Review: Wayne Goss 01 Foundation Brush

Do you guys think it’s time to hear about the Wayne Goss 01 brush? Because after using it exclusively since I got it, I think I’m ready to tell you about it!

Once again, I’m impressed by the build quality of this brush. The ferrule is seamless and made of very solid-feeling black metal. If you squeeze the top of it, it doesn’t bend or warp. I assume it’s painted/lacquered, but I don’t know that for sure. The join between the ferrule and handle is very solid, no movement at all if I try to tug or rock it. The handle is shiny black-lacquered wood that blends in very well with the ferrule so it all looks like one piece. The end of the handle has ‘wayne goss’ printed on one side and the brush number printed on the other in engraved silver lettering. I went ahead and put clear nail polish over the letters because I learned my lesson from my Hakuhodos (the silver rubbed off).

Front view

Top view

The brush head is round with a flat, angled top. It has two hair lengths in it. The shorter hairs are very dense, and the longer ones are less dense. It’s extremely soft on the skin – not as soft as squirrel, obviously, but definitely one of the softest foundation brushes I’ve tried.  Again, the hair types aren’t listed but this one looks and feels like white goat (shorter hairs) and synthetic fiber (longer hairs). For example, here’s a comparison next to the Hakuhodo J214R, which definitely is white goat/synthetic:

The hairs keep to the brush shape very well, with no crazy flyaways. It lost a few hairs in the first couple washes, but definitely not more than I’d consider normal for a really good brush. I haven’t experienced any shedding during use.

Where this brush really shines, though, is how it works. The shorter hairs are dense and don’t have much movement, so you can get great coverage by using a dabbing or stippling motion. The longer hairs are very soft and flexible, so you can use a light touch to blend in a circular motion (if you’re using Wayne Goss’ pore-covering trick, for example) without picking the makeup back up or stirring up flakes on dry skin. Since my skin is pretty dry and flaky right now from being on Accutane, I definitely appreciate having a brush that doesn’t emphasize my skin’s texture issues.

Like any foundation brush, it doesn’t work as well if there’s any product build-up on the bristles. I spot-clean with a makeup remover wipe after each use, and on the third use between washes I noticed that I had to work a little harder to get it to blend well. That’s about standard compared to my other buffing foundation brushes (UD Optical Blurring and Tarte Airbrush). It’s fairly easy to clean, and dries within a few hours (instead of the entire day that my UD brushes need).

Another thing to be aware of is that since the brush head is on the small side, it isn’t quite as fast to use as larger brushes. What it lacks in speed it makes up for in a great finish, though.

Brush measurements, for those interested:

• Total length – 148mm
• Brush head diameter – 20mm
• Bristle length on short side – 13mm
• Bristle length on long side – 20mm
• Difference between bristle lengths – 4mm on the short end, 5mm on the long end

This shape of this brush naturally makes you wonder how it compares to the Shiseido foundation brush, which I just so happen to have.  The first thing you notice is that the Goss handle is quite a bit longer – 3cm, in fact – but the Shiseido is a very short-handled brush. Despite the longer handle I still find the WG 01 comfortable to hold and use, and it feels well-balanced in the hand.

Size-wise, the brush heads are pretty similar. The diameter is almost exactly the same, and the angle of the Goss brush is maybe a tiny bit steeper. The shorter hairs in the Goss brush are a tiny bit shorter than the Shiseido, but the longer synthetic hairs make the brush head a bit longer overall. The overall density is similar, but the longer hairs in the Goss make it look less dense from the top view.

The next obvious question is whether they give the same results, and I tested that for you too! You can click the photos to enlarge them.

Left: Goss
Right: Shiseido

I tested first by dabbing each brush in foundation and then dabbing it once on my arm. You can see from the photo above that the Shiseido brush gives a more complete and even coverage on the first try. Of course, that’s not how we apply foundation, now is it?

Next, I dabbed the brush (straight up and down) until I got complete coverage. The Goss took one or two extra dabs more than the Shiseido to get full coverage, but still covered quickly. The coverage and finish at this point are similar.

Left: Goss
Right: Shiseido

Finally, I moved the brushes in circular motions back and forth to blend. This is where I feel like the Goss brush has the advantage. The longer hairs in the WG01 do a better job of disguising skin texture, and the longer hairs are very flexible so it doesn’t tug at your skin. This Shiseido brush hair is really soft too, but it’s so dense and firm that trying to buff in circles with it isn’t super-comfortable and can pull up any flakes if you have them. I still love the Shiseido brush, but for right now I’d have to say I’d pick the Goss 01 over it just because I prefer a more airbrushed finish.

In Short: I can easily imagine this becoming my most-reached-for foundation brush.

YSL Touche Eclat foundation applied with the Wayne Goss 01 (plus Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Ethereal)

The Wayne Goss 01 foundation brush is available for $45 from Beautylish in the US, and Love Make Up (£30) everywhere else.