Last week I was cruising my favorite grocery store (eh, hmm… Publix!) when I passed by the beauty aisles. My cart screeched to a stop when I spotted a familiar set of labeling and products. California Baby products at Publix?!?! Excellent!

The California Baby product line includes organic lotions, natural facial skin care, hair care (shampoos, conditioners, and treatments), body care, body wash, and sunscreens loaded with SPF. I’ve only checked some Publix’s during my recent trip to some southern states, but each one has had at least a few of the California Baby products. Some stores carry quite a large variety!

Southern ladies are in luck- Check your local Publix for organic skin care goodness!

If you live in the southeastern USA, locate your closest Publix store and head over to see if they’re stocking California Baby products yet. Is the California Baby brand new to you? Then be sure to catch up by reading my past reviews!

Happy weekend everyone! Here are the latest fabulous beauty-related free samples that I’ve dug up from the world-wide-interpipes!

Request a free sample of OB tampons to keep in your car, extra bathroom, or other “emergency stash” location.

Get a coupon redeemable for a free tube of Miracle of Aloe “Miracle Foot Repair” cream for your dry, cracked feet!

Check out Pantene’s brand new Customized Hair Care Solutions shampoos and conditioners by snagging your very own free sample! (*BB’s note: You’ll need to register to be a P&G “aka Proctor and Gamble” Insider to claim your freebie, however you can opt out at any time.)

Enjoy your freebies, y’all!

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

It’s Summertime and sandals are a must! Treat your feet to a homemade scrub with this simple recipe.

Ingredients you’ll need… which you probably already have around the house!

• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 2 tablespoons of lotion, cream, or body butter

Whip up your own moisturizing sugar scrub!

Mixing it up…

Mix the sugar and lotion in a bowl. Massage the mixture onto each foot for a few minutes to exfoliate. Take a few minutes to massage your feet to break up tension and soreness.

Rinse with warm water, pat dry, and you are done! For a complete at-home pedicure, follow up with a bit more lotion to really moisturize and soften feet.

Stay Bionic,

Don’t miss Bionic’s previous recipe on making your own Jojoba Foot Scrub!

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.

As some of you know, I’ve had a setback in my offline life this past week, I’m getting back to normal and to help get things running here at Bionic Beauty again, I’m sharing some lovely freebie finds with you all! I will have an article up soon with my adventure, plus the normal Drugstore Bargain Buys, a new giveaway from Jeune D’Age Organics Skincare and a whole new series by my contributing author, Joycey Couture! You’re going to love her new ways to save you even more money in your beauty routines!

Nivea’s Happy Sensation Daily Body Lotion is open for a whole new round of freebies. If you requested the recent sample from Walmart.com, you can still grab this one for double the freebie goodness!

Free sample of Nexxus hair care shampoo and conditioner – You’ll have to sign up for their free newsletter, but can unsubscribe at any time. With these types of freebies, I always recommend starting (or using) a “junk” email account that you use solely for purposes such as these.

For my Canadian readers, simply fill out the online form and tell Spa Resource what you adore about their spa and body products and you’ll score a free sample of their body lotion, butter or similar item!

Here’s another common freebie – request one of StayFree’s many products for your lovely monthly visitor.

John Frieda’s got more freebies for your hair! This time you can grab a free sample of their new Root Awakening Strength Restoring shampoo, conditioner and Smoothing Lotion!

Enjoy!

Here are this week’s beauty and cosmetics sales from your local Walgreens, CVS, and Rite Aid drugstores. Due to the 4th of July holiday it seems that the sales are pretty limited this weekend, but you can still find some good buys.

Walgreens

• Sinful Colors nail polish – On sale for 99 cents with in-ad coupon!! (Limit 3) I adore these nail polishes – they are a great way to expand your color collection and they actually wear pretty well!
• Dove or Degree antiperspirant or deodorant – On sale for $1.99 with in-ad coupon. Excludes Ultimate, Absolute Protection, Adrenaline, Fine Fragrance and body mists.
• VO5 shampoo or conditioner – On sale for 69 cents with in-ad coupon.

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

• Aussie or Herbal Essences hair care – On sale, get 2 for $5
• CoverGirl Cosmetics and makeup – Buy 1, get 1 at 50% off!
• Maybelline’s new Falsies Volum’ Express Mascara – On sale for $6
• Mayeblline Great Lash mascara – On sale for $4
  *Spend $10 on either of the above Maybelline mascaras and get $3 back in extra CVS bucks.
• L’Oreal Colour Riche lip color or lip liner – On sale for $5
• L’Oreal eye shadow – On sale for $6
• L’Oreal Infallible lip gloss – On sale for $7
• L’Oreal Infallible Stars or Never Fail lipcolor – On sale for $9
• Physician’s Formula cosmetics and makeup – Buy 1, get 1 at 50% off!
• Tweezerman beauty tools – On sale for 10% off
• Vaseline body lotion, Clinical Therapy lotion, body oil or gel – On sale for $3.99
• Aveeno shampoo, conditioner, or styling products – On sale for $6.49
• Aveeno facial moisturizer or night cream – On sale for $14.99
• Aveeno body wash or body lotion – On sale for $5.99
• Hawaiian Tropic sunblock, sunscreen, and sun care products – On sale for $8.99
• John Frieda hair care including Luminous Color Glaze, Frizz-Ease serum, or Go Blonder, Color Renew shampoos and conditioners – On sale for $8
• John Frieda other shampoos and conditioners – On sale for $5
• Jergens Natural Glow lotions and foams – On sale for $8
• L’Oreal Excellence or Excellence To Go hair color – On sale for $6.99
• Clairol Hydrience hair color – On sale for $6.99
• Revlon ColorSilk hair color – Get 2 for $5
• Organix shampoo, conditioner, mousse or serum – On sale for $4.99
• VO5 shampoo or conditioner – On sale for 77 cents
• Dove or Degree body mist, Ultimate or Ultra Clear deodorant – On sale, get 2 for $7

Rite Aid
Please note: Rite Aid has just launched their own discount card program called “Wellness+ Card”. Apply in store for free. You’ll now need this card to get most of the savings listed below.

• Banana Boat suncare – Buy 1, Get 1 FREE!
• John Frieda hair care including Brilliant Brunette, Sheer Blonde, Luxurious Volume, Root Awakening or Frizz Ease – On sale, get 4 for $20
• Nair hair removal products – Buy 1, Get 1 FREE!
• All Almay eye makeup – On sale for $5.99, plus get a $1 mail-in rebate.
• NYC Cosmetics and makeup – Buy 1, Get 1 half off!
• Revlon Cosmetics and makeup – Buy 1, Get 1 half off!
• CoverGirl Exact Eyelights mascara, Lash Exact mascara, Line Exact eye liner, and Eyelights eye shadow – Buy 1, Get 1 FREE!
• Neutrogena lip and eye makeup products – Buy 1, Get 1 half off!
• Sally Hansen nail polish and nail art pens – Buy 1, Get 1 half off!
• Dove shampoo, conditioner and styling aids – On sale, get 2 for $6
• Pantene shampoo or conditioner – On sale for $5.99 (25.4 ounce bottles)
• TRESemme shampoo, conditioner or styling products – On sale for $3.99
• Kiss, Revlon, Nailene, or Pretty Woman artificial nails – Buy 1, Get 1 half off!
• Physician’s Formula foundation, powder, blush, concealer, or bronzer – Buy 1, Get 1 half off!
• Head & Shoulders shampoo, 23.7 ounce bottle – On sale for $5.99
• L’Oreal Couleur Experte hair color or Touch-On Highlights – Get $2 off with in-ad coupon
• Revlon ColorSilk hair color – Get 2 for $5
• Dial 8-pack bar soap, Dial liquid soap refill (50oz.), or Dial body wash – On sale for $3.99
• Aquaphor Baby Care products – Buy 1, Get 1 half off!
• Skintimate shave gel or cream; or Edge shave gel or cream – Buy 1, Get 1 half off!
• Aveeno baby care products – Buy 1, Get 1 half off!
• Secret Clinical Strength, Secret Soothing Effects, or Gilette Clinical antiperspirant/deodorants – On sale for $7.99
• Burt’s Bees baby care products – Buy 1, Get 1 half off!
• Coast 8-pack bar soap – On sale for $3.99
• Secret solid, Invisible Solid deodorant – On sale for $1.99 (excludes twin packs, Flawless, Clinical Strength, Platinum, Fresh Effects or Scent Expressions)

All sales end July 3rd, 2010 (unless noted above).
Happy shopping and have a wonderful holiday weekend, Bionic Beauties!

Welcome to another freebie roundup from Bionic Beauty… It’s been awhile since my last, but hopefully these will make up for my absence.

Costco has free samples of Dove’s Daily Therapy Moisture shampoo and conditioner. These freebies are over half-ounce sized sample bottles, perfect for traveling this summer!

Grab your own freebie of Bodycology’s hand lotion from Walmart. Bodycology’s stuff always smells delightful, and lotion samples are always great for throwing in your purse.

Also from Walmart, act quick and get a free sample of Nivea’s brand new Happy Sensation body lotion!

Enjoy!

Looking for the best way to get your winterized feet ready for their spot in the sun?

Here is my winning combo-
Moisturizing alone isn’t enough if you have calluses, rough patches, or thick skin. You need to slough off those old skin cells first, before you can start moisturizing to soften your feet.

My favorite Summer 2010 foot care items!

I still swear by my PedEgg but this summer, I’ve got a new must-have pedicure item! Get Fresh’s Relief for Tattered Tootsies care pack ($23 at GetFresh.net). It’s everything you need in one adorable bag and perfect for chucking in your suitcase for vacation! Get Fresh’s products are new to me, but they’re already on my list for Bionic’s Best of Beauty for 2010. The foot care packs come with:

• A pumice stone
• “Totally Soaked” – a moisturizing and sloughing gel
• “Down’n Dirty” – an exfoliating and buffing scrub that makes dead, tough skin simply roll off!
• “Rescue Me” – deep moisturizing repair cream.
• And of course, the aforementioned cute bag!

Best of all, Get Fresh’s kit is affordable, quick, and easy to use. You’ll see results immediately!

I apply the Rescue Me at before bed and then cover my feet with Karen Neuburger’s Crew Socks infused with Aloe and Vitamin E ($8 per pair). By morning, your feet have had a makeover!

This summer, neon nail polishes are definitely on-trend (my favorites include Milani’s Neon collection, Color Club’s ElectroCandy and NARS’ Schiap); but a universally flattering deep orange looks amazing for most any skin tone (and makes you look a bit more tan!). I love OPI’s Manific Mexico or L’Oreal Shock Proof polish in Exotic Apricot. Apply at least two coats to increase wear and color depth.

Be sure to follow your nail polish with a thick top coat such as Seche Vite (check your local Sally Beauty or Target stores) to make your pedi-polish last at least two weeks!

My new Jordi flip flops, my extra buttons! I'm wearing OPI's Magnific Mexico polish.

And once you’ve got your feet in show-off shape, it’s time to bust out the flip flops!

My favorite flip flop/sandal designer Lindsay Phillips (see my previous article on her famous “SwitchFlops”) came out with a new flop this year! Jordis come in a range of colors, are super comfortable and you can swap out the “buttons” to change your look in a flash. I’ve gotten tons of compliments on my Jordis and my Switchflops- especially when I show everyone how quickly I can “change” shoes! Did I mention that they’re also comfortable? Lindsay has wedges and ballet flats that I’m hoping to add to my collection soon.

Feel free to share any of your own pedicure or foot-recovery tips below!

FTC Disclosure: A few of the items mentioned in this article were 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.

L’Occitane has a long-standing and well deserved reputation as a leader in skin and body care. Now Bionic Beauty readers have the chance to win one of their best-selling skin care gift sets- The Immortelle Day Skincare Discovery Set! Have you been itching to try a new skin care regimen? Or are you already hooked on L’Occitane products? Either way, this giveaway is your chance to get your skin in shape!

The Immortelle Day Skincare Discovery Set is a 3-step anti-aging skin care system loaded with essential oils, vitamin C, and raspberry extract (to name a few ingredients). This set is a perfect travel companion or a wonderful introduction to L’Occitane’s skin care products. The kit comes with:

• Immortelle Brightening Toner (1.6 ounce bottle)
• Immortelle Precious Cream (0.5 oz jar)
• Immortelle Eye Balm (0.2 oz jar)
• And a pouch that makes packing a breeze!

Each Immortelle product focuses on balancing your skin, improving texture, increasing firmness, and reducing the signs of aging.

How do you enter to win Bionic Beauty’s L’Occitane skin care giveaway?

Simply leave a comment below explaining your current skin “issues” that you’d like to resolve; or your favorite L’Occitane product!

If you’d like a second entry into this giveaway, you can post the following on Twitter: “I just entered to win a L’Occitane skincare set from @BionicBeauty! http://bit.ly/9K9bUj”

The Rules: One (1) winner will be chosen randomly from the qualified entrants and will receive the L’Occitane Immortelle Day Skincare Discovery set, as detailed above. Retail value is $35. To qualify for entry, you must follow the entry rules as outlined in this post. This giveaway is open to residents of the USA only. Please enter only once; duplicate entries will be detected and discarded. Entry deadline is June 19, 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. However, if you do not enter a valid email address, you will be disqualified. Please DO NOT post your email address in the comment body… *just* in the email address field (for your own safety).

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 L’Occitane public relations. 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 article. Feel free to read Bionic Beauty’s disclosure policy for more information.

Pink Papaya hasn’t been covered on Bionic Beauty before, so I hope you’ll enjoy the introduction to this “new-to-us” body care brand!

Pink Papaya is a fun company with some wonderful gift ideas. I had the opportunity to indulge in one of their Soy Massage Candles and their ‘Ocean’ Body Lotion.

The Soy Massage Candle smelled divine… very, very sensual! Soy candles burn very clean – without all those nasty carcinogens that can build up from regular candles. As they burn, the melted waxes and oils can be used to rub into, and moisturize, your skin. This candle lasted a long time and it felt, and smelled, so nice on my skin!

The candle’s ingredients are jam-packed with skin care goodies including Jojoba Oil, Shea Butter, Mango Butter, Grapeseed Oil, Vitamin E, Hemp Seed Oil, various essential oils, soy and beeswax. Pink Papaya’s Soy Massage Candles come in a glass votive, about 4 ounces in size. I do wish the candle had come with a lid, however I can overlook this drawback since it was one of the nicest candles I’ve experienced!

Pink Papaya’s Body Lotion is beautifully packaged with a clean, spa-esque feel. There are several scents available and while I wasn’t a huge fan of Ocean, I’m sure it would be a great fragrance for someone. After all, each person finds different fragrances attractive. The lotion’s ingredients include Aloe, Shea, and milk protein. The lotion felt nice on my skin, and didn’t leave a greasy residue; however it’s a light-weight lotion. If you’re in a dry climate, or suffer from chronic dry skin- you’ll probably want something with more moisturizing power.

My overall thoughts on the brand: The Pink Papaya Company has great packaging, affordable products, with a wide-range of scents and products to cover your stay-at-home spa experience. It’s a fun brand, cruelty-free, and would certainly make gift-shopping easy! It’s much more unique than buying the Bath & Body Works stuff everyone seems to give these days!

Pink Papaya’s Soy Massage Candle ($18) and the Body Lotion ($16.50 for an 8 ounce bottle) are available at PinkPapayaParty.com.

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.