Welcome to another installment of Bionic Beauty Homemade with Joycey Couture!

What do you get when you wash your hair everyday in the midst of winter? You guessed it- dry hair!
In my quest to find a solution, I came across this recipe. Time for show and tell!

Has the winter months wreaked havoc on your hair? Try this DIY cucumber hair drench!

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 1 eggshell’s worth of olive oil>
• 1 quarter of a peeled cucumber

Directions:

Blend the egg, olive oil and peeled cucumber together in a large bowl and spread it evenly through your hair. Leave the mixture on for at least 10 minutes and rinse thoroughly. For the best results, use this treatment monthly.
Also great during those beach and pool filled months we call summer.

Oo la la!

Stay Bionic,

Bella Lucce’s hottest sale of the year is in full swing, featuring the famed 2008 Holiday Collection. While supplies last, save 60% or more on every product in the Limited Edition Cranberry Fig and Gingerbread Crème fragrances. Sugar scrubs, body washes and silky lotions…oh my! If Santa didn’t leave you everything on your list, or if he did and you just need more- then this is the sale for you!

No coupon code necessary as the discount will be reflected automatically. Quantities are extremely limited and will not be replenished until Fall 2009, so grab extras and save big. If you haven’t had a chance to try Bella Lucce, this would be a perfect introduction to this cult-favorite brand! Enjoy!

Looking for the perfect nail polishes for your holiday parties? Essie’s Winter Collection and special Mega Mini Treasures gift set offer a fool-proof nail wardrobe.

Damsel in a Dress is my favorite of the Winter 2008 collection. Purple shades are the “it” nail color of this winter. Damsel in a Dress is a deep plum shade with subtle silver shimmer. It’s one of those amazing colors that is deep, yet still purple indoors, and takes on brighter personality when in sunshine. I loved the application. My polish above is 3 coats with a top coat. If you pick up one of these Essie polishes this winter, this is my recommendation.

Essie’s Sexy Divide is a brighter purple than Damsel in a Dress- making it another great purple option for this winter. It has self-colored shimmer (rather than the silver highlights of Damsel). Again, fantastic wear with this polish. I went three days with no chipping! I did experience some cuticle drag upon application of the first 2 coats, but it evened out after the 3rd.

In the far right of the bottles photo above, you’ll see the final Essie Winter 2008 polish that I tried. This is Rock Star Skinny- a deep crimson red, very subtle silver & self-colored shimmer. Indoors it appears more of a deep red-brown and outdoors it takes on the gorgeous crimson/maroon properties. Lovely application! I loved the color changing properties of this polish. Rock Star Skinny is probably my second favorite of the Winter 2008 collection (you can see it on my thumb in the photo below).

Essie’s Mega Mini Treasures is a special holiday giftset available for a very affordable $15. You get the 4 mini polishes shown above (and on my nails in the photograph below).

Imported Champagne is a white frost with slight pink undertones. I typically find frosts really difficult to apply and have them look presentable. Essie’s formula really impressed me. This polish applied smoothly. The shine is beautiful with this polish! I think I’ll pair this with my dark jeans & a dressy top for the holidays.

Pink Glove Service is a very, very sheer pink. On it’s own, it will dress up your nails with shine and improve the look of your nail beds. If you’re a french manicure fan, this would look great with Imported Champagne on your tips and Pink Glove Service over top. Simply amazing application with this color!

Jelly Apple is my favorite color from the mini treasures which really suprised me. It’s a jelly cream. Slightly translucent even at 3 coats, it’s super shiny and a bright, perky red. It’s like a shiny red Corvette for my nails.

Berry Hard is my second favorite color from the Mega Minis. No surprise here since I’m a nut for the dark colors. Berry Hard is a nother jelly cream. It’s a dark bordeaux that reminds me a grape juice stain. Gorgeous, gorgeous color indoors and out. I really like how this one doesn’t look black inside. You can still see the true color.

Essie’s Winter 2008 collection also contains Bold & Beautiful (a ruby garnet creme), It’s Genius (a violet shimmer), and Shifting Power (a gold frost). View and purchase them all on Essie’s website ($8 each or $45 for the full collection).

The Mega Mini Treasures receives a Bionic Buy recommendation for the bargain of $15. 4 polishes that cover such a wide range of nail colors- This gift set will remain wearable for many seasons.

Hmmm… maybe he’s not, but his new limited edition fragrance, Very Pretty, has ROCKED Bionic’s world.
Seriously folks, I’m not a luxury perfume lover normally. I have some favorite fragrances, but they are the ones you find in the drugstores (Curve’s Wave, Adidas’ Move, Bodycology’s Pick Me, yada yada).

My absolute favorite perfume!! Michael Kors' limited edition "Very Pretty"

I now leave this bottle out on my bedside table. It’s adorned with crystals, making it shine & twinkle at me. Scents notes include light citrus, coconut, white florals, and sandalwood. It’s sensual without being overwhelming or “too frou-frou”. The only drawback is the cost. It’s $75 for a bottle.

But I bucked up. I am so in love with this fragrance… even the Bionic Hubby gave it an overwhelming approval. Remember, if you want a bottle, pick it up quick, as it is a limited edition. Or just direct your guys to this article as a strong hint for your holiday wish list!

You can find Michael Kors Very Pretty at MichaelKors.com, your local Nordstroms (if you want a sniff), or Nordstrom.com.

Every winter, nail polish deepens up and I’ve got to admit… I *love* it! Essie’s new Winter 2008 collection includes gilt gold, dark reds, rich purples. I know I’ll be rocking the Rock Star Skinny and Sexy Divide. I’m sitting here imagining my nails decked out in these colors with a little black dress and silver clutch. Hmmm… now I need some holiday parties to attend!

Essie’s winter 2008 nail color collection includes:
Bold & Beautiful – Rich, ruby garnet
Damsel in a Dress – Oh-so-deep currant
It’s Genius – A violet quartz shimmer
Rock Star Skinny – Glamorous crimson red
Sexy Divide – Electric Violet Temptation
Shifting Power – Sizzling molten gold

Burt’s Bees is wildly popular with many consumers. From it’s small start to it’s now, large corporate presence, they offer a little more natural alternative to some skincare needs.

If you’re like me, winter sucks all the moisture out of your hands. The Healthy Hands gift set would be a great way to help alleviate the cracks, flakes and itchies.

You can pick up your Healthy Hands gift set at Drugstore.com for $12.99. Shop early and you’ll get a free Burt’s Bees lip shimmer when you purchase over $25 in Burt’s Bees products.

Get festive this season with essie’s holiday treats – and share the glitz with these perfect holiday gifts! After all, ’tis the season of giving!

Essie Mega Mini Treasures includes one of each mega mini nail colors:
Berry Hard – Powerful rush of deep blooming berries.
Jelly Apple – Delicious and sweet juicy red.
Pink Glove Service – A flirty translucent petal pink.
Imported Champagne – A sparkly, luxurious golden beige.

Essie Smoothies Trio Gift Set includes one of each 2 fl. oz size smoothies:
Blueberry & Banana – Tantalize your senses with sweet blueberry mixed with luscious banana cream.
Coconut & Pineapple – One whiff of this sugary pineapple and creamy coconut blend will conjure dreams of the tropics.
Pomegranate & Mango – A calming, soft fragrance fusing juicy mango with hints of exotic pomegranate.

This gift set, Jessica’s Sweet Treats, has the whole nail polish range covered. One set and you’re golden! I love the color range so I figured I’d share my find here on BB with you ladies.

The price point, quality and amount of product make this a definite bargain for any ladies on your holiday list.
The set includes:

• 1 bottle Flexistrength .25 oz
• 1 bottle Flexishine Topcoat .25 oz
• 3 shades of deep, jewel-toned nail polish: Chocolate Truffles, Rose Bouquet, Champagne and Strawberries.

The Sweet Treats nail polish kit is only $16.95 at jessicacosmetics.com. What say you… do you buy beauty and cosmetics products for friends and relatives?

Heading out for a full day of shopping on Black Friday? If you are, Bath and Body Works has released an aromatherapy gift set to help.
The duo contains two formulas:

• Headache Relief Instant Aromatherapy with Peppermint Essential Oil (to ease tension) and Lavender Essential Oil (to soothe and calm);
• Stamina Boost Instant Aromatherapy with Peppermint Essential Oil (to pep you up) and Lemon Essential Oil (to increase alertness). $15.00

The Shopping Marathon aromatherapy gift set is available at Bath and Body Works for $15.

There’s no denying it now… it’s the holiday season. That brings with it all the stress, crazy-shopping, cart-bumping, internet ordering, late nights, cooking, planning, decorating and holiday parties.

I have to constantly remind myself that I’m not Martha Stewart or Rachael Ray. I’m Jami. And whatever I cook or wear will be loved by my friends and my family. It may not be perfect, but ya know… that’s what makes it unique.

But when a self-pep talk isn’t enough to calm my nerves, I turn to several proven Bionic relaxers. Deep breathing always helps. I slowly breathe in and out while counting in my head or imagining beautiful washes of color across my face. Yeah, it sounds kooky, I know. But it works for me.

On the more physical side, I’ll run a nice warm bath and sprinkle in my favorite bath salts. And for the record, those would be Y-Y’s Seascape which is a tub of moisturizing bath salts. They smell wonderful, dissolve easily, and have the bonus of helping to detox your skin and body. They are also white so there’s no icky film or crumbs to scrub out of your tub afterwards (face it, you DON’T need that extra step during the holidays). Another of my faves is International Orange’s “Bathe”. Their salt crystals are scented with white lotus flower, orange blossom, and vetiver root. Again, great scents for relaxing and detoxing.

After the bath and since it’s winter time (and hence dry), I rub down with my favorite lotion. If you have more than one, let you mind decide what it wants. If you listen, it’s just like a craving. Your body can “lead” you to what scents it wants or “craves”.

Another secret from the Bionic household? Face masks. I picked up a little kit from Astara which holds trial sizes of all their face masks (its $69 and well worth the money…it would make a great gift too). During the holidays I usually slather my face with the Golden Flame Hydration Mask. It’s made to soothe and hydrate tired and dry skin. And usually everyone needs a little extra facial moisture during the holidays. Alcohol can dry your skin, plus the elements, and indoor environment- running the heat zaps humidity out of your home’s air.

Relax, destress and your holiday season will be much more enjoyable!