Another formerly spa or high end beauty store brand is now more accessible to the masses. I’ve spotted Essie nail polish displays at several Walgreens and Target stores in both large and small towns. If they aren’t in your area yet, they should be coming soon.

Essie polishes spotted by Bionic Beauty at Target!

Both stores seem to have the Essie polishes priced around the $7.00 range.  I picked up Merino just last week – it’s a cool-toned suede brown color.  I’ve been wanting that polish for over a year now and finally splurged.  I will post swatches soon!

Do you have any plans of trying out some Essie nail polishes now that they are easier to find?

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

Looking for a way to maintain a radiant, healthy glow in the midst of winter? With no need to measure a thing, try this simple recipe!

Want skin as soft as this baby? Try this DIY Oat and Honey Facial Cream!

Ingredients:

• Oats
• Honey
• Yogurt (Plain)
• Ground Almonds

Directions:

Mix some of your oats and a few spoonfuls of honey together, sprinkling in additional oats to thicken the texture. Then add yogurt and the ground almonds. Continue to stir until creamy. Gently apply the mixture to your face and leave on for 5-10 minutes. Rinse with lukewarm water.

Hello gorgeous!

Stay Bionic,

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

Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine’s day- if there is only one thing in the world that is a certainty in life it’s that we all have chocolate in the house this time of year.

Once regarded as bad for our health, research has proven that dark chocolate is healthy- and not just to eat. The compounds found in chocolate can actually benefit the skin.

Time to melt down that left over Christmas candy!

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tbsp cream, plain yogurt, or sour cream
• 3 tsp oats

Sooth your skin throughout the candy season with this scrumptious chocolate face mask!

Directions:

Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Apply the mixture to your clean, dry skin and leave on for 15-20 minutes. Rinse with warm water and pat dry.

Enjoy!

Stay Bionic,

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

Dancing snowmen? Flying reindeer? Talk about a season full of myths! As it turns out however, there is at least one thing we can trust to come this winter- welcome to my face, dry skin.

Time to thaw out those chilly weather blues by winterizing your skin with this new recipe that I’ve come to love. Peppermint when used as an infusion is much gentler than peppermint essential oil, while cucumber soothes and feeds the skin with silica.

Ingredients ~

• 1/2 of a fresh medium cucumber
• 5 ounces (150 ml) filtered tap/mineral water
• 1 packet peppermint tea
• 2 oz (60 ml) aloe vera juice
• 2 drops vitamin E oil
• 1 oz (30 ml) carrot juice (optional)

Sooth your skin this winter with a homemade Cucumber, Peppermint and Aloe face mask!

Directions ~

First, puree the cucumber using a blender. Next, prepare the peppermint tea using filtered water and allow it to steep for 3 minutes. Then combine with the rest of the ingredients and shake well.

The peppermint, when used as an infusion in this blend, is much gentler than peppermint essential oil, while cucumber will help sooth and feed your skin silica.

When the mixture is ready, you can either rub it on your skin or even add it to your bath water.

Storage ~
Refrigerate the mixture [and keep it away from your beverages for obvious reasons! ] and it will stay good for at least 3 days. You can even toss it in your freezer for a quick skin reviving treatment through the summer months.

Stay Bionic,

T

he holiday shopping season is here. Television, radio and internet commercials are laden with the things we “must-have”, people are battling for parking spots, and everyone is trying to save money (myself included).

So this week’s Bionic Asks… Will you be buying any beauty-related for loved ones this holiday season? Or do you think its better to give them gift cards to buy the cosmetic goodies they prefer?

I’m planning on buying close family some small items like my favorite Herbaria soaps and sampler makeup packs. To round it out, I am doing a “homemade holiday” this year. My family and friends are getting loaves of my famous banana bread, personalized journals, and woven collars for their pets. In summary, I guess I’m doing a mix – a bit of beauty goodies and a bit of personal hand made stuff.

However, if I wanted to buy a beauty-related present for someone who I didn’t know very well, I would definitely go the gift card route. Better to let them pick exactly what they want than not use something or have to return it.

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

With the temperatures dropping, there really isn’t much more enjoyable that I can think of than a relaxing bath. Why not try this simply, festive bath salt recipe that will help boost your mood and reduce fatigue?

Perfect for the holly-daze... A DIY Peppermint Bath Salts recipe will melt your worries away!

Ingredients ~

• 1/2 cup Epsom salt
• 1/4 teaspoon peppermint oil *
• 1 drop red food color (optional)

The magical creation ~

First grind the salt into a fine powder and pour into mixing bowl. (Hint: A coffee grinder or a mortar and pestle work wonderfully for this!) Then simply add the remaining ingredients.  Stir well and let it dry overnight.  Store your new bath salts in a sealed jar.  Makes 4 ounces.

To use ~
Add 1 tablespoon to bath water and enjoy!

* Why chose Peppermint besides it’s obvious delicious scent? Peppermint oil, originally from Europe, is often referred to as the “world’s oldest medicine.”  As hard as it is to imagine, the world has been using the oil for almost ten thousand years!  Such uses range broadly from removing ticks to soothing the common stuffy nose. This recipe also makes a wonderful gift for your loved ones!!

Stay Bionic,

This week’s Bionic Asks… What are your favorite online beauty shopping websites?

Do you shop directly at the major online makeup and skin care websites such as the Amazon Beauty department, Beauty.com, drugstore.com, or Sephora.com? Or do you go straight to a particular brand website?

Typically I perform a Google search for a particular item and price shop through the search engine for the best savings.

However, if I’m buying an indie beauty product, which is about 80% of the time, then I head right to their website. I enjoy supporting the indie brands much more than the larger, mainstream brands that spend a gazillion bucks on marketing and usually have lackluster customer service.

So go ahead… list your favorite online beauty shopping sites below!

Happy Thanksgiving! In order to help you prep for tomorrow’s Black Friday madness, check out this week’s beauty and cosmetics sales, discounts, and coupons from your local Walgreens, CVS, and Rite Aid drugstores!

Walgreens

• Most Walgreens stores will be open from 9am to 6pm on Thanksgiving Day (some 24 hour stores will be open all day and night as usual).
• Fragrance, perfume and cologne gift sets – On sale starting at $9.99
• Beauty and makeup gift sets – On sale starting at $2.99
• Select fragrances, perfumes and colognes – Buy 1, get 1 FREE!
• InStyle Impressions of Designer Fragrances – Buy 1, get 1 FREE!
• Almay Cosmetics and makeup – Buy 1, get 1 at 50% off!
• Neutrogena Cosmetics and makeup, facial wipes or makeup removers – Buy 1, get 1 at 50% off! Plus check for coupons in most Sunday newspapers.
• Olay ProX skin care kits – On sale for $49.99
• Olay ProX skin care products – On sale for 15% off
• L’Oreal Go 360° Clean face cleanser, wash or scrub – On sale for $4.99
• L’Oreal Revitalift or Age Perfect skin care (excludes Revitalift Deep Set Wrinkle) – On sale for $10.99
• Maybelline Volum’ Express the Falsies mascara – On sale for 40% off
• Pantene, Head and Shoulders, Herbal Essences or Aussie hair care shampoo or conditioner – On sale for $5.84
• Renpure Organics or Organix hair shampoo or conditioner – Buy 1, get 1 FREE!
• Salon Grafix hair styling products – Buy 1, get 1 FREE!
• L’Oreal Healthy Look hair color – On sale for $6.99
• Nice ‘n Easy Root Touch-Up hair color – On sale for $5.99, plus get $1 off with in-store coupon!
• L’Oreal Cosmetics and makeup – Buy 1, get 1 at 50% off!
• ChapStick Lip Balm – On sale, Get 2 for $2 (excludes Shimmer and Fresh Effects)
• Baby Phat, Jennifer Lopez or Nautica fragrances – Buy 1, get 1 at 50% off!
• Johnson’s Softwash or Bodycology body wash – Buy 1, get 1 at 50% off!
• Dr. Teal’s Epsom Salt, 48 oz. – Buy 1, get 1 at 50% off! Epsom salts are great for homemade bath scrubs, or detoxing body soaks!
• Olay 2-pack, Zest 3-pack, or Safeguard 4-pack bar soap – On sale, get 2 packs for $4
• Calvin Klein fragrances, perfumes and colognes – Save $10 with in-flier coupon! (limit 3)
• L’Oreal Preference hair color – On sale for $6.99 with in-flier coupon! (limit 4)

CVS
Remember, you’ll need a free CVS Discount card to get these prices…

• CVS pulled a fast one this week and ended all their weekly sales before the Thanksgiving and Black Friday shopping days. I shared my displeasure with them via Twitter. Grrrr….

Rite Aid

You’ll need the free Rite Aid “Wellness+ Card” to get most of the savings listed below.

• Fragrance, perfume and cologne gift sets – On sale starting at $8.99
• Beauty and makeup gift sets – On sale starting at $2.99
• LaCross beauty tools and implements – Buy one, get one FREE!
• L’Oreal Excellence or Excellence-to-Go hair color – On sale for $8.99, plus get $2 off with in-ad coupon!
• Mitchum or Lady Mitchum, Speed Stick or Lady Speed Stick, Right Guard, Dry Idea, Soft and Dri, Arrid or Arm and Hammer deodorant/antiperspirants – Buy one, get one FREE!
• Sally Hansen Cosmetics and makeup – Buy one, get one FREE!
• TRESemme shampoo, conditioner or hair stylers – Buy one, get one FREE!
• Aveeno skin care and bath/body care (excludes sunless tanners, SPF, sunscreens) – Buy one, get one at 50% off!
• Burt’s Bees lip, face and skin care products – Buy one, get one at 50% off! Plus… buy $10 in Burt’s Bees items and get a $2 +up reward.
• Clearasil skin care products – Get $2 off with in-ad coupon
• Frederic Fekkai hair care – On sale, get 2 for $42; plus get a $10 +up reward. (*Please note: Fekkai hair products are not available in all Rite Aid stores)
• L’Oreal Healthy Look Creme Gloss hair color – On sale for $8.99, plus get $2 off with in-ad coupon!
• Irish Spring 8-pack bar soap – On sale, get 2 packs for $8.00; plus get a $1 +up reward.
• Irish Spring bodywash – On sale, get 2 packs for $8.00; plus get a $1 +up reward.
• LaBella hair styling gel – On sale for $2.99; plus get a $1.50 +up reward.
• Clairol Nice ‘n Easy Gray Solution hair color – On sale for $8.99; plus get a $5 +up reward.
• Pantene Beautiful Lengths, Restoratives or Expressions hair care (shampoo, conditioner and styling products) – On sale for $4.99
• Pert Plus hair shampoo – On sale for $2.99
• c. booth Derma or Eclos skincare – Get $3 off with in-ad coupon
• All nail enamel and polish (excludes Wet ‘N Wild and Sally Hansen) – Buy one, get one at 50% off!
• All artificial nails and false eyelashes – Buy one, get one at 50% off!
• All mascaras (excludes Wet ‘N Wild) – Buy one, get one at 50% off! (Revlon mascaras also have an additional $1 mail-in rebate – see in-store or online rebate center for details and forms.)
• Nivea For Men holiday skin care gift sets – On sale for $9.99
• Olay Regenerist Night Resurfacing Elixir, DNA UV Cream or Microsculpting Cream or Serum 1.7 oz. – On sale, get 2 for $44. If you purchase both the Night Resurfacing Elixir and Microsculpting Cream or Serum – you’ll qualify for a $20 mail-in rebate!)
• Wet n Wild cosmetics and makeup – Buy one, get one at 50% off!
• Conair Mini hair dryer, Straightener flat iron, Crimper or You Style – On sale for $14.99; plus get a $5 +up reward.
• Conair AC hair dryer, Fuschia dryer, You Style or You Curl stylers – On sale for $34.99; plus get a $5 +up reward.
• Holiday Bath and body care sets – On sale for $5.99 to $19.99

All sales end November 27th, 2010 (unless noted above).
Happy shopping, Bionic Beauties!

There were two key reasons I was excited to try Fight Back “2,” another product within the Mission Essentials line.  The first- the company is based out of Charleston, South Carolina, so their front door is just a hop, skip and jump away from my own.  And two- Charleston has bugs like no other city.  Bring on the insect repellent!

Joycey Couture puts Mission Essentials' all natural bug repellent to the Bionic test!

A little background on the company itself- Mission Essentials offers products that are paraben free, contain no sodium lauryl-sulfate (SLS) and are vegan-friendly.  They also only use earth-friendly packaging.  What’s not to love?

So there I was, an evening not unlike others, rocking on my porch chair and talking with a few of my friends.  If you’ve ever had a chance to visit the “Lowcountry,” as we call it, you’ll quickly learn that as soon as the sun sets, the bugs begin to bite.  Forks has vampires and werewolves, we have no-see-ums and mosquitoes.

I decided it was the perfect setting to test out Fight Back “2,” a 100% natural insect repellent.

I sprayed my entire body down and soon felt hungry for cereal.  It smells so much like Fruit Loops, I was certain a toucan was going to swoop down, land on my shoulder, then tell me how I needed to follow my nose.

No toucans came around, but no bugs did either. I was sold!
After using Fight Back “2” for a number of bug intense weeks now there is one thing that needs to be known- like any other bug repellent, the Mission Essentials spray does need to be reapplied every hour and a half (or so) for continuous protection.  Bring on the outdoor activities!

Ingredients: Water base, lemongrass essential oils (recommended by the FDA and CDC as the most effective natural ingredient against West Nile Virus), lemon eucalyptus (recognized by Consumer Reports as effectively comparable to low levels of DEET), geranium essentials oils and litsea cubeba, other essential and natural oils.

Grab your own 4 ounce spray bottle for $12 or a 1 ounce trial bottle for $5 at Mission-Essentials.com. You’ll be ready for the buggy outdoors no matter what!

Stay Bionic,

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.

Ready to save some moo-lah, money, buckaroos, dinero, fliff? Check out this week’s beauty and cosmetics sales, discounts, and coupons from your local Walgreens, CVS, and Rite Aid drugstores!

Walgreens

• Fragrance, cologne and perfume gift sets – On sale from $9.99 to $19.99
• Degree or Dove Clinical antiperspirant/deodorant – On sale for $6.99; plus get $2 back in Register Rewards (RR)
• Select Dove or Degree antiperspirant/deodorant – On sale, get 2 for $5; plus get $2 back in RR
• RoC skin care products – Buy 1, get 1 at 50% off!
• Neutrogena Cosmetics and makeup – Buy 1, get 1 at 50% off!
• Cover Girl Cosmetics and makeup – Buy 1, get 1 at 50% off!
• Rimmel Cosmetics – Buy 1, get 1 at 50% off!
• Burt’s Bees lip or skin care – Check your Sunday newspaper for coupons
• Eucerin creme or body lotions (14 to 16 ounce bottles) – On sale for $9.99; plus check your Sunday newspaper for coupons
• John Frieda hair care shampoos, conditioners and styling products – Buy 1, get 1 at 50% off!
• Revlon Ion Select hair dryer and Perfect Heat curling iron – On sale for $9.99
• Garnier Nutrisse or HerbaShine hair color – On sale for $5.99
• Garnier Fructis hair care shampoos, conditioners, and styling products – Get 3 for $10 (excludes anti-dandruff shampoo, serum, and treatments)
• Dove Hair Care shampoo, conditioner and styling aids – Buy 1, get 1 at 50% off!
• All L’Oreal makeup, skin care and entire L’Oreal stock – Buy 1, get 1 at 50% off!
• Revlon ColorSilk hair color – On sale for $2.49 with in-flier coupon (limit 4)
• Blistex and Carmex lip care – On sale for 99 cents with in-ad coupon (limit 3)
• Softsoap or Irish Spring Body Wash – On sale for $2.99 with in-flier coupon (limit 3)

CVS
Remember, you’ll need a free CVS Discount card to get these prices…

• Fragrance, cologne and perfume gift sets including ones from Calvin Klein, Elizabeth Taylor, Paris Hilton, Ed Hardy, Beyonce and tons more – On sale starting at $6.99, and some sets are buy 1, get half off.
• All Revlon cosmetics, makeup or beauty tools – Buy 1, get 1 half off!
• Jergens body lotions – Get $1 back in CVS extra bucks
• University Medical skin care (WrinkleFree facial, eye, brow systems, dermal filler 1 oz, serum, Retinol 4x cream 0.5-0.85 oz or eye patches 4 ct.) – On sale for $24.99; plus get $10 in extra bucks
• CVS brand Facial Cleansing or Moisturizing skin care products – Buy 1, get 1 half off!
• Garnier Nutritioniste Ultra-Lift Daily Moisturizer, Skin Renew Anti-Dark Circle Roller, and Moisture Rescue Moisturizers and Cleanser – Spend $15 and get $5 back in extra bucks
• St. Ives body wash – Buy 1, get 1 FREE!
• L’Oreal Advanced RevitaLift – On sale for $11.99
• L’Oreal Age Perfect moisturizer or Collagen moisture filler – On sale for $11.99
• Aquaphor or Eucerin hand and body creams and lotions – Get $1 off
• Maybelline Great Lash mascara – On sale for $4
• Maybelline Expert Wear Shadow Trio – On sale for $5
• Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser foundation – On sale for $10
• Maybelline Falsies Volum’ Express mascara – On sale for $6
• Any Maybelline Cosmetics and makeup – Spend $10 and get $3 in extra bucks
• All Sally Hansen Cosmetics, makeup, nail polish – Buy 1, get 1 half off!
• Dove or Degree body mist, Ultimate or Ultra Clear deodorant/antiperspirant – On sale for $3.99
• All Noxzema skin care – On sale for $4.49; plus get $3.00 in extra bucks
• Ultimate Beauty Color Collection makeup set – On sale for $9.99 (Sale expires December 25)
• Aveeno Active Naturals skin care (Ultra-Calming Daily Moisturizer, Hydrating Body Wash, Daily Moisturizing or Skin Relief Moisturizing Lotion) – On sale starting at $8.79 (Sale expires December 25)
• Clean & Clear Skin Care (Deep Action Cream Cleanser, Morning Burst Facial Scrub, Dual Action Moisturizer, Advantage Acne Spot Treatment and Persa-Gel 10 Acne Medication) – On sale starting at $5.99 (Sale expires December 25)
• Burt’s Bees Change Purse Gift Set with Lip Balms – On sale for $14.99 (Sale expires December 25)
• Burt’s Bees Natural Manicure Set – On sale for $14.99 (Sale expires December 25)
• Essence of Beauty Body Scrub – On sale, get 3 for $4 (Sale expires December 25)
• Essence of Beauty Shimmer Body Mists – On sale get 3 for $4 (Sale expires December 25)
• RapidLash Eyelash Renewal Serum – On sale for $49.99 (Sale expires December 25)
• Softsoap Nutri Serums Body Nourishing Wash – On sale for $4.99 (Sale expires December 25)
• Nivea Happy Gift Collection (contains Touch of Happiness Body Wash, Happy Sensation Body Lotion, and A Kiss of Milk and Honey Natural Lip Care) – On sale for $9.99 (Sale expires December 25)
• CVS brand Cocoa Butter or Aloe Cool & Fresh Moisturizing Lotion – On sale for $3.99 (Sale expires December 25)
• Mission lip balm – On sale for $3.99 (Sale expires December 25)
• Mission skincare products – On sale starting at $8.99 (Sale expires December 25)
• Garnier Nutritioniste Ultra-Lift skin care products – On sale starting at $17.79 (Sale expires December 25)
• Lumene ExCELLent Future Deep Repairing Cream or face serum – Sale prices starting at $33.99 (Sale expires December 25)
• AcneFree 1 Hour Pimple Patches – On sale, prices starting at $6.29 (Sale expires December 25)
• Olay ProX Intensive Wrinkle Protocol Kit or Exfoliating Renewal face wash – On sale starting at $20 (Sale expires December 25)
• Eye Couture 18 piece makeup gift set with eye, lip and nail colors – On sale for $4.99 (Sale expires December 25)
• Wet n Wild Festive Flirt Nail Kit (8 nail polish colors and a file) – On sale for $4.99 (Sale expires December 25)
• 50-shade eyeshadow compact – On sale for $4.99 (Sale expires December 25)
• Burt’s Bees Tin Ornament with Beeswax lip balm – On sale for $9.99 (Sale expires December 25)

Rite Aid
You’ll need the free Rite Aid “Wellness+ Card” to get most of the savings listed below.

• Maybelline Cosmetics and makeup – On sale for 40% off!
• All L’Oreal skin care – Buy 1, get 1 at 50% off!
• All L’Oreal hair care products – Buy 1, get 1 at 50% off!
• All L’Oreal cosmetics and makeup – Buy 1, get 1 at 50% off!
• All L’Oreal hair color – Buy 1, get 1 at 50% off!
• All Neutrogena Triple Moisture or Renewal shampoos and conditioners – Buy 1, get 1 at 50% off!
• All Neutrogena bath, body and skin care (includes sun care and sunblocks) – Buy 1, get 1 at 50% off!
• All Neutrogena makeup and cosmetics – Buy 1, get 1 at 50% off!
• Garnier Nutritioniste skin care, face washes, moisturizers, etc – Buy 1, get 1 at 50% off!
• Garnier Nutrisse hair color – On sale for $5.99
• Garnier Fructis Anti-Dandruff Shampoo (13 oz. bottle) – On sale for $3.99
• Garnier HerbaShine hair color – On sale for $5.99
• Garnier Fructis shampoo, conditioner or hair styling products – On sale, get 2 for $6; plus get a $5 +up reward when you buy any $15 in Garnier products
• Revlon ColorSilk hair color (excludes shrink wrapped twin packs) – On sale, get 2 for $5
• Revlon eye makeup products – On sale for $2 off; plus save $1 with mail-in rebate (signup at Riteaid.com/SCR or by mail) *and* get a $2 +up reward why you buy Revlon’s new Grow Luscious mascara!
• Sally Hansen cosmetics, Natural Beauty makeup, Airbrush makeup, Airbrush Leg tanners, nail polish removers; and LaCross beauty tools – Buy 1, get 1 at 50% off!
• Fragrance, cologne and perfume gift sets (regularly priced between $14.99 and $16.99) – On sale for $12.99
• Dove or Degree antiperspirant/deodorant, aerosol or body spray (excludes twin packs or Clinicals) – On sale for $3.99; plus get $1 in +up reward
• Speed Stick 24/7, Stain Guard or Pro antiperspirant/deodorant (excludes Twin Packs) – On sale for $1.99
• Dial 8-pack bar soap – On sale for $3.99; plus get a $1 +up reward
• Dial body wash (16-18 ounce bottles) – On sale for $3.99; plus get a $1 +up reward
• John Frieda Brilliant Brunette, Sheer Blonde, Luxurious Volume, Root Awakening or Frizz Ease hair care products – Buy 1, get 1 at 50% off!
• Head and Shoulders shampoo (23.7 ounce bottle) – On sale for $5.99
• Clairol Loving Care hair color – On sale for $4.99
• Clairol Nice ‘n Easy Root Touch-Up hair color – On sale for $4.99
• Pantene shampoos or conditioners (25.4 oz bottles) – On sale for $5.99
• Keri body lotion – Get 2 for $10; plus get a $2 +up reward
• Nivea body washes or shower gels (8.4 – 16.9 oz. sizes) – On sale for $3.99; plus get a $1 +up reward
• Olay 6-pack bar soap – On sale for $6.99; plus get a $1 +up reward

All sales end November 13th, 2010 (unless noted above).
Happy shopping, Bionic Beauties!