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,

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,

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.

After a few weeks hiatus, I’m back with another installment of Bionic Beauty Homemade with Joycey Couture!

Shoo fly, don’t bother me with this homemade, and all-natural, Bug Repellent spray!
After spending two long summers in muggy Charleston, I’ve come to cherish my insect repellents – at least the ones that have held their own against the mighty strength of the Southern bugs!

Joycey Couture gives you an easy way to make your own all natural bug repellent!

I’ll be honest, this do-it-yourself recipe isn’t the simplest due to the amount of ingredients, but it was quite fun creating the mixture and then realizing it actually works. And works well! It also smells great, and is safe for 2-legged kids and 4-legged fur-kids (i.e. your pets) to use. I know Jami has some mixed up especially for her Amazing Woo!

There are specific essential oils that will need to be bought for the recipe to work for you. You can find these essential oils at your local natural food market or on Amazon: $3.98 for 10ml of Peppermint Oil, $2.95 for 10ml of pure Eucalyptus Oil, and $3.15 for 10ml of Citronella 100% Pure Essential Oil.

As most of you have probably heard- eucalyptus and citronella have natural bug repelling quality; peppermint is also known for its bug-off properties. Peppermint has proven to be very effective against mosquitoes and other winged critters. And bonus- it’s smells delicious!
See ya later bug bites! You can buzz off!

Gather your ingredients…

• 1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/8 cup rubbing alcohol or (yes, I’m going there) plain vodka. Just be sure to not use any fruit flavored vodkas!
• 1/8 cup distilled water or reverse osmosis (RO) water
• 25 drops eucalyptus essential oil (about 1/4 teaspoon)
• 25 drops citronella essential oil (about 1/4 teaspoon)
• 50 drops peppermint essential oil (about 1/2 teaspoon)
• Small spray bottle

Mix ‘em up directions…
Pour everything into the spray bottle and shake well. Make sure to shake it up before each use.

Stay Bionic,


P.S. Not up to making your own natural insect repellent? Stay tuned to Bionic Beauty! On Tuesday, November 16 I’ll be posting a review of an all-natural bug spray that’s super affordable!

Mission Essentials is an all-natural, organic skin care line that I am thoroughly testing for all the Bionic Beauties out there.

The first product I tested? Their 100% natural Eucalyptus Soap.  The smell is unbelievable and completely refreshing, perfect for a quick morning shower, and the bar never leaves a residue.

Currently testing: All-natural Eucalyptus Soap by Mission Essentials

I fell immediately for this soap, but I wondered if the smaller size would last, as so many organic soaps don’t withstand shower steam.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that more than 3 weeks passed and my bar was still quite usable!

Yet another plus- every mission essentials soap contains 50% olive oil and are wrapped in environmentally conscious biodegradable wrappers.  I must say, mission essentials really is taking skin care to a higher level.

There are two options for bar sizes: a 7 oz. bar for $10, or a 3.5 ounce bar for $5. If Eucalyptus isn’t your thing, check out the other soap varieties- Lavendar/Shea, Lowcountry (this bar is not only packed with yummy scents, but is also looks like a work of art!), Aspen, Balsam and Cedar, and Patchouli. See? There is a variety for everyone! All the soaps are available for browsing and buying on Mission-Essentials.com.

Ingredients include: Olive oil, lavendar/shea butter, eucalyptus, rosemary, lavender & cinnamon essential oils combined with wildcrafted botanicals of sage, cedar, pinon and juniper.

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.

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

An apple a day could help you keep the dermatologist away! Apples are known for doing wonders for your skin. In all honesty, they are believed to have such amazing properties that they could make your skin nearly flawless.

Refresh, tone, and soften your skin with this DIY Apple Face Mask recipe!

Apples contain Calcium, Iron and Vitamin A; and provide natural antibacterial, antioxidant, astringent and toning properties for your skin. As an added bonus, the iron in apples add a natural flush, giving your cheeks a healthy glow. Sounds good, right? I thought so…

Give this face mask a whirl and your skin will not only feel refreshed and nourished, but also a little softer and a little smoother.

Gather your ingredients~

• 1/2 of an apple - or - 1 tablespoon Applesauce (regular flavor and unsweetened is best)
• 1 tablespoon Wheat Germ (most regular groceries carry this now either by the cereal aisle or the legumes and beans – if not, you’ll find it at your local natural food store)

Make it and wear it~
Purée the apple in a blender or add applesauce to a small bowl. Mix well while adding in the wheat germ gradually to form a paste.

For best results, apply the mixture to a well washed, lightly scrubbed, and steamed face. Then allow the mask to set for 10-15 minutes. If you have sensitive skin, start with a shorter time span to be super safe (fruit and citrus acids can irritate some people’s skin). Also don’t forget due to the iron in apples, your cheeks may be a bit more pink than usual… this is a completely normal!

While you’re waiting, eat the rest of that applesauce or apple to boost your body from the inside!

Rinse with lukewarm water and moisturize.

Feel free to share your ideas on other uses for apples in our beauty routines, or ideas for variations of this recipe, in the comments section below!

Stay Bionic,

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

Whether you enjoy your coffee black or with cream and sugar… what do you do with the leftover grounds?
If your answer is the trash- step back and close that lid. It’s time to take that coffee goodness to your shower and mix up your own all-natural Coffee Body Scrub!

• 3 Tablespoons used coffee grounds (Caffeinated coffee works best for the extra benefits I’ll go over below…)
• 1 Tablespoon salt (optional – table salt is fine, or use a fine grade sea salt)

How you make it~
Brew a fresh pot of coffee and enjoy a cup or two.  Within 20 minutes or so of brewing (to avoid oxidation), mix the damp grounds and salt in a small bowl.

How you use it~
Scrub mixture over entire body while in the shower.  Rinse well, and moisturize.

Why you should use it~

• Caffeine extract (derived from coffee) is used in numerous beauty, cosmetic and skin care products; as well as vitamin supplements.
• Caffeine has been found to constrict blood vessels underneath the skin- which can help you by improving cellulite, under eye circles, and even conditions such as rosacea.
• Another added plus!  The caffeine scent not only wakes your senses, but it will also detoxify your skin naturally of any odors while exfoliating dead skin cells.  The detoxing effects stem from coffee’s natural anti-oxidants which help battle the effects of oxidants and pollution on your skin.

Have you tried any DIY homemade beauty recipes that included coffee as an ingredient?

Stay Bionic,

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

Sometimes you just need a good scrubbing…  Try this super simple DIY recipe for any skin type!

• 1/2 of an orange
• 4 tablespoons of cornmeal

Oranges are jam-packed with beneficial Vitamin C and natural astringent properties!

Instructions to mix it up~

Squeeze the orange juice and pulp into a bowl and add the cornmeal.
Mix the ingredients into a paste.
Then just apply the mixture on your freshly washed face and/or body, scrub gently for 2-3 minutes. Rinse with lukewarm water, tone (optional), moisturize as desired and you’re done!

Stay Bionic,