottom and experience the fun. It really makes me want to go wild with it, such a fun brush!

GOSS EDIT 04 – 05 – 06 – 07

For the next 4 brushes, I have grouped them together in the same comparison picture so you can see the difference in shape and size more precisely when they are all side by side.

GOSS EDIT 04

Ferrule: 12mm
Hair length: 25mm
Material: saikoho goat

The Goss Edit 04 is the sister of the Artist Small brush. The main difference between the squirrel version and the Goss Edit is that the goat version is going to have more strength for blending, more power to pick up products and it can be used with creams and liquids.

I have used this brush mainly for the base application on the entire lid, or with a shade that I will use as a transition. I used the Marc Jacobs The Big O! Omega shadow which is a very light brown that deepens the crease and works as a transition. Also as a highlighter brush, so fun to use and another brush that makes me want to paint my whole face 🙂 The experience is just amazing, it takes you straight to Japan!

In terms of softness, the Goss Edit eyeshadow/smaller brushes remind me of the Chikuhodo Takumi series. The T-6 is shown here mostly for softness and size reference because they are very different otherwise.

GOSS EDIT 05

Ferrule: 12mm
Hair length: 20mm
Material: saikoho goat

The Goss Edit 05 is close to the functionality of the WG 16 or 03, it has a bit more of a point so I can fit it inside the crease and work only on the upper lid for example, it does cover my entire upper lid – I don’t have a huge lot of space. The Goss Edit is very soft but I find the WG 16 and 03 even slightly softer on my eyes.

The main difference between the Goss Edit 04 and the 05 is that the 05 is denser, with shorter bristles and with more strength, so the Goss Edit 04 will work with more finesse while the Goss Edit 05 is going to have more strength to pick and diffuse. So the 05 is going to work better with concealer for example, or for a final smoothing on the entire lid. Please watch his video so you can really learn about all the ways to use them!

GOSS EDIT 06

Ferrule: 9mm
Hair length: 15mm
Material: saikoho goat

The Goss Edit 06 is the brush that is going to build the intensity inside the crease, similar role as the WG 04. but the Goss Edit 06 builds the color inside the crease with more precision and within a smaller perimeter.

This is the brush I have tested with cream shadows, I used the Tom Ford Cream and Powder eye color, I apply the cream on the mobile lid and blend upwards then I used the smaller Goss Edit 07 to place the glittery topper on the mobile lid. I was happy to see that the experience was very effortless and the result was soft and diffused. I want to play more with these brushes in the upcoming days and see all that I can achieve with them, very exciting.

GOSS EDIT 07

Ferrule: 9mm
Hair length: 12mm
Material: saikoho goat and synthetic PBT

The Goss Edit 07 is a precision/pencil type of brush, it reminds me of the Chikuhodo T-8, very close in shape and functionality.

I used it for smoking around the lashline and the application was so effortless and didn’t need to fix it or tune it with a different brush.

I really love to apply shimmers with a flat little dense brush. I tried this one and it worked so well with all the shimmers I used, with Wayne’s shadows or with Denona or Tom Ford shadows. It’s true that I don’t have the same precision as a tiny little flat brush because I often place my shimmers with surgical precision (sometimes even just a little line or dot) but that’s just me, I am crazy with control and placement. I was very happy to see that I could angle this brush and it was small enough to fit it in the inner portion of the mobile lid, application was easy and fast.

I also used this brush for the outer V and it delivered perfectly, I didn’t need any other brush to diffuse or smooth or correct the application, perfect size and placement.

In terms of softness, this Goss Edit 07 (which is a mix of saikoho goat and synthetic) is more firm, it may not feel as soft as the others from this set on my very sensitive skin but the shape is very unique and the results are on point. I find his other smaller eye brushes (WG 03, 16, 04, 19 for example), to be very slightly softer on my eyes but its barely noticeable.

BOTTOM LINE

Wayne loves pointy brushes! These are even more tapered than his current collection of saikoho goat brushes.

I am loving the versatility of the brushes and this handle design is truly beautiful and unique. The experience is unique, and every time I used them the results were impeccable and effortless.

This set launches today Wednesday, May 26th at 10am PT / 1pm ET exclusively on Beautylish!

A huge thank you to Wayne and Beautylish for sending me these gorgeous fun brushes!