Posts from — May 2008

CEW (Cosmetic Executive Women) announced their annual beauty award winners on May 2nd. Here’s the breakdown by product type, and market range (budget/mass or expensive/prestige). Have you tried any of the products? If so, what are your thoughts, raves, dislikes?

Bath and Body
Body Treatment
Mass: Olay Thermal Pedicure
Prestige: Dr. Andrew Weil for Origins (TM) The Way of the Bath(TM) Matcha Tea Body Scrub

Scented Bath and Body
Mass: Johnsons(R) Softoil(TM) Melt Away Stress Massaging Moisturizer
Prestige: Tom Ford Beauty Black Orchid Finishing Oil Spray

Facial Skincare
Acne Treatment
Bare Escentuals RareMinerals Blemish Therapy

Anti-Aging
Mass: Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream
Prestige: Shiseido Cosmetics (America) Ltd. Bio-Performance Intensive Skin Corrective Program

Cleanser and Scrub
Mass: Dove SkinVitalizer
Prestige: philosophy The Microdelivery Micro-massage Exfoliating Wash

Eye Treatment
Mass: Olay Regenerist Eye Derma-Pod Anti-Aging Triple Response System
Prestige: Estee Lauder Future Perfect Anti-Wrinkle Radiance Eye Creme

Moisturizer
Mass: L’Oreal Paris Revitalift UV Daily Moisturizing Cream with Mexoryl SX
Prestige: Estee Lauder Hydra Bright Skin-Tone Perfecting Moisturizer

Hair Care and Coloring
Mass: Garnier Fructis Style Sleek and Shine Anti-Humidity Hairspray
Prestige: Frederic Fekkai Coiff Controle Ironless Straightening Balm

Makeup
Eye Product
Mass: CoverGirl LashBlast Mascara
Prestige: Dior DiorShow Blackout Mascara

Face Product
Mass: Almay Smart Shade(R) Blush and Bronzer
Prestige: Estee Lauder Resilience Lift Extreme Ultra Firming Makeup SPF 15

Lip Product
Mass: L’Oreal Paris Infallible Never Fail Lipcolour
Prestige: YSL Beaute Lip Twins

Men’s Skincare
Clinique Skin Supplies for Men M Cover

Scent
Men’s Scent
Bond No. 9 New York Andy Warhol Silver Factory

Women’s Scent
Marc Jacobs Fragrances Daisy Marc Jacobs

Sun
Mass: Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock SPF 70
Prestige: Estee Lauder Multi-Protection Sun Towelettes for Body SPF 15

Indie Beauty Award
bettybeauty, inc (tie)
Clark’s Botanicals (tie)

Anyone who orders from Ferro Cosmetics and mentions BIONIC BEAUTY is offered a FREE Mini of their choice- just mention Bionic Beauty at checkout and which Mini you would like.
Plus, if you sign up for the Ferro newsletter first, you’ll receive 15% off your first order (that’s the new subscriber special) so it’s a double bonus!

So, if you didn’t win the Bionic Ferro Mineral Makeup giveaway (Congrats again, Claudia!), this is your chance to save some money and order some of their great products!

Walgreens is offering a free sample of Celine Dion’s latest foray into the fragrance world “Sensational“. Visit Walgreens.com to request yours. No strings attached, just a quick form to complete. However, this freebie is for USA residents only and there’s a limited supply so act quickly. Enjoy!

There’s a new poll on Bionic Beauty. I’m asking you if you plan to head to the movie theater to watch the new Sex and the City movie. Is it even on your radar? Or was the show just “so-so” for you? Or, are you already planning your outfit and ready to order tickets?

Personally, for summer movies, I’m thrilled about the new Indiana Jones and The Dark Knight (the next Batman). I cannot wait to see those on the big screen!

So go ahead share your anticipation on the Sex and the City movie by voting in the new poll in the left sidebar of the blog.

Read more for the results of the previous poll…

[Read more →]

To the Moms across the globe and world wide internet, “Happy Mother’s Day!”

My mom lives about 5 hours from us, so we don’t get to visit too much, but we talk a few times a week and email quite often.  My mom always shared beauty advice (some I would take, some I wouldn’t- just like every daughter, I assume) and she raised my sister and I to be strong, independent women. Even though I moved out right after high school, she does not treat me like I’m only 18. She respects me and my decisions and because of that, we go to each for advice and are happy to help each other out.  Through my younger years, she would get up hours before work to take care of all our pets (and we had TONS), make us breakfast, pack lunches, and then she’d head to the barn to feed my horse breakfast, turn him out and finally she would head to work. I’m not sure how she did everything. To this day, her parrots have a cleaner house than I do! :)  She certainly allowed me to get bit by the critter bug, and I would not be the person I am today without my Mom.

The picture above was taken during the summer of me being 16, just outside of Blairsville, Georgia. My parents would drive me 13 hours to the north Georgia mountains to spend the summer at Trackrock Campground. I would work at the stable all summer- guiding trail rides, teaching vacationers to ride horses and training my horse for barrel racing. My parents would make the drive a least once more during the summer to visit and again at the end to pick me up. Dedication.

Mom, I love you!

And now, onto the gifts…

I bought my mom, mother-in-law, and a close friend a Mother’s Day gift pack of Herbaria Soaps. I picked the varieties based on each personality. I’m also bringing 4 bars to another friend’s baby shower today. I figure if I am addicted to these soaps, I should share my obsession. So what did you ladies buy for Mom?

I’m very honored! Jen from Mythbuster Beauty has nominated Bionic Beauty for a 2008 Blogger’s Choice Award in the category of Best Shopping Blog. I’d appreciate it if any readers could spare some time to vote.

Here are the steps to vote:

1. Visit this BCA link.
2. In the upper portion of your screen, click the Sign Up link (unless you already have a BCA login, then click the Log In link).
3. Fill out the short form (your name, email address, pick a username, password, etc). Be sure to check the box that you are over 13 (if you are, of course), and *uncheck* the “keep me informed” box (that way you don’t get any extra emails in your inbox).
4. Submit the form. You’ll then see a “Successful Signup” screen.
5. You’ll get a confirmation email in your inbox, confirm your email address by following the instructions in this email. (Don’t worry, you won’t get spammed by BCA, they are very reputable.)
6. In the upper right corner of your screen, type Bionic Beauty in the search box.
7. Pick bionic-beauty.com from the results, and select “Best Shopping Blog” from the drop down.
8. You’re now at Bionic Beauty’s polling screen. Just click the yellow Vote button to cast your vote.

I appreciate you all taking the time and energy to do this. It just makes my day!

1. 2. 3. 4. Who knew hair care could be so easy!

pHormulate’s Color Care System is designed specifically for color treated hair. I am a frequent color gal, so I’m sharing my thoughts on this line of hair products.
I tested the 1a After Color Shampoo, 2a After Color Shampoo, 3a Anti-Aging Leave-In Treatment, and 4a Hydropolish Strengthening Serum.

All four products have UV blockers to prevent color fade which is especially important during the summer months when we typically spend more time outdoors.
The pH is formulated on the low end of the scale help lock in color (hence the name).

The shampoo (1a) smells fresh and botanical with a hint of herbal scents. I loved the sudsing action! And my hair was manageable and rinsed quickly.

The conditioner (2a) is a thick cream that punches moisture into your hair. Again, the scent is light and pleasant. My hair was shiny, knot-free, and soft. Can’t ask for more than that!

Both products are packaged in matte-finish tubes making it less likely to slip in the shower. The shampoo is an 8 oz tube and the conditioner is a 6 oz tube- impressive! I have long wondered why companies package shampoo and conditioner in the same amounts. Most of us use a little less conditioner and it seems logical to decrease the size of that container. Anyhow, I like that pHormulate paid attention to this fact.

The 3a Leave In Treatment is great for quick styling touch ups, trips to the beach, or windy days. It really helped me avoid tangles and has the bonus of Sage, Rosemary and Golden Seal extracts. 3a is a spray treatment, in a 5 oz clear bottle so you can easily judge how much product is left. It left my hair super shiny- just be careful not to overdose. I recommend 3 sprays around your head to start. After seeing how that goes, you can increase or decrease as needed. Use it before heat-styling (drying or irons, etc) to prevent heat damage!

Hydropolish (4a) serum is perfect-o for taming fly-aways, defining curls, adding a bit of extra moisture to the ends of your hair (split ends?), or just adding some extra shine. This product is super concentrated. Start with a teeny dab, rub your hands together (it’s in a 2.5 oz pump container) and then slide your hands over your hair to distribute the product. I had great luck with Hydropolish on humid and rainy days!

Another nice note: pHormulate does not test on animals.
I would recommend the After Color line for gals who color your hair frequently (like me) or those of us with dry hair (again like me). It certainly seemed to help with color fade out!
You can buy the entire hair care line at phormulate.com.