Beauty Product Reviews

Stellar for Mineral Powder Foundation & more...

Saw Wayne's video on this brush (I've watch all the brush videos...multiple times!), and liked how he presented it as a multi-tasker, so I bought it. While it does everything he says, if you use a powder foundation, this brush will excel in that application. The shape of the head helps you buff the product into the skin with gentle ease. I like using it after I have applied my makeup to blend the cheek area products and remove any product that settled in any 'lines' that I've 'earned' over the years. The head is dense, the hairs are soft and of good quality. It has been washed multiple times and has dried right back to its original shape. (I use an elastic band and strap it down to my towel rod upside down to dry and a mesh brush guard when necessary. This kind of head should stay more compact when drying as not to splay out like a typical powder brush might.)

I've read another review about a smell when being washed...sorry, but I can't smell anything unusual or out-of-the-ordinary about this natural hair brush. (Admittedly, I don't bury my nose in it to sniff it either! I use it on my face, so that is close enough. (Any natural/animal hair brush will/can have a slight odor that usually dissipates when dry and with use...this brush was un-remarkable.)

This is the ‘Big Guns’ brush cleaner!

If you need to break-down product quickly from your brushes, then this is what you need. Just remember that it does not replace shampooing your brushes. (Think hand-sanitizer vs. washing your hands.) Unless you are a pro MUA, this would probably be over-kill to use every day at home, unless you use the PS jar to quickly dip your few brushes that need a solvent cleaner. (Yes, get the jar!) Just take care not to soak your brushes, as capillary action will bring the cleaner up into the ferrule, possibly dissolving the glue holding your hairs in place!

This cleaner can be used by dipping the brush into it, buffing your brush into a cloth wet with it, or by spraying it onto your brush head, then buffing/blotting the excess cleaner & product residue onto a clean paper towel. I find this product to be very effective & easy to use.

Note: Some reviewers mention the scent to be over-powering…besides its’ citrus scent, remember it is a solvent that evaporates quickly, so take care when working with it for prolonged periods.

One of the most versatile brushes in the collection...

If I was forced to take one eye brush on vacation, this could be the one. Because of the shape and taper of the brush head, you can do a cut crease, lay down color, do a wash of color on the whole lid, and blend effortlessly. It also performs beautifully to powder under the eyes (or any other spot) as well as to blend out when you spot conceal. I like to use it with a brightening powder to strategically apply it around my brows, lips, etc. Soft, high quality and feels so nice on the skin.

For lips...YES!

My initial inclination for this brush was for the eyes. I like to pack on a darker powder over my pencil liner to help set it, and this brush is a dream for that. (I can smudge/work-in the liner, and then dip it in the shadow with the same brush--time saver.) But...since I knew it was being showcased for lips, I thought I should use it for that a few times before I discounted it. Well, wow! I never had a lip brush with this shape and ability to work the color onto my lips. I like to apply lip balm to most of my lips after applying foundation. (I apply the foundation slightly over the natural line of my lips.) I was able to take a fairly pigmented lip balm/gloss/crayon and work the product into my lips after defining the edges. What-a-breeze! I honestly haven't gotten such a precise placement without using a pencil liner for the bow of my lips. (The most critical part of lip color placement in my book.) I would suggest that you have a dedicated brush for lips separate from the eyes, I guess I will be ordering another one.

Blending...no problem here!

Plush and soft. Blends eye shadow with ease. It covers the orbital bone and lid well to make blending quick and almost pleasurable (due to it being so soft and effcient.) It also works well to deposit highlighter and contour to your target areas. Washes and dries well, it kept its' shape well. Hint: Blend using circular motions as not to spread your shadow out beyond the eye area, as this brush is about 1/2" round at the hairs' base.

A coveted brush...now a reality!

I like to watch Lisa Eldridge 'films' as she calls them. (Videos to most of the rest of us.) She often uses a Suqqu brand brush (Japanese). Not readily available in the US and VERY expensive! Now with the Wayne Goss Brush 20...no-more-coveting! Not having done a side-by-side comparison of the two, how I have seen the brush demonstrated--it fulfills my expectations. You can work around the lash line with ease to smudge shadow, pencil or to apply shadow. I highly recommend this brush. Hint: Use a light hand to avoid 'splaying' out the hairs. This brush washes and dried well. I was afraid that it wouldn't keep its' perfect shape, but it looks just like it came out of the package. Even if you do not wear dark smokey eye looks, you'll find that this brush gives the softest look around the lash line with lighter shadows, for a delicate definition. (Think a 'natural toned' smokey eye.)

A worthy replacement to a well-loved brush...sigh!

Did you ever steal a paintbrush for a face brush? I did, and though it worked better than what I found otherwise, I longed for something better. I found it! This brush picks up product well and lightly deposits it on the skin. If you have mature or sensitive skin, I can highly recommend this soft, yet versatile brush. Apply blusher, bronzer, highlighter and powder with ease. You can see in the photo that the two brushes are not greatly similar, but the Wayne Goss 19 due its' smaller diameter and proportionately longer hairs than what you usually find, does the job, and then some!

This jar is not your 'kitchen variety'...more substantial.

If you think that you will just use a re-purposed kitchen jar (like I did for so long), think again! The glass of this jar is far more substantial than what you might commonly re-purpose. Also, the lid...the seal is much thicker and wider than what you also may find with other common jars. Now onto the plastic thingy...so simple, and yet so genius. A brush cleaner like Parian Spirit breaks down product so efficiently, that the particles will just sink to the bottom. This is where the genius lies. The 'broken-down product' residue just sits on the bottom of the jar, because the ring and the mesh piece keep your brush hairs away from it, you can keep using your solution without polluting each subsequent brush to be cleaned. (Now this is within reason of course!) This is a nice addition to my cleaning setup.

So small, yet so mighty!

This brush surprised me. I knew it would be tiny, and had expected the shorter hairs to feel more 'stiff'. Not-at-all. My eyelashes do not grow in a neat row, sitting a bit randomly, especially at the outer corners of the upper lid. I can dot some eye liner (pencil) and this brush will work the product into the lash line, navigating between my 'random' lashes with ease. The softness of the brush head is a dream when working in such a delicate area. If this brush is last on your eye brush list (like it was mine), it deserves to be bumped up! It is a very useful tool indeed. I am a make-up coach, and my client base often includes people who need to update their decades-old routine, or those with health issues. This brush is so kind to the skin, I can recommend it without reservation for mature and sensitive skin types. It washed and dried well (and quickly!).

This works wonders!...but why?

First impressions...ughh, the finish felt rough on the 'supports' that attach under the pad holder. I assume this just might be with mine. (F.Y.I.--Every other part of the finish was o.k.) But, before I cast it off as some cheap thing...I tried it, and I really liked it. So I thought, why does this work better? My comparison to 3 other curlers I have (2 Sonia Kashuks/both different issues, not identical; and another Japanese KAI one...yes, I can be a nerd with such stuff!) Billy's has a slightly 'tighter' curve. (From what I could see.) The 'posts' that the top 'blade' sits on are closer together than my other three curlers (just slightly).

My take: Judge a product by its' usefulness, not your expectation of what it should be and you just may be surprised. This curler is a keeper! It did curl my lashes better than my other curlers have. The curve just seem to fit my eye better. Just a note about the 'no replacement pad' issue: Personally, when I got pads with my curler, I usually never remember where I put them But mostly, I find that the 'scissor-action' of the curler becomes compromised. I noticed that my older curlers shut tighter closed than my newer ones. It makes sense that all the pressure from regular use eventually affects the unit. Even when I have put new pads in, the curler closes more than when new. (Disclosure: I got this for free as part of a Billy B. promotion. I would replace it if I wore out, or got lost though.)