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!

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,

Here are the latest fabulous beauty and cosmetics free samples that I’ve rounded up from across the web-o-sphere.

Grab a free sample of Eau Duelle perfume by “Liking” their page on Facebook, then click the Welcome tab and you should see a free sample link.

Kroger’s website is offering freebies of John Frieda Luxurious Volume hair care. Sorry, but this free sample is only valid in the following states: AL, AR, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MI, MS, MO, NC, OH, SC, TN, TX, VA, and WV.

Dry skin? Snag a free sample of Vaseline Intensive Rescue body lotion to prep your skin for the upcoming dry winter months.

Print this coupon, take it to your local Sephora inside a JCPenney store, and you’ll get a Meaningful Beauty Deep Cleansing Masque free sample! This coupon is valid until October 16, 2010.

Grab a free compact/cosmetics mirror to toss in your purse for on-the-go touchups from Zoom Tooth Whitening and Discus Dental. Just click the link on the left hand side by the picture of the makeup mirror compact.

Print this pdf coupon and bring it to your local Sephora inside a JCPenney store, and you’ll get a free sample of Viva La Juicy perfume/fragrance by Juicy Couture. Offer is good until November 15, 2010.

For licensed hair stylists only: Get a free sample kit of Clairol Professional liquid hair color. I had some troubles with this one – the Captcha spam prevention image just kept “disappearing” and wouldn’t refresh… just be warned, this sample and the website coding seems to be set up a bit poorly.

Enjoy, Bionic Beauties!!

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

If you’ve started a 12-step chocoholics program, you’ve already learned you should never be more than 12 steps away from a piece of chocolate.  Alright, so in all honesty- what better way to relax after a stressful day then with a homemade chocolate face mask?

I can’t think of a thing! Just the mere smell of chocolate can release good feel endorphins into your system.

Mix your own natural chocolate face mask!

Worried about those age-old myths of chocolate causing acne? They are just that- myths. Chocolate actually protects the skin by breaking down free radicals. In addition, it has anti-aging and anti-oxidant properties that help deep cleanse and relax you naturally. It’s also jam packed with magnesium- a stimulant for progesterone, a hormone that drops when we’re premenstrual (or post-menopausal). This plummet in magnesium levels each month is the real reason behind that anxious, grumpy feeling we often get, and the true cause of our breakouts.

Now before you drizzle Hersey’s syrup across your t-zone, follow this simple recipe and you’ll be on your way to a delicious bliss of skin care.
Ingredients for a DIY Chocolate Face Mask:

• 3 tablespoons of kaolin clay (or Aztec Secret green clay)
• 1 teaspoon of honey
• 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder
• A little water or if desired a little coconut milk

The ingredients here are best used for normal, combination, or dry skin. If you are prone to have oily skin- opt for Fullers Earth rather than Kaolin; or just add a few drops of Tea Tree Oil.

Mixing Instructions

Using a small bowl, measure out the kaolin and cocoa powder and mix the ingredients together. Add a teaspoon of honey. Add the drops of water (or coconut milk) until you have your pasty mixture.

Hint – The mixture for your chocolate face mask will be pretty thick, almost a paste. The water (or coconut milk) should be added drop by drop- otherwise the mixture will become too runny to manage. Add a little more kaolin if this happens.

Let the mix stand in the bowl for at least 30 minutes. While you wait for the mixture to set- give your skin a steam facial to open and clean out the pores. Then exfoliate your skin lightly to remove dead skin cells and maximize the benefits of this deep cleansing face mask. Then apply the mask by gently spreading it over your entire face and neck.

People often forget that your neck deserves the benefits of a mask too! You only need to apply a thin layer of mask. Leave the mask on for 15 to 30 minutes before rinsing it off with warm water. I’d love to hear your results after you try this do-it-yourself face mask!

Stay Bionic,

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

1 cup freshly ground dirt
4 cups chlorinated water
3 cups salt water
3 tbsp sunscreen

Add a dash of sweat and you’re set… for one harsh summer. Now of course we all know summer is coming to an end, but the heat is still raging in the majority of the USA.  Why not protect your skin and hair, and rejuvenate them for a beautiful fall!

Here are a few do-it-yourself beauty treatments that I’ve found and tested to help you do just this.  And like always, the ingredients are inexpensive and all-natural!

For the Mug

• Looking for a face mask designed for most skin types? Try this one~ Combine 1 egg yolk, 1 tablespoon of honey, 1 tablespoon of plain yogurt and 1/2 teaspoon of virgin olive oil.  Just leave the mixture on your face for 10 minutes and rinse it off.
• For oily or acne-prone skin~ Try a mask that will help soothe the skin.  Take 1 ripe banana and blend it with 1 tablespoon of honey and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.  Leave on for 15 minutes.
• If you have dry skin~ Mix half of a mashed avocado with 1/4 cup of honey for a mask that will add tons of moisture to your face.  Leave on for 10 minutes.
• Fruit based facial toners~ Sliced strawberries, grapes and cucumbers act as natural toners to tighten skin and shrink pores.  Yum!  Just rub the slices over your skin after cleansing.  Got oily skin?  Use sliced lemons to reduce shine.

For the Locks

• To whip up a simple deep conditioner for hair~ Blend 1/4 cup of plain yogurt, 1/4 cup mayo and the whites from one egg.  Cover your hair with the mixture (using a comb to make sure it’s evenly distributed) and leave in for 30 minutes.  Then rinse!  This is a perfect solution for dry, damaged, overly beached hair.
• Clarify and get rid of product build-up~ Mix a small amount of baking soda in with your shampoo.  This will clarify your hair, making it more manageable over time. Hint: Add the baking soda into your palm, then squeeze a dollop of shampoo on top. And like Nenette from LifeCandy.net pointed out in the comments section a few weeks back, baking soda makes a great cleanser if you go with the no-shampoo routine!
• Want to lighten up your hair but don’t have the money for highlights? Who does!?  Dilute 1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice with 1/4 cup of water.  Spritz through your hair, and don’t forget your sunscreen!  Are red tones more your style?  Do the same thing, but use apple cider vinegar instead of lemon juice.

As you can see from the photograph above, Jami (aka ‘Bionic Beauty’) and I spent some great vacation time outdoors, but we also spent time testing and retesting these various recipes! I’d love to hear if you’ve tried any of the “Bionic Homemade” beauty recipes and how they are working for you.

Stay Bionic,

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

Now that it’s summertime, I’ve been finding myself frequenting the local fruit stands. And for some reason, I pick up bananas every visit.

I’m blaming it on the Banana Split Flavored Lip Gloss by My Lip Stuff that Bionic Beauty gave me a few months ago (if you missed her review a few years back, check it out now). Or maybe my body craves some delicious potassium in the heat? Hmm…

Whatever the case may be- when everything looks too tempting to pass up at the stand, I find myself with a few too many squishy bananas in my kitchen.

So when thinking up ideas for my fruit addiction it came down to one of three options- 1) adopt a monkey, 2) make banana bread, or 3) come up with a homemade beauty recipe!

I opted for number three!

Check out this yummy banana face mask recipe!

Looking for a masque that both softens and tightens your face? Use your smushy bananas to rejuvenate your skin! This recipe is extremely easy to prepare and is an effective way to treat you skin against Summer dryness. By the way, here’s a huge thanks to Sharambrosia for sharing this wonderful recipe!

Gather up your face mask ingredients…

• 1 over ripe banana
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon Jojoba Oil (yet another use for the extremely all-purpose Jojoba Oil!)
• 1 tablespoon plain yogurt
• 1 egg white
• 1 tablespoon Kaolin clay or BB’s fave Aztec Secret Green Clay mask

Whisk the egg white in a small mixing bowl, then blend in the plain yogurt, Jojoba oil, honey and Kaolin clay until it becomes a smooth creamy mixture.  In a separate bowl, mash up the banana until it is smooth. Then blend into the first mixture.
The best way to use this masque is while sitting in the tub because it is a bit messy (*wink!*).

Apply to the entire face, neck and shoulder area.  As it sits, keep applying more while you build the masque up as well as massage it in.  Let sit for at least 10-15 minutes and then remove with a warm washcloth.  Finish with a tonic on a cotton ball (or my natural favorite Witch Hazel) to remove any excess product from the skin, then moisturize as usual.

Stay Bionic,

Continuing Bionic Beauty’s “Three Years of Powerful Beauty” celebrations, one of my favorite skin care brands, Jeune D’Age Organics is sponsoring an absolutely wonderful giveaway worth over $165!!

One lucky Bionic Beauty is going to win a Jeune D’Age skincare gift set that includes:

• Serum box – Packed with CoQ10, DMAE, Hyaluroan, Acai, and Vitamin A. This facial serum is not only good for you, but it’s packed in a cool box that you can plant and it’ll sprout wildflowers! Don’t miss Bronnie’s full review of Jeune’s serum.
• Marin Toner – Both Bronnie and I LOVE this toner… it’s packed with lots of extra product and lasts forever!
• Facial Cleanser – Not only does it cleanse but it also gently exfoliates. Check out Bionic Beauty’s review!
• Body Lotion – This body lotion will protect and soften your skin this summer and is also perfect for fall!
• Pumpkin Peel – Jeune’s Pumpkin Peel is one of their newer products. It’s designed to help with skin cell turnover and clear out pores.
• Argan Oil – Unless you’ve been hiding in a cave, you know Argan Oil is one of the new leading skin care ingredients. Many companies use diluted amounts in their products, but not Jeune D’Age. Their Argan Oil is 100% Pure!

How do you enter to win Bionic Beauty’s Jeune D’Age Organics skin care giveaway?

Simply leave a comment below telling me about one of Jeune D’Age’s ingredients that interests you. Name the ingredient and why it is used in their skin care products. This way we can all learn a bit more about what we are putting on our faces and bodies!

The Rules: One (1) winner will be chosen randomly from the qualified entrants and will receive the Jeune D’Age Skincare set, as detailed above. Approximate retail value is $166.70. To qualify for entry, you must follow the entry rules as outlined in this post. This giveaway is open to residents of the USA and Canada only. Please enter only once; duplicate entries will be detected and discarded. Entry deadline is July 30, 2010 at midnight USA ET. The winner will be chosen via Random.org and will be announced here on Bionic Beauty and contacted via email. *Please note that I will never share your email address with anyone! I only use your email address to contact you if you are a winner. If you do not enter a valid email address, you will be disqualified.

Please don’t forget to sign up for the Bionic Beauty blog newsletter (or you can subscribe in your favorite RSS reader). This way you can easily keep up with the free samples, product reviews, beauty and makeup news and giveaways offered on the blog.

Good luck Bionic Beauties!!

FTC Disclosure: This giveaway is sponsored by Jeune D’Age Organics Skincare in honor of Bionic Beauty’s Third Anniversary. All opinions in this article are based on my own personal experience and were not influenced by any source. I received no compensation for this giveaway. Feel free to read Bionic Beauty’s disclosure policy for more information.

Welcome to the first installment of Bionic Homemade with Joycey Couture! Joyce will be hunting down the latest and greatest home-made and Do-It-Yourself (DIY) beauty recipes for you to whip up in your own kitchen. We hope to share these with fellow Bionic Beauties on a weekly basis, so be sure to check back every Monday!

Think pumpkins are only fit for Autumn? Think again! Pumpkins make yummy pies of course, but they are also rich in vitamins A and C which are essential nutrients for your skin.

Whip up your own Pumpkin body & face mask!

Why not try this DIY version of the same face and body treatment that luxury spas use?
Pumpkin Face and Body Mask

• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/4 cup bentonite clay (available at most health food stores) -or- use a couple scoops of Bionic’s favorite Aztec Secret Green Clay
• 1 tbsp honey (I typically use organic or local honey)
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp almond oil (If you are prone to dry skin, keep this at 1 tbsp, otherwise you can decrease it to 1 tsp)
• 2 tsp cinnamon (Optional for face and not recommended for those with sensitive skin)

Mix everything together in a glass bowl and apply to your body and face with hands or a soft brush. Let sit for at ten to thirty minutes and rinse off slowly with warm water. I find that using a loofah, wash cloth or body pouf really helps slough off dead skin cells after this skin care treatment!

Bionic Hugs n’ Happiness,

This is THE most awesomest news I’ve gotten lately! The exceptionally wonderful people behind YBF Skincare have decided to offer Bionic Beauty readers an exclusive chance to get FREE samples of their Boost and Prep skin care products!

50 lucky Bionic Beauties will get samples of YBF's Boost & Prep skin care!

Boost is perfect for those who suffer from acne. It was one of my top beauty products for 2009. It tones, moisturizes lightly, clarifies skin. In short, its amazing!

Prep one of YBF’s newest products. I just started using it a few weeks ago but have seen a dramatic difference in my skin already. It’s a very fine microdermabrasion type of product. You can even use it like a mask too!

So how do you get your hot little hands on these freebies?

The first 50 Bionic Beauty readers to email their name and mailing address to . And be sure to say thanks!

As of now all the samples are gone! I hope you all enjoy them! And a HUGE thank you to YBF Skincare for offering us all these wonderful freebies!