Why You Need Wayne Goss Makeup Brushes

Ever since I bought my first Wayne Goss brush last November - see here - my older makeup brushes have been languishing in oblivion while the WG brushes have not left the top of my vanity.
Believe me, the hype is real. Every bit of it. All my other brushes are just knocked out of the ball park with these.
Before we go any further - I bought these. Wayne Goss has no idea I exist. I gain nothing except maybe lose a few hours taking photos, writing, cropping and so on.

Scroll down for deets on all the Wayne Goss makeup brushes and how I use them.

Wayne Goss brushes are hand-made in Kumano, Japan. An area famous for a 200-year makeup brush-making history. These are made of 100% natural, cruelty-free hair.
The tips are NOT cut, which is why they are the softest brushes. Around 20 artisans work on each brush. The ferrules are brass and the handles are hornbeam wood. 

Wayne Goss The Collection

As soon as my first Wayne Goss brush arrived, I ordered The Collection and this is the set I've used the longest, so we'll start there. Wayne Goss The Collection (buy here) contains eight brushes - brush 01 to 08. It is mostly eye-centric so if you are looking for eyeshadow brushes, you can probably get away with ordering just either this or the Eye Set.

Brush 01
Small angled duo-fibre brush. Buffs in foundation nicely. Good size for foundation around the nose, hairline and other problem areas. To be honest, this is the brush in The Collection that I reach for the least, because I am a Beautyblender person. In retrospect, I should have got the Anniversary Set (sadly sold out) - the difference between that set and the Collection is that it featured an updated version of Brush 01. Ah well. $45. Buy it here (all links in this post ship worldwide).
Brush 02
Tapered multi-tasker blush, bronzing, contouring brush. I prefer the blush/powder brushes in the Face Set to this one, so I use this to blend out mistakes. A larger version of this brush is Brush 11, which I will talk about in a bit. $35. Buy it here.
Brush 03
Large, dense blending brush - WG's largest crease brush. $32 on its own. Buy it here.
Brush 04
Slimmer version of Brush 03. Nice for crease work. $28. Buy it here.
Brush 05
Small pencil brush. For smudging, precision work, inner corners. $20. Buy it here.
Brush 06
Eyeshadow brush, but bristles a tad longer than the usual shaders out there. If your eye makeup consists of just the one eyeshadow, or even two, this is the only brush you will need for the entire look. Worth the $25. Buy it here.
Brush 07
I use this as a smudger. Designed to work as lip brush as well but I'm a direct-from-tube person. $17. Buy it here.
Brush 08
Singlehandedly improved my tight-lining skills overnight. The tiny head and the density are exactly what the doctor ordered for klutzes with shaky hands. $17. Buy it here.

Wayne Goss The Face Set

I ordered the Face Set (buy here) as a Christmas treat for myself. The Face Set contains brushes 10-15. I will be honest here - I have only used the face brushes a couple of times, since my derm has banned makeup until the infection subsides (about one-thirds gone now - yay). These are without a doubt the softest face brushes in my stash. I keep touching and petting them ALL the time - very stress-busting.

Brush 10
Duo-fibre stippler. So rare to come across a duo-fibre that's white/cream and not black-and-white. I use this for stippling cream foundations (NARS Radiant Creamy Compact and Bourjois 8-in-1 BB Cream Compact, to be precise). Also fabulous for liquid foundations. My favourite stippling brush. $53 individually. Buy it here. 
Brush 11
My favourite blush brush. And bronzer. Bigger version of Brush 02. This or 02? This one! Perfect with both sheerer and highly pigmented products. $48. Buy it here.
Brush 12 
I use this for setting powder over liquid foundation. Does the job evenly without disturbing the foundation. $53. Buy it here.
Brush 13 
Multi-tasker according to the literature but I like this for attempting contouring and/or strobing. Also $53. Buy it here. 
Brush 14
Best highlighter brush, ever. I admit that I've only used this brush twice but I swear it justified my purchase of Becca SSP powder in Opal (Thanks, Indyabeauty.com for recommending the shade). Now I need to get better and show you how Opal looks on me when applied with this brush. $33. Buy it here.
Brush 15
Fan brush. 15 or 14? 14. I have three other fan brushes, but this one is by far the softest, densest and gentlest of the them. $25. Buy it here.

The Face Set costs $265. Buy it here.

Wayne Goss The Eye Set

I bought brushes 16-18 and 20 by themselves as there was no point in getting the eye set separately since I already had 19. I also accidentally ordered another fan brush. Don't ask how.
Buy the Eye Set here for $148; it includes brushes 16-20.

Brush 16
The greatest rival to Sephora Pro Airbrush Concealer Brush 57. Perfect for airbrushed finish while concealing the under-eye area. Lovely symmetrical dome, super-soft, dense and gentle on the skin. I bought back-ups for travel; cannot live without this, thanks! You need it if you like Sephora 57. $33. Buy it here.
Brush 17
Large eyeshadow brush. Packs colour on the lid so well that I only reach for this brush now. $32. Buy it here.
Brush 18
Eye shader brush. Less dense, smaller than Brush 17. Brush 17 or 18? I would say both, but if you had to pick only one? Go for 17 - picks up more pigment, but if you are dealing with nicely pigmented eyeshadow or have tiny eyelids, 18 will suffice. Brush 06 or 18? 06. As above. $26. Buy it here.
Brush 19
Ties with Brush 03 Best Eyeshadow Blender. My favourite blending brush, ever. Brush 03 or 19? Go for 19 if you must buy only one blending brush. If you have larger eyes (lucky you!) and prefer a bigger blending brush, go for 03. $27. Buy it here.
Brush 20
Pencil brush. Fabulous for precision, inner corners. Blew my old pencil brush (theBalm) out of the water. This or Brush 05 for a pencil brush? This. If you have tiny eyes, go for 05. $20. Buy it here.

Wayne Goss The Brow Set

I received the Brow Set in the Beautylish Lucky Bag, reviewed here. These are brushes 21-23. I've only done my brows TWICE with these owing to the makeup ban by my dermatologist, so I cannot tell you anything but this: no other brow brushes have come remotely close to brush 21. No comment on multiple washing because these have only been washed once. $55 for the set, buy here.

Brush 21
Perfect for applying ABH Dipbrow Pomade on the brows. One dip does it for both brows and gives an even finish. I love that the bristles are very short - this is what makes the brush a winner.
Brush 22
A brow comb and a brush with thicker bristles. For combing through brows or lashes.
Brush 23
Spoolie. Brilliant for combing out clumpy mascara from lashes.

FAQs

Where is Brush 09? 
There isn't one. That was a Holiday Brush, which means limited edition. There is, however, a Brush 00, which was the 2013-14 Holiday Brush, now permanent. I haven't bought it yet. I also missed the 2015 Holiday Brush (also sold out).
Full sets or individuals?
The price point is pretty much the same whether you buy the lot together or separately. If you want a couple of options - different kinds of face brushes and different eye brushes - buy the sets. If you buy the whole eye set and Collection, you get three different eyeshadow blending brushes for rotation. Similarly, if you buy the Collection and the Face Set, you get five different blush/bronzer/powder brushes and a couple of foundation brushes for different kinds of application/product. If you don't need options, pick and choose based on your requirements.
Individuals. Which do I absolutely need?
If you FORCED me at gunpoint to pick just one face brush for each requirement, I would go with 10 (foundation), 11 (blush/bronzer), 12 (setting powder) and 14 (highlighter).
Eyes? Blending: Brush 19. Shading: 17. Concealer: 16.
Also, 07, 08 and 21 for smudging, tightlining and brows respectively.
Worth it?
Every penny. Seriously, I now regret buying some of those older good-but-not-Goss brushes in my stash. Should have invested in just these.
Will these replace the Beautyblender? 
Maybe not for liquid and powder foundation because I'm used to it and I'm too lazy. For setting powder, cream foundation and everything else, yes. While travelling, definitely.
Are these better than Hakuhodo?
I have no idea. I have come across both arguments, but until I use a Hakuhodo brush, I cannot tell you. I can only say they are better than all the brushes I've tried in-store AND in my two five-drawer acrylic storage. High end to budget.
Do these shed? 
Blimey, no. As I said, I've only used the Face Set a couple of times but the Collection has been mine since November and has been in the wash rota frequently. Nope. Not even when I touch them all the time (stress-busting).
Go out of shape?
Not yet, but I've ordered brush guards for these because I am the master of rough handling. They deserve it!
So, no complaints at all?
I am the master nitpicker, so... could we have a flat top buffing brush, Mr Goss? Pretty please? The Wayne Goss version of IT Cosmetics Heavenly Luxe Airbrush Foundation brush would be brilliant!

Verdict and where to buy

That feeling you get when you buy amazing makeup brushes - there's nothing quite like it, is there?
I don't even have words for how darn soft these are. For how beautifully they pick up product and apply it without moving the skin or disturbing already applied makeup/skincare. For how seamlessly these blend. A joy to use. Each of these was worth every penny I paid. And I bought back-ups of Brush 16 for concealing.
Think of these as the Beautyblender. All the other brushes are those latex sponges. I could go on about how much I love these, but that would just lead to a string of adjectives.
Buy all the Wayne Goss Makeup Brushes here. Worldwide delivery.

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Disclaimer: Nope, not PR. Zilch relationship with WG, Beautylish or Japan. Affiliate links.