Friday Five [ Beauty Week Edition ]

Since it’s beauty week on the blog, it’s only fitting that the Friday Five be beauty-focused. So, here are five random beauty buys that I’m loving.

O N E
I found this makeup brush shampoo recently and my goodness, the reviews are true – this really gets everything out of your brushes and the bottle is a great size for the price. I noticed that it seemed to get my brushes cleaner/back to the original colors more easily than previous cleansers I’ve used. I will admit that I don’t wash my brushes as often as I should. Like I’m actually completely embarrassed by how often I wash them…but I’m trying to do better and this cleaner is fantastic.
T W O
It may seem odd to talk about collagen peptides in a beauty post, but they benefit hair, skin, nails, joints and more, so I consider it to be a “beauty supplement” in many ways. I’ve talked about them before, but if you’re not adding collagen peptides to your diet, I would consider doing so. I use this brand and put the collagen peptides directly into my morning cup of coffee (the powder is tasteless and dissolves completely). I’ve also used the powder in smoothies. Vital Proteins has 9g of protein in one serving of their collagen peptides, which is pretty awesome. Over time, it is said to even help fade dark spots on the skin.
T H R E E
I’m long overdue for an update on the RapidBrow serum that is supposed to help grow brow hair. I used up the entire tube (I think it took me a few months). I do think I saw some results, however, the formula is supposed to be applied morning and night and I was only using it at night (I didn’t like using my tinted brow gel over it because it made them feel too “wet.”) I’m not sure I can say that I 100% recommend it, but I also did NOT use it as directed. I already have full brows, but I have some spots where I would have liked to see a little growth and I do feel like my brows look better now than they did – but to be totally transparent, I did have them professionally shaped and tinted (though the tint is long gone/faded now). I think the fact that I now only use a tinted brow gel and not a pencil or powder is a testament to using a brow growth product and I’m kicking myself for not taking photos I could really see if there was a difference. Having said all of this, I’m tempted to purchase another brand’s brow growth serum – like this one, this one, or this one – let me know if you’ve used any of these.
(this was taken after I had my brow professionally tinted, shaped and filled in — I don’t wear them thick and penciled/powdered like this on the daily)

Here are my brows just filled in using the tinted brow gel — I did see some growth from the serum but I would like to see even more and want a product I only have to apply once per day.
F O U R
Recently I painted my nails (I paint my own nails once a week) and used a different topcoat than I usually do, only to see a chip in my polish the very next day. I realized that over the past year, the topcoat I use the most, this gel one by Essie, is the one that seems to work best for me and makes my nail polish last the longest and look its best. It was created as a top coat for their gel couture polish, but I find it works with every brand (OPI, CND, etc).
F I V E
I’ve used a Wet Brush for years now – if you don’t have one, you need one immediately (order here or here). Wet Brush recently came out with a new brush with generous air vents called the flex dry brush, for faster blow-drying and I’ve been using it in lieu of the regular brush for blow-drying. I still use and love my regular Wet Brush for brushing and styling, but the one with the air vents is a great choice if you blow dry your hair with any regularity.
Have a great weekend!