Happy Friday! It’s going to be a Super weekend! Whether you will be watching the big game, cheering for the Steelers or the Packers, or just interested in relaxing, eating snacks or watching the commercials… it’s a good weekend for hanging out with friends and family.

Anyhow, here’s a listing of some new free goodies for all the Bionic Beauties out there!

Keep the in-between your pearly-whites super clean with a free sample of Dentek floss picks.

Free sample pack of Playtex Sport tampons – You’ll get 2 regular unscented, 1 super unscented, and a coupon for $1.00 off!

Snag a free sample of Maybelline’s brand new FitME! foundation makeup from Target online. I’d love to hear everyone’s thoughts once you have tried this new makeup. Let’s compare notes!

Get a freebie of Origin’s Plantscription anti-wrinkle skincare serum by visiting their Facebook page. Simply “Like It”, and then click the green “Order Your Sample” button.

Enjoy the samples!

E.l.f. Cosmetics (also known as Eyes Lips Face) is holding a brand new, splendiferous sale. Simply use the coupon code MHHALF at checkout to receive 50% off your E.l.f. Cosmetics mineral makeup order!

Breaking news: Brand new mineral makeup sale at elf!

Elf makeup, brushes, and cases make excellent stocking stuffers for the upcoming holidays. And now it’s even better since you can save a few bucks.

Valid only on orders over $20. You can buy other items besides mineral makeup, of course, but the half off discount will only apply to the mineral items in your “shopping cart”. Offer expires on November 14, 2010 so shop quickly!

One of the most frequent topics that fellow Bionic Beauties ask me via email is for mineral makeup application tips. I have some tricks n’ tips scattered in the archives of the Bionic Beauty blog, but I figured it was high-time I posted compiled list of my most useful application techniques.

Using a glazed terracotta pot saucer as a mineral makeup “tray” makes application onto your brush or sponge MUCH easier. I outlined my full technique in this article and added some photographs and further details. You can pick up these glazed pot bottoms at home improvement stores for around $1-2. They are easily sanitized too!

Many women think you can only apply mineral makeup with a brush. Step outside of that thought-box and check out my review of the Beauty Blender sponge. I also included a video from Beauty Blender themselves on how to use the sponge. It took me about a week to get my technique nailed, but now it’s a breeze.

If you’re not ready for the price of the Beauty Blender, but want to check out something similar, head to your local Target store. In the makeup aisle, you’ll find Sonia Kashuk’s blue version of this infamous makeup sponge. It usually runs around $8-$10.

In the hopes of helping you skip the awkwardness that I had when I got my first Beauty Blender, here is my step-by-step application technique…

1. Grab your Sonia Kashuk or Beauty Blender sponge and wet it thoroughly until it swells.
2. Make a fist and squeeze really well (this is great stress relief for me, by the way, ha!).
3. Then I squeeze mine lightly in a towel, so the sponge is now barely damp.
4. Dump your mineral makeup (or other powdered or liquid makeup) into your saucer, countertop, palm, wherever.
5. Lightly tap, tap, tap the large end (i.e. the bottom, wide part of the egg shape) sponge into a bit of the mineral makeup you’ve dumped out. Move over to a bare spot in your saucer and tap the sponge there a few more times. I find this step helps evenly spread the minerals on your sponge’s surface.
6. Now that your sponge is loaded, bounce the it around your face. It’s more like “pouncing” or “blotting” your face. Keep bouncing focusing on a large section of your face (but not your entire face at once). Start by applying less than you think you need- I have found that my makeup goes on so much more evenly with the Blender sponge that I don’t have to use nearly as much makeup to get the same coverage. Plus it looks like I am wearing a LOT less makeup!
7. To apply concealer, use the smaller/pointy tip of your sponge for precise application.
8. If your sponge dries out during your makeup process, just re-wet it and squeeze it out again.

As much as I love my Beauty Blender, I also love my flat-top bronzer brush (from Purely Cosmetics) to apply my mineral makeup. There are more application tips in my Purely Cosmetics review. You can see a photograph of the brush that I use: it’s bristles are about 3/4″ long and very tightly packed so you don’t lose your powder by it wandering up into the brush. You can use the brush damp too if you want!

Tips for mineral makeup application with a brush:

1. Dump some minerals out into your saucer, plate, etc. Swirl them around to spread them out a bit.
2. Tap your brush into them lightly. Tap any excess powder off on the side of the saucer (so that your saucer catches the excess).
3. Then go to a bare-ish spot on the saucer and swirl the brush to work the minerals evenly onto the brush tips. Hint: Don’t use much pressure because you don’t want the makeup pushing INTO the brush bristles, but just staying on the tips.
4. Go to one section of your face (I do my eyes first), dab the brush on and start blending around your face. Swirl some more. When you finish from your brows to your under-eyes, it’s probably time for a bit more minerals. If you still have plenty on your brush, you picked up too many in the beginning. Be sure to tap more off on the next “loading”.
5. Move onto the next section of your face.
6. For damp application with a brush~ You can use a spritzer bottle to mist the brush once. Then follow the steps above. Using a damp application method will get you more coverage, more even distribution, and it tends to look less like “makeup”.

My final tip is to mix your own custom tinted moisturizer using your favorite face lotion and your mineral makeup. This do-it-yourself makeup recipe is my go-to makeup when I am suffering from dry skin, seasonal or hormonal changes, flakes, “airplane” skin. It would also be perfect for after treatments of glycolic peels, hyaluronic acid, salicylic acid, or benzoyl peroxide.

If you’re new to mineral makeup, or had some difficulty with the application process, hopefully these tips can get you on the right path. And for my mineral makeup gurus out there, feel free to weigh in with your secret techniques too!

Every makeup aisle lately seems to have some new version of a “High-Definition” powder or foundation. I am slowly testing my way through the wide-range of options. Hopefully my reviews can help you save money and make the right decision for your skin!

It Cosmetics is a brand that’s gaining attention both offline and online. Their “Bye Bye Pores Poreless Finish HD Micro-powder” is certainly a mouthful of a name, but I wanted to know if it actually performs as the name suggests.

In short… no. Not for me anyhow. I have slightly sensitive skin, a combination of oily areas and dry-ish areas; and I hold any makeup tested to very high standards.

The Poreless Finish HD powder highlighted flakes I didn’t even know where there, and really irritated my face (and pores). I had to wash it off vigorously after only a half hour – it burned like mad!! I’m guessing the ingredients list isn’t quite complete on the packaging since this type of burning usually results from a cheap bismuth filler. Quite a few larger makeup companies (such as Bare Minerals/Escentuals) use bismuth in their “natural” mineral makeup to cut ingredients costs. Bismuth is inexpensive, but also can cause stinging when it sinks into your pores. This usually happens when your pores are open due to heat, humidity, or working out. However, in my testing of It Cosmetics’ Poreless Finish HD powder, I didn’t even get a chance to review it under outdoor conditions since I had to remove it so quickly.

With all that said, this powder may work for people who have oily skin without any sensitivity. All It Cosmetics products are cruelty-free.

Bye Bye Pores Poreless Finish HD Micro-powder is whopping $24 on Drugstore.com.

Have you tried It Cosmetics’ Bye Bye Pores Poreless Finish HD Micro-powder? Feel free to share your review in the comments below!

FTC Disclosure: This item was sent to me free of charge in return for an honest review. The opinion in this article is based on my personal experience and was not influenced by any source. I was not compensated for this article. Feel free to read my disclosure policy for more information.

Welcome to another freebie roundup from Bionic Beauty… It’s the end of another weekend, but thankfully most of us have a long weekend coming up! Holidays that fall on Mondays are some of my favorites. They take away that Monday dread and a four-day work week is divine!

Let’s get on to the freebies now, shall we?
Hourglass Cosmetics is offering free samples to send to your friends! Select up to three samples at their website and then fill in your and your friend’s contact information. I have their Prodigy lip gloss in Opium that I’ll be reviewing here on Bionic Beauty soon. It’s quite lovely!!

Aveeno has released new freebies of their Nourish+ hair care collection. I’m not sure if you can request them again if you got the first batch a few months ago, but it’s worth a shot!

Grab a freebie of Hugo Element – their new men’s cologne fragrance. Simply click on the free sample link on the lower left.

Enjoy!

I thought it would be fun this week to take a little trip down Memory Lane…
This week’s Bionic Asks… How old were you when you started wearing makeup? And when did you actually become more interested in makeup, skincare and the like?

I’ll kick things off-
I started wearing makeup in my Freshman year of high school. Back then it was mostly a bit of CoverGirl’s Clear Complexion powder (the kind that smelled like, and contained, Noxema ingredients) and CoverGirl’s concealer in a lipgloss-wand-type tube. I was prone to acne, so concealer dotted on top was a must for me. My eyes usually just had CoverGirl mascara on my lashes; and I would occasionally wear some brown Revlon eyeshadow, or Wet n’ Wild’s black eyeliner pencil. I didn’t do much experimenting back then. Can you tell I was a CoverGirl fangirl? My mom was, and still is, a Clinique fan. She would usually give me some of the stuff from her Clinique Bonus Time bags. That was always an exciting time of the year for me, but I still kept things minimal. My mom tried and tried to get me to wear more eye makeup. She succeeded for one of my Proms, but before the night was through, I ended up using Qtips to wipe most of it off; I just didn’t feel like me.

I didn’t really start experimenting with color and different makeup looks until my mid-twenties. I found color! I took classes from local makeup artists and dermatologists whenever possible and started branching out to different brands: L’Oreal, Physician’s Formula, Sonia Kashuk and Milani became my favorite brands. I still struggle with occasional acne- mostly from testing so many different skin care regimens and makeup brands for Bionic Beauty. Thankfully now I have the knowledge to clear up my skin, detox it, know which ingredients I need to avoid, and what my skin actually needs to be healthy.

One thing that hasn’t changed in my makeup routine over the years… my love of nail polish. As far back as I can remember, I always kept my toes painted. I consider them my mini artistic canvases!

And now it is your turn, dear readers. Think back a bit, and share your makeup history!

With the hundreds of brands of mineral makeup out there, it’s a royal pain to sort through the good, the bad, and the just plain ugly. Personally, I have tried over fifty brands (yep, you read that correctly… 50!).

I had just about given up because they either made my skin light on fire when I’d sweat a bit (that’s the icky bismuth cheapy filler that so many brands use); they’d look cakey; would settle in my pores; or they’d make my skin uber-dry and breakout massively. It was not a pretty picture.

I was finally lucky enough to find my favorites: Purely Cosmetics and PRIIA Cosmetics.
Now, every makeup look starts with Purely’s Skin Smoothing mineral makeup in California Blonde, mixed with a bit of PRIIA’s Complexion Enhancer in Angelic. For special occasions, I finish it all with Purely’s Diamond Perfect Finish powder (I love, love, love this product!). Both brands are free of those cheaptastic, and often quite bad for you, fillers that the bigger, more expensive brands are known for. I refuse to pay more money for a product that is not truly a mineral makeup!

So… this week’s Bionic Asks… Have you found your must-have mineral makeup brand? How many did you try before settling? Or are you still on the hunt?

There are a myriad of mineral makeup brands out there, and you all know I have a few favorites. I’m here to introduce you to another brand: Fusion of Color Cosmetics.

Eyes: Straw (matte shadow all across lid and up into the crease); To Cool (shimmery forest green shadow on outer third of eyelid); In Vogue (white shimmer shadow used a brow bone highlight).

Bionic wearing In Vogue, Straw and To Cool shadows by Fusion of Color

I’ve used Straw here as a base for my other colors. It would also make an excellent concealer, primer or matte brow bone accent! And my photographs of To Cool (the green) really don’t do it justice. It’s such a pretty shamrock color!

Fusion of Color’s eyeshadows start at $4.50 for a 1gram jar which will give you months and months of color!

Lips: Twitter Butter Lipstick

Mmm.... Twitter Butter lipstick!

Twitter Butter lipstick was very smooth on my lips and provided a sheer wash of color. Nice to wear and very moisturizing! FoC’s lipsticks run $4.25 each (very affordable!).

Blush: Uptown Girl
A slightly shimmery berry that looks exceptionally dark in the jar, but is wearable by even light colored women. Use a bit, and add more until you reach your desired shade. Blushes are available in 13 colors and run $7 each, for 2 grams.

My little Fusion of Color Cosmetics' sample jars

Face: All Over Face mineral makeup in Radiant Georgia. Fusion’s full size mineral makeup foundations run $15 a jar and come in a gigantic variety of shades.

Face highlight: In Vogue eyeshadow (swept down bridge of nose, dabbed in corners of eyes, and on angel’s bow of upper lip).

All face makeup by Fusion of Color!!

I really enjoyed testing out this brand- the foundation wore very well even in the humidity and while working outdoors. And the variety and depth of eye shadow shades is just incredible. I highly recommend checking this brand out. Unsure of what colors you’d like to try? Check out their samples section!

FTC Disclosure: This item was sent to me free of charge in return for an honest review. The opinion in this article is based on my personal experience and was not influenced by any source. I was not compensated for this article. Feel free to read my disclosure policy for more information.

Long-time Bionic Beauty readers know that I’m a BeautyBlender fanatic. For those of you who haven’t heard of this little makeup application miracle, bring yourself up to speed by reading my review. My blender gets used for concealer, powdered mineral makeup, finishing powders, and liquid tinted moisturizer. Pretty much any foundation I put on, gets applied with this little pink egg-shaped wonder!

If you’re a BeautyBlender addict like me and want to share this with your mom, sister, or best friend- I’ve got good news. They’ve just released a special Valentine’s Day gift set that features two (2) BeautyBlender sponges plus ten single use packets of BlenderCleanser (which works wonders on ALL my makeup brushes!). It’s packaged cute, and the clear plastic doubles as a “drying rack” after use or after cleaning your sponge, so you don’t even have to bother wrapping it up!

Plus, with this gift set you’re getting a nice savings off of the regular pricing. The kit is available exclusively on www.beautyblender.net for $28.95 (regular pricing would run you $36).

And don’t forget… be eco-friendly with your old BeautyBlenders by sending them back for recycling!

I recently took a trip to a pretty dry climate. I’m one of those rare gals who adores humidity. My skin dries very easily and the humidity helps keep me from getting flaky. Between the humidity decrease and the dry airplane air, I knew I’d need to slather extra moisture on my face.

My solution? I mixed up a custom Tinted Moisturizer.

1. I started with an empty mineral makeup sample jar- but any small tub would work (such as a pill container, lotion sample bottle, lip balm tin, etc).
2. Then I added a few pumps of my Lexli Day Lotion (with SPF 15) and…
3. Next I added my Purely Cosmetics’ loose mineral makeup (I used California Blonde). Add your minerals slowly- add a bit, then stir to check the color, repeat until you get your desired coverage and color level. Since the lotion goes on transparent, you really just want the minerals to give you a bit of coverage.

So instead of carrying my minerals in powder form, I keep a small tin of this mix in my purse at all times. It’s perfect for touchups (much less messy than dusting minerals while you’re on-the-go) and traveling! Plus your skin will stay moisturized and healthy. Can’t beat that!