One of my favorite companies, Cactus & Ivy, recently started making all-natural, hand made soaps.
All I can say is YUM. I am a sucker for homemade bar soap. There’s something nice about going back to the feel of the square soap, the scents that are so much stronger, and so much more pleasant than most shower gels… and these new Cactus & Ivy soaps are simply perfect.

My new soap love from Cactus and Ivy!!

There’s a soap for everyone. My personal favorite is the Spearcalyptus mostly because I’m a fangirl of anything that has Eucalyptus as a scent layer. The chunks of Spearmint and Eucalyptus leaves in the bar are amazing for exfoliating!

And even my super sensitive facial skin was a-okay with the Serene Face and Body bar. No scent, just simple, all natural ingredients that don’t cause reactions on your skin. If you like plain and simple, this is your soap!

Calendula Sunshine is so pretty I almost didn’t want to use it! It’s perfect for a morning shower… It’ll wake you up with a citrusy scent.

All the bars lasted for weeks in my shower…

longer than most drugstore soaps, and definitely longer than those overpriced and melty-super-quick-craptastic Lush soaps (but that’s just my opinion, I know I’ll probably get some blowback from the Lush fans out there, but I just can’t see the draw on their products. They aren’t natural, they cost a bazillion dollars, and are high-maintenance. The stores make me sneeze and every product I’ve tested made my body and/or face breakout like mad.)

Anyhow, back to Cactus and Ivy… If you are looking for an incredible addition to your shower routine, I highly recommend this new soaps.

Definitely a Bionic Buy!

Cactus and Ivy soaps range in price starting a $5 a bar. Serene Face and Body is $5.50; Calendula Sunshine $5.50; and Spearcalyptus is an affordable $5!

Other varieties include African Black Soap, Tea & Tree Face Soap, and Monkey Wrench soap for those tire-flat-fixing, NOS-installing, header-upgrading woman or man in your life. Oh and the Monkey Wrench soap works great for gardeners, horsey-stall cleaners, and all those messy jobs that we love, but our hands don’t.

Now the best part… Bionic Beauty readers get an exclusive Cactus & Ivy discount for a limited time!! Get 15% off your entire order at Cactus & Ivy! Enter coupon code BionicSoap at checkout. Offer expires at midnight ET on March 31, 2010.

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.

Lately this new “social” website has popped up called FormSpring. Basically you register and then users can ask you whatever questions they desire. Typically I’m all for some new fangled social-networking tool… and I’ve mulled over joining in case any Bionic Beauty readers want to ask me a question. But then y’all have to join/register too. And it’s just another site/spot/login to keep track off.

And that’s when I realized, we’ve actually already got our own spot to do Q and A’s. Right here. We do it in the comments sections, over Twitter, and by email all the time.

So…this week’s Bionic Asks is “Do you have a question for me?”.

If so, ask away.
There’s no deadline, just come back to this article whenever a question springs to mind. They don’t have to be beauty related, we can talk pets, movies, books, whatever strikes your fancy.

Lots and lots of free samples today! So I won’t ramble on, since I know you really want to get down to the goodies…

New freebies from Aveeno Nourish+ hair care! Aveeno ran samples a few months back but they were long gone. Now there’s a fresh set!

Pureology has two new styling products in their “Super Smooth” hair care line. While I’m not a Pureology fan myself, I know many people are… so enjoy the samples! You can choose from either the new Relaxing Serum or the Smoothing Cream.

For those of y’all with your “monthly visitor” still around… grab some Playtex Gentle Glide tampons freebies and…

U by Kotex is a new website that’s just been launched to help “trendify” the brand (that’s my wording and opinion, not theirs). In any case, they are giving out free Kotex samples of a regular pad, liner, and two tampons.

Yippee! I love when Dove has samples. They are such a generous company with sampling and I think it really goes a long way in creating loyal fans. Anyhow, this time around- grab yourself a freebie of Dove’s Daily Treatment Hair Conditioner.

Get a free sample of TooFaced Lash Injection PinPoint mascara. Print this coupon (click the image below for a full size to print!) and bring it into your local Sephora store located inside JCPenney stores, and supplies are limited.

Grab your own free sample of TooFaced mascara! (Click the image for a full sized coupon to print.)

As always, free samples go quickly so don’t delay if you’d like to request any of those mentioned above. If you aren’t interested in one, pass it by so a fellow Bionic Beauty will have a chance. It’s all about karma!

Enjoy!

You’ve read the glowing reviews of HerbaSway Spa and Beauty drinks here on Bionic Beauty, now you have the chance to try them yourself! HerbaSway is giving away a gift basket filled with all seven of their beauty drink concentrates!!

It’s a basket of yumminess, truly. There’s anti-aging, detox, slimming, superfruits – everything to make you beautiful from the inside out!

Win this gift basket from HerbaSway Beauty & Spa Drinks!

How do you enter to win this basket of goodies?

Simply leave a comment below telling me which HerbaSway beauty drink you’d like to try and why.

The Rules: One (1) winner will be chosen randomly from the qualified entrants and will receive the HerbaSway Gift Basket, as detailed above. Retail value is $195. 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 March 30th, 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 website.

Good luck Bionic Beauties!!

FTC Disclosure: This giveaway is sponsored by HerbaSway since Bionic Bronnie and I fully approve of their wonderful spa and beauty drinks. All opinions in this article are based on our personal experience and were not influenced by any source. We received no compensation for this article. Feel free to read Bionic’s disclosure policy for more information.

This Sunshine Award was given to me by Josie from DIY Beauty Remedies!

Josie loved Bionic Beauty enough to choose it as one her twelve picks to receive The Sunshine Award. Thanks a googleplex, Josie!

Now, here’s how this works…
I nominate twelve blogs that, in my opinion, are worthy of the Sunshine Award, because well, they bring a bit of sunniness to my day. Every single day. Thank you all for providing such lovely, informative and witty writing!!

The Cheap Chick – Erin’s writing never fails to make me laugh. Plus you can’t beat a blog that combines humor *and* money saving tips! I can’t believe we’ve known each other for over two years!
Girl Gloss – Carleen is an enabler. She feeds my lip gloss, balm, and stain addiction!
GouldyLox Reviews – Honest reviews combined with actual personality in her writing makes GouldyLox a standout.
In My Pro Opinion – Want some tips straight from a pro makeup artist? Melissa Street has the blog to read!
Life Candy – Nenette is another of my long-time blogging friends. She rocks, and so does her blog! You’ve got to check out the Freebie List article… (it’s not free samples, by the way, this is *your* personal famous-person freebie list). It’s a total riot! And leave your list while you’re there!
Mineral Makeup Coach – There must be thousands of mineral makeup blogs on the internet. Kelley gives it to you straight. And I love her fact versus fiction quizzes!
Mythbuster Beauty – Jen, and co-author Mo… I can’t say enough good things about either of these ladies. And their goodness is certainly apparent at Mythbuster Beauty. Jen and I started our blogs around the same time, and thankfully the internet fairy brought us together. Giveaways, reviews, tips, tricks- they cover it all!
Older Girl Beauty Blog – Paula’s blog covers the beauty in all of us. Of course she has honest and thoughtful product reviews, but she takes it a step further to help women realize that beauty isn’t just the 5′10″ tan, blonde, 105lb waifs we are bombarded with in “beauty magazines”.
Purely Cosmetics’ Shopaholic – Robyn is a friend, pal, buddy, and so much more. Of course, she’s the owner of Purely Cosmetics (my favorite makeup foundation), but even if she wasn’t I would enjoy her blog. Life adventures, crafty makeup projects, and behind-the-scenes footage of makeup events… all rolled into one fabulous blog!
The Southern Accent – Calling all Southern Gals, animal lovers, spa fiends- You’re gonna love Lisa’s blog. The Southern Accent covers everything from charity fundraisers, green/eco-friendly living, spa and body products, and of course… fuzzy critters! Lisa writes with a heart-felt compassion that is truly rare in the blogosphere.
Vampy Varnish – Long before I started Bionic Beauty, nail polish was one of my weaknesses. I have Caboodles and fishing tackle boxes packed full of polish. Kelly and Vampy Varnish help me decide which colors go on my “wish list” and which ones aren’t worth my hard-earned cashola.
The Amazing Woo – I admit this is my dog’s blog… but I can’t resist giving my pooch a little lovin’ too. After all, he has brought sunshine to my darkest times… I love you, Willie Woo.

The nominees above can post twelve blogs they think are deserving of the Sunshine Award (this can be on your blog sidebar, or within a post itself). Link to all the nominees blogs (just like I did above), link to the person who presented you with the award. And when you’re all done with that, let your everyone on your list know they’ve won! Comments or emails work great for this step, by the way…

To all the Bionic Beauty readers out there… now you know which blogs I read on a daily basis. Even if I don’t comment all the time, I’m still there lurking and loving their writing!

Thursday night I had the opportunity to attend the grand opening of the new MAC Pro store in Miami Beach and of course, I took photos as quick as I could snap the shutter button.

The new MAC Pro store in Miami Beach

The store design was incredible! Rough-hewn wood floors; sleek black table tops that sat on repurposed timber legs and frames; strings of modern lighting; shelves & displays of so much makeup my entire savings could have been blown in under an hour. The back wall of the store was definitely the focal point- jars of “paints” in every imaginable shade hovering on translucent shelves. Color is definitely IT for Spring 2010, ladies!

After oogling the store for a bit, we headed upstairs to the seventh floor of a parking garage. A parking garage doesn’t sound glamorous, but it can be quite cool when done correctly- combines a feeling of inside and outdoors, industrial decor, and most importantly plenty of room!

The MAC peeps had told me the exhibit centered around typography, MAC’s new acrylic makeup paints, and nude models. My love of font design combined with makeup??? Woo hoo!

Typography theme at the MAC Pro Event

Jami’s note: I’ve cropped and/or blurred some of the photos for display here on Bionic Beauty. If you’d like to see the full artistic works (artistic nudity involved, you’ve been warned), mosey on over to my Picasa Album.

Little did I know that the eye-candy had just begun…

White and black body paint - block lettering

The Makeup Artists arrived at 7:30am and worked all day, yet they were still full of energy when I arrived twelve hours later!

Colorful models and numbers

Foreign languages...

All of the model’s were painted using MAC’s new acrylic paints. Some used the acrylics diluted so they could be airbrushed, others used stencils, and nearly all had elements painted by hand. Some of the artists incorporated stickers, stamps, displays, black lights, hair extensions, and even a rotating platform.

This looked STUNNING in the blacklights, unfortunately I had to use a flash to capture the makeup.

In short, the body painting was exquisite. Each model had at least four makeup artists working on them!

This guy balanced as long as he could on one foot. He’d switch back and forth, of course; but he had my respect for having the hardest position to hold.

I love the color, the font variety, the hair - basically everything.

Even though we were in Miami and it was warm, the ocean “breeze” was like a gale-force wind. Models tried to hide their shivering, and hair (mine included) was flying everywhere. (I knew I should have packed a barrette!) It also made it quite hard to get a steady shot.

“In and Out”
This was my favorite and the hardest to catch on film. The platform was slowly rotating (see my video below) and demonstrated the duality of our recent culture. One side showed words that have fallen out of vogue, and the other had verbiage that is now “on trend”.

"In and Out" - our culture of words

“Anyone who has never made a mistake, has never tried anything new.”

This model was simply gorgeous, and the message is perfect!

A bit clearer shot of the paint-work artistry that went on this model.

Touch up time! Some of the googley-eyes had popped off.

Keri and another MAC artist work their magic

Me, two models, and MAC Makeup Artist Keri…

Me looking windblow... oh who am I kidding? No one is looking at me in this picture. *wink*

Here’s a very short video of some of the action at the exhibit…

The new MAC Pro store is located at 1111 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, FL. Stop by if you’re in the area!

Total Beauty just opened their own version of beauty product awards. They’ve narrowed the field to 59 of the “best” products, now it’s open to readers to vote. Voting ends March 31st, so if you’re feeling sharey head on over and vote for your faves…

Then, feel free to share what you think they missed in the comments below. I know Total Beauty tends to focus on main-stream, big-advertiser, sponsored brands- so many of our personal favorites here on Bionic Beauty probably won’t be mentioned… And that’s why I’m opening it up to BB readers to share *your* favorite products and brands.

Hopefully we can discover a new something to try!

Vote For Your Favorite Beauty Products

The polls for the first annual TotalBeauty.com Awards are open!

We’ve got 59 categories of beauty products up for awards — everything from mascara to shampoo. And while our editors are busy testing products to choose the official Total Beauty Award winner, we’re inviting you guys to name the “Readers’ Choice” winner. Hurry — voting ends March 31! Go vote

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of KAO Brands. All opinions are 100% mine.

Hey there Bionic Beauties! I hope you all are enjoying a fabulous weekend. In hopes of making it a bit better, KAO Brands is sponsoring a huge “Temptation is Beautiful” sweepstakes. The Grand Prize is a 3 day, 2 night trip to Las Vegas for four – the winner gets $1500 in spending money, hotel, air travel, and ground transportation. In addition, KAO will draw a winner-a-day for a basket filled with beauty, skincare and cosmetics goodies!

In case you don’t know, KAO is the “master” company behind many well known, and long beloved, beauty products including Curel, Jergens, Biore, and John Frieda (ooo… I’d love to win a lifetime supply of JF’s Root Awakening shampoo and conditioner!).

To enter, visit the Temptation is Beautiful website and click on Register. Fill out your contact information (note: you can opt-in or out of their email marketing for various brands). And….
Ta-da! You are entered!

Want to increase your odds to win?

1. You can enter once a day until the giveaway ends on May 8 2010 at 11:59pm ET. Just login using the same email address and password you created earlier.
2. Take the “Temptress Temperature” quiz (gets you one extra entry).
3. Share your “Temptress Temperature” results on Twitter or Facebook (you get a limit of one entry each).
4. Email the results of your Temptress quiz to five friends and get one extra entry.

Speaking of being a Temptress, here are my results from the quiz…

Apparently, I am Just Right. The question I had the most trouble with was “What was your class title in high school?” The answer choices being: Class Clown, Class Flirt, Class President, or Homecoming Queen. Ummm… I was Class Geek but I guess that isn’t very tempting. Ha!

Now… since I know at least some of you will take this quiz (don’t leave me stranded ladies!), I’d love to hear your results. Just leave ‘em in the comments below.

Best of luck to everyone! Hopefully one of our very own Bionic Beauties will win!

This contest is open to USA residents only. Sorry to my international Bionic Beauties…

FTC Disclosure: The opinion in this article is based on my personal experience and was not influenced by any source, including KAO Brands. Feel free to read my disclosure policy for more information.

This week’s Powerful Beauty comes from a women with incredible fortitude and heart. Shirley Cheng is 26 years old, is blind and physically disabled. She’s also an award-winning author (with over twenty-one awards to her credit!), poet, and motivational speaker. Shirley is proof that no matter what life you, you have the ability to make the most of it.

To learn more about Shirley, please visit her website ShirleyCheng.com and don’t forget to follow her on Twitter!

“Jehovah God Almighty created the first woman, Eve, in His spiritual image. In order to achieve powerful beauty, it is essential to maintain that godly image. God is love, so when women abide in His image, they become love in turn. When women put on love, they have dressed themselves in the most beautiful gown. Wearing love is bedecking yourself with imperishable gold and diamond whose sparkle will never fade away. Love is the secret ingredient that makes all women young-looking, vibrant, and sexy, regardless of their age, shape, height, or background. It does not cost your pocket, nor does it take much brain power. Love is the magical makeup that not only covers up your blemishes but eliminates them from your life.

Even though I’m disabled with disfiguring juvenile rheumatoid arthritis since infancy and blind since age seventeen, I feel beautiful because I constantly let Jehovah’s Holy Spirit help conform me to His image of love. To be perfectly beautiful is my goal, and with God’s provisions, I know I will someday achieve such powerful beauty.”

Shirley mentioned above that she hopes to someday “achieve such powerful beauty”… in my mind, she’s already there. She has accomplished more and in a shorter time span that many people do in their entire lives! And she’s only 26! Imagine what lays ahead for this incredible young woman!

Catch up on the rest of the Powerful Beauty features. And remember to check back each Friday for another dose of how to Achieve Powerful Beauty!

Here are this week’s cosmetics sales from your local Walgreens, CVS, and Rite Aid drugstores… I’ve come to realize that drugstores are just dangerous. No matter if a holiday is months away, they are filled with chocolates, candy, Peeps (which I buy, but never can eat because they are too dang cute!), and those yummy truffles… So I end up with just as many munchies as I do cosmetics. But what the hay, life is short, right?

Walgreens

• Maybelline Cosmetics and makeup – Buy 1, Get 1 50% off!
• L’Oreal foundation, concealer, powder, blush, mascara or lip color – On sale for $3 off!
• CoverGirl Cosmetics and makeup – Buy 1, Get 1 50% off!
• L’Oreal Preference hair color – On sale for $6.99 with in-flyer coupon
• Revlon Sale *on Walgreens.com* only – Get $3 off per item on all Revlon eye and lip makeup, plus free shipping!
• Almay cosmetics and makeup – Buy 1, Get 1 50% off!
• Fragrances: L’Air du Temps, Nautica, White Diamonds, Oscar de la Renta, Drakkar – On sale for $10 off
• L’Oreal Go 360 Clean face wash – Get $2 off
• L’Oreal face moisturizers (Skin Genesis, Age Perfect, etc) – On sale for $5 off
• Caress or Dove bar soap – On sale for 99 cents
• Clearasil Ultra skin care – Buy 1, Get 1 50% off!
• Jergens, Curel, or Biore skin care – Buy 1, Get 1 50% off!
• Garnier Fructis hair care, Nutrioniste Ultra-lift Pro – Buy 1, Get 1 50% off!
• Garnier HerbaShine hair color – On sale for $5.99
• Select John Frieda hair care, Sheer Blonde shampoo, conditioner, Luminious Color Glaze, Frizz-Ease serum – On sale for $8.99
• Other select John Frieda hair care, Brilliant Brunette, Frizz Ease curls, etc – On sale for $5.99 plus $2 in-store coupon, final price of $3.99
• L’Oreal Vive Pro shampoo, conditioner; Studio styling products – On sale for $2.99
• Renpure shampoo or conditioner – Buy 1, Get 1 FREE!
• Just for Men hair color – On sale for $5.99 with in-store coupon (limit 3)
• Olay Regenerist foam treatment, micro-sculpting or DNA superstructure cream – On sale for $23.99
• Select Olay Regenerist skin care – On sale for $18.99
• Olay body wash and 4-pack bar soap – On sale for $3.99
• Secret, Old Spice, Gillette antiperspirant/deodorant or body spray (including Secret Clinical!!!); Zest, Old Spice or Gillette body wash; Gillette disposable razors – Buy 1, Get 1 50% off!
• Aussie, Pantene, herbal Essences hair care – Get 3 for $10 with in-flyer coupon
• Natural Instincts hair color – On sale for $4.99SaturDate with Beauty, select stores – March 13 from 10am to 5pm, Beauty Advisors will help you go through the newest products from Garnier. Plus they were will be specials sales and pricing!

CVS

(remember, you’ll need a free CVS Discount card to get these prices…)

• Revlon eye or lip makeup and beauty tools – Buy 1, Get 1 50% off!
• Almay makeup and cosmetics – Buy 1, Get 1 FREE!
• L’Oreal Double Extend Lash Boosting Mascara or Lash Boosting Serum – On sale for $9 each
• CoverGirl Cosmetics – Buy 1, Get 1 50% off!
• Select women’s and men’s fragrances, perfumes and colognes – Buy 1, Get 1 50% off!
• Olay facial wet cloths, or scrub – On sale for $7
• Olay Regenerist or Total Effect facial care – on sale for $19
• Olay Regenerist skin care kits, treatments, or ALL Olay Definity facial care items – On sale for $25
• Olay Total Effects cleanser, Regenerist scrub, or Definity face cleanser – On sale for $9
• Olay Total Effects body wash – On sale for $8 (Don’t forget the recent freebie I found!)
• Aveeno body lotion, oil, cream or bath treatment – On sale for $6.99
• Aveeno Positively Radiant face moisturizer – On sale for $14.99
• Aveeno shampoo, conditioner and styling products – On sale for $6.49
• ALL Aveeno Positively Ageless products – on sale for $2
• St. Ives or Noxema skin care – Get 3 for $10
• Vaseline Sheer Infusion body lotion – Get 2 for $12, plus an extra $4 CVS bucks.
• Aveeno Sunblock lotion or spray – Get $1 off
• Curel or Jergens body lotion (excludes Jergens Naturals) – On sale for $5.99
• Garnier Nutrioniste skin care – Buy 1, Get 1 50% off!
• Dial or Tone bar soap 2 or 3 packs – On sale for $1.9
• Biore Pore strips, face cleanser, or towelettes – On sale for $5.99
• All Nivea body wash, lotion or creme body care – Get $1 off
• Suave shampoo, conditioner and styling aids – Save $2
• John Frieda hair care collection, shampoo, conditioner, and styling products – Buy 1, Get 1 50% off!
• Clairol Perfect 10 hair color – On sale for $9.99 (ick, in my personal opinion)
• Garnier Nutrisse or HerbaShine hair color – On sale for $5.99
• Secret or Old Spice deodorant/antiperspirants – On sale for $3.99, plus get an extra $1 in CVS bucks
• Axe hair care or body spray or shower gel – Get 3 for $15, plus an extra $5 in CVS bucks
• Bioluxe shampoo or conditioner – Buy 1, Get 1 50% off!
• Head and Shoulders or Pantene Expressions, Restoratives shampoo, conditioner, hair mask, hair balm, – On sale for $4.99, and get an extra $2 in CVS bucks.
• Dove or Degree Clinical Protection antiperspirants – On sale for 40% off!!
• Bio Oil skin care – Get $2 off!

RiteAid

• Clairol Nice ‘n Easy hair color – On sale for $7.49; grab the in-ad coupon for $2.50 off and your final price will be only $4.99!!
• Olay skin or bath care products – Buy 1, Get 1 half off! (excludes Olay Professional, Pro-X)
• CoverGirl cosmetics and makeup – Buy 1, Get 1 FREE!
• Pantene shampoo, conditioner and styling products – Get 2 for $6
• Biore Pore Perfect skin care, Pore Strips, face scrub, cleanser, towelettes – Get 3 for $15, plus there’s a mail in rebate for $5 off your purchase of 3 (brings your final price to 3 for 10 buckaroos!).
• L’Oreal eye makeup – Buy 1, Get 1 at half off!
• Sally Hansen nail treatments – Buy 1, Get 1 at half off!
• Clairol Natural Instincts hair color – On sale for $7.99, plus an additional $2 off with in-ad coupon.
• L’Oreal Skin Care – On sale for $10.99
• Wet n Wild cosmetics and makeup – Buy 1, Get 1 at half off!
• Garnier HerbaShine hair color – On sale for $5.99
• L’Oreal Vive Pro shampoo, conditioner and styling aids – On sale for $2.99
• Head and Shoulders shampoo and conditioner – On sale for $3.99
• Garnier Nutrioniste Skin Care – Buy 1, Get 1 at half off!
• La Cross beauty tools and implements – Buy 1, Get 1 at half off!
• Revlon lip and mascara products – On sale for $4.99
• John Frieda Root Awakening, Brilliant Brunette, Sheer Blonde, Luxurious Volume shampoos or conditioners – Get 3 for $15, plus a mail in rebate for $5 off your purchase of 3! (And P.S. You all know I adore the Root Awakening line!!)

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