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!

Today is a two-fer… part makeup look, and part product review. Using some new makeup products (at least new to me), I created a simple, and perfect-for-everyday glamorous makeup look.

Glamorous makeup works for daytime too!

For the makeup look, I used…

• Tarte’s ReCreate Natural Anti-Aging Foundation with SPF 15 – All across my face
• Purely Cosmetics mineral makeup foundation in California Blonde (In case you missed them, you can read all my previous makeup looks and reviews of Purely Cosmetics.) – The Tarte makeup didn’t provide much coverage and it was overly “dewey” so I dusted my PC minerals over my nose, forehead and cheeks.
• Three Custom Color Opaline Creme Eye Definer in Aurora (applied with a taklon “liner” brush from Michael’s craft store, ~$2) – I lined my upper lash line with this deep navy cream eyeliner.
• Anastasia Lash Lifting Mascara in Black – One coat on top and bottom lashes.
• Bourjois Brilliant Effet 3D Maximize lip gloss in Cassis – Great pink-red combo for a classic, everyday look.

The makeup I used to create this look... full reviews are below.

And now for the reviews…

Tarte’s ReCreate Natural Anti-Aging Foundation with SPF 15
Pros:

• SPF 15, UVA and UVB protection
• Anti-aging ingredients to benefit your skin with each application
• Easy to blend
• Light to medium coverage (or this could be a con, if you need full coverage)
• Lots of colors to suit most skin tones
• Pump dispenser to keep makeup inside “clean” and germ free.
• Clear container so you can tell how much makeup you have left.

Cons:

• A bit pricey
• Don’t forget that “natural” labeling doesn’t mean it is fully natural, or organic, or eco-friendly. This makeup does have some natural ingredients, but so do the majority of makeups out there today.
• It caused me to break out- however, that’s not going to be the case for everyone. If you have sensitive skin, this may not be a good product choice for you though.

To Buy: Tarte’s ReCreate anti-aging foundation is $37 at beauty.com.

Three Custom Color Opaline Creme Eye Definer in Aurora

Three Custom's Creme eye liner and Anastasia mascara - a perfect match!

Pros:

• Deep, rich color
• Applies very smoothly
• Can be blended out for a smokey-eye effect, or kept in a distinct line like I’ve shown.
• Classic Three Custom quality. Their products are some of my favorites!
• Mirrored compact is both portable, and makes for easy application or touchups on the go.
• LOTS of product, this compact will last forever!

Cons:

• I wish there was a bit more navy to the coloring. It’s what I’d refer to as an “almost black”.
• Pricier than drugstore brands.

To Buy: Opaline creme eye definer is $22.50 at ThreeCustom.com.

Anastasia Lash Lifting Mascara in Black
Pros:

• Lots of curling, as you can see from my photo above! This is *the* curling mascara if you want to forego an eye lash curler.
• No flaking, clumping, or other nefarious activities.

Cons:

• My tube seemed to “dry out” rather quickly even when capped tightly. After about 2 months it became a bit more thick and not so easy to apply.
• Didn’t build extreme length or add volume, if that’s what you are seeking.

To Buy: Anastasia Lash Lifting Mascara Black uns $22 a tube at Sephora.

Bourjois Brilliant Effet 3D Maximize lip gloss in Cassis

Bourjois' 3D lip gloss provides lots of color, shine and depth!

Pros:

• Pretty affordable, nice big tube.
• Loads of depth, shine and brilliant color.
• Easy to apply, very smooth, very very minimal stickiness.

Cons:
Not very long-wearing, but most lip glosses aren’t used for their hours of color, are they?

To Buy: Bourjois lipgloss is $16 at Ulta.com.

And there you have it. An easy everyday makeup look with a hint of glamour and all sorts of new products for you to ponder!

This week’s Bionic Asks…

From the brilliant red carpet, to the shiny statuettes… glamourous dresses, Clooney’s sly smiles, Doogie Howser’s sequined jacket (he’s still, and always will be, Doogie to me!), and the funny-ish banter between Baldwin and Martin… Did you indulge in a few hours in front of the telly to watch the Oscars?

I admit I haven’t seen Precious or Hurt Locker. I did see District 9, Star Trek and Avatar… which shows my propensity for geeky movies. Star Trek and Avatar floored me (in a good way), District 9 did not. I mentioned my District 9 dislike over Twitter and most respondents agreed with me; however one woman started calling me names (including certain female body parts). Hmmm… pent up angst, anyone?!? I just moved along. Really, people, don’t we all know we can have our own opinions at this day and age? And may I add, she WAS NOT acting like a Powerful Beauty. Nope, nuh uh. *wink*

I thought Kristen Stewart looked absolutely gorgeous. She kept the makeup to her usual smokey eye and didn’t wear ten pounds of jewelry- which would have been way over-the-top for someone her age. If I have to make one tiny negative remark, I wish she’d stand up a bit straighter.

All the dresses this year were beyond amazing in my opinion. Sarah Jessica Parker’s was a slight miss for me, but just because I think she can certainly pull off something more form-fitting, and the yellow color didn’t do her skin tone justice.

My other top favorites- Kate Winslet, Helen Mirren (she is SO perfect!), Cameron Diaz, Lt. Uhura (sorry, I can’t remember her real name but she was in both Star Trek and Avatar. I just looked her up- Zoe Saldana!).

As for the show itself, good overall. But the snubbing of Bea Arthur and Farah Fawcett during the memorial montage miffed me. Farah’s death upset me more than Micheal Jackson’s (Ok, please don’t throw tomatoes at me, I just grew up a Farah Fawcett fan!).

So who did you love and dislike (let’s try to be nice and remember that *hate* is a strong word, Bionic Beauties), what movies did you route for, and if you didn’t watch the Oscars what did you do instead?

Has your dry winter skin been itching for some relief? Vaseline’s newest offerings- “Sheer Infusion” body lotions are getting rave reviews. If you’d like to try it yourself, you can grab a coupon for $1.50 off on Walmart’s website. Save some bucks and get relief from the ashy, flaky winter skin doldrums.

The Walmart site also has links to some video reviews by real women. I haven’t tried it myself, but with this coupon, it’s now been added to my shopping list for my next store run!

Have you tried the Vaseline Sheer Infusion body lotions? What was your experience?

Welcome to Monday everyone! I know I haven’t been around for a few days, and I hope that you’ll excuse the lapse in my writings. To make it up to all my wonderful readers, I’ve spent a few hours scouring the interwebs for freebies!

Grab a free sample of Nelson’s Pure & Clear anti-blemish skin care line. Just fill out the short form and answer the question (hint… the answer is “Tea Tree, Arnica, Calendula, Hypericum”. See? I even did the research for you!). This sample is open to residents of the UK, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and the USA.

John Frieda’s ever-expanding hair care lineup has done it again… they’re new Luxurious Volume hair care is offering freebies to get you hooked!

You have to do a little work for this one… but if you upload a video review of Dove Body Wash, they’ll send you a free coupon good for up to $6.25 redeemable for a Dove hair care product!

Most of you know I adore L’Oreal’s EverPure Sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner… they’ve expanded the range to a new EverStrong line. I haven’t tried it yet, but now I will since they are offering free samples!

Are you a Costco member? If so, you can get a free sample of Lever 2000 bar soap from Costco.com. You’ll need to enter a Costco member ID to qualify.

Enjoy! And I’d love to hear your thoughts on any of the samples you receive and test!

Calling all spa-lovin’ Bionic Beauties! You are going to adore this news flash!

SpaFinder.com’s Deal Days will run during March 8-14 and will encompass hundreds of spas nationwide. Each participating spa will lower the price of signature treatments down to $50 a piece – massages, facials, manicures, pedicures, and many other typically pricey procedures are all included.

To find a get the low-down on Deal Days, sign up and look for participating spas at SpaFinder.com/dealdays.

Anyone planning to book a treatment???