Love at first sniff, this is a MUST for dry winter skin! #IColoniali #BBloggers #Beauty

At one of last year's BeautyPress Spotlight Days I got to meet the folks at I Coloniali and I fell head over heels with the brand, particularly with the Myrrh line of products and as promised after thorough testing I am giving I Coloniali their own day in the sun!

This is actually the best time of year to try them out. The cold winter winds are brutal to the skin and I am sure if you are anything like me when you get home with your dry winter skin and feeling cold to the bone, nothing is more soothing to the spirits than a nice warm bath. I have been adding the I Coloniali Softening Bath Oil with Karitè Extract to my bath and it's been a sensory delight in every sense of the word!

I Coloniali Softening Bath Oil with Karitè Extract

About the Softening Bath Oil with Karitè Extract:

It comes in a glass bottle (250 ml - 8.5 fl. oz) and it's cleansing and emollient, you can pour the oil under the hot water of your bath to obtain a rich foam, the foamy rich mousse that develops will envelop your skin and gently cleanse making it velvety smooth to the touch. But I actually double up. I use it in the bath, and then when I finish my bath I put a very small amount on my hands and rub it across my still damp skin and let it air dry and it makes my skin feel SO soft and SMELL so good it is literally a sensory delight overload. If you are going to double up on the oil like I do, you need only a very small of the oil to use on your damp skin, don't overdo it. It will go a long way on your already damp skin. When I don't take a bath but only a shower, I really love using this on my still damp skin, but it's when I get to use it double that I really love it most. I hate when it's time to wash my towels now because they retain the scent of this oil! :)

I Coloniali Deep Massage Body Cream with Myrrh

About the Deep Massage Body Cream with Myrrh:

OK so add to the super indulgent fun, before bed I apply the Deep Massage Body Cream with Myrrh which comes in a large White Glass jar (200 ml - 6.8 fl.oz or the 400 ml - 13.5 fl. oz). You apply directly to the skin and massage until the micro-granules are fully absorbed. It is while you are massaging it into your skin that the micro-granules get the chance to fully develop leaving your skin delicately scented and super soft to the touch.

I Coloniali products are enriched with original ingredients from around the world in order to re-establish harmony within the body and the spirit. It is where the luxury of spa meets the privacy of your own home!

My Take:

I am a huge fan of this line since discovering them at BeautyPress. I have always put some kind of oil on my skin while it's damp, and I am absolutely loving this one! I tend to lean toward 'warmer' and 'heavier' scents I'm just not a floral girl, I can only take very floral scents in super small doses. Myrrh is a longtime favorite of mine and this deep massage body cream leaves my skin delicately scented, well hydrated (never greasy or sticky), and helps me beat the winter dry skin blues! They consider their products to be a 'ritual of well being' and I couldn't agree more. Our bodies are a vessel that house something very precious, our spirit, and to me the body and mind are at one when you are caring for them BOTH equally. Scented products do tend to trigger a reaction. They trigger a memory that leaves you with a feeling, and using aromatic products that also nourish the skin are a great way to bring you to a place of outer and inner harmony.

As a butterfly on a budget I will say these fall under the 'splurge' category, but then again I don't mind doing so if the quality is there. Instead of using cheap lotions that you have to apply often just to keep your skin feeling hydrated, I'd rather purchase something that offers a more 'quality' hydration experience that I don't have to constantly reapply just to keep my skin feeling soft.

Get Social:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - "Like" I Coloniali on Facebook

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Pin with them on Pinterest

And of course, don't forget to let them know you saw them featured on Ascending Butterfly! (You may want to ask them to host a giveaway with Ascending Butterfly too, I can guarantee that if you try this once you'll be a fan for life!)

I can't think of a better way to celebrate YOU in 2014 than by pampering your skin and yourself!

What is your favorite scent? Do you use Massage Oils or Creams?

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a compensated post, however I was provided with the products referenced for editorial consideration free of charge. All opinions are 100% my own!  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR, Part 255 - Guides Concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising, you may check our Giveaway and Disclosure Page for additional information regarding Ascending Butterfly Disclosure.

Highlights from May 2013 @beautypress #SpotlightDay in New York City! Hot #Beauty Products all in one place!

I don't think it's ever taken me this long to post a Beauty Press Spotlight Day recap, but I cannot begin to explain how insane my schedule really is lately. As usual, Beauty Press delivered a ton of great brands directly to us, which is great. Editors/Bloggers get a ton of event invites, and it's just not possible to attend them all, so going to an event where multiple brands come to you is just a no-brainer to begin with. It saves me a ton of time to meet 10 brands at once, and so far I've discovered a ton of new favorites this way as well.

Just some atmosphere at the venue Midtown Loft in New York City

I will present them all to you in Alphabetical Order:

Balanced Guru's Sign at Beauty Press Spotlight Day at Midtown Loft in New York City

Balanced Guru - Unfortunately this is the one brand I got the least amount of time with and despite being in the morning session they were out of samples when I got to them so I can't really say too much about them, but I was impressed that they offer Certified Organic Choices! We will definitely invite them to come back and work with us so I can give you an actual product *review* :-)

BeingTrue Cosmetics Display at Beauty Press Spotlight Day at Midtown Loft in New York City

Being True - I love this tagline, it sums them up (and me up) in a nutshell 'Explore the difference between simply being and BeingTRUE.' Isn't that the balance we all try to strike each and every single day? I love cosmetics and skincare that do something good for your skin while helping you to put your best face forward. I really liked the folks at Being True and they have sent me a Cosmetics Bundle of Love to play with, so stay tuned for full product features, and who knows, maybe we can finagle something great for YOU too butterflies! What we tested while we were there and they also provided samples in the gift bags was the 'finishing touch perfecting pen'. With this beauty 'pen' you can write fine lines off, immediately erase signs of fatigue, and brighten the skin, I definitely loved this product! It combines Instalift Goji derived from the Goji Berry (provides skin lifting and firming benefits), with Pomegranate and Malakite to help protect the skin against premature aging. If you don't get nearly enough sleep at night (like me), this pen is something you are going to want to keep in your purse, in your desk at work and in your vanity at home!

Sam Brocato at Beauty Press Spotlight Day at Midtown Loft and Terrace May 2013

Brocato - Sam Brocato's core philosophy is that beautiful hair design starts with the right cut and ends with the use of the right liquid styling tools and quite frankly I share that philosophy, without the right cut, even the most expensive styling products are of no use! You guys know I don't always win the battle of the frizz, in fact the event was held on a rainy, humid day and I wasn't quite having the best hair day that day, so I'm looking forward to trying out the great products that were in our gift bags including: supersilk Pure Indulgence Leave-In Treatment, swell volume Full Body Styling Clay (my hair type is fine so I like trying out products that add body and reduce that 'limp' appearance), supersilk Pure Indulgence Shampoo, actives Restorative Hair Infusion (I love that this one is equally effective for curly girls as it is for naturally straight hair, and can be used on wet hair before blow drying as a conditioning booster, and on dry hair before flat ironing to boost and seal in shine), and last but not least Back to the Beach Texturizing Mist. I have been testing another system so I haven't started on these yet, but I am definitely looking forward to it!

Columbia Antiseptic Powder and Columbia Healing Cream on display at Beauty Press Spotlight Day May 2013 at Midtown Loft and Terrace in New York City

Columbia - One of America's oldest family owned skincare product companies that has been developing medicinal treatments used by dermatologists, surgeons, estheticians, podiatrists and veterinaarians since 1871 presented their Antiseptic Powder and Healing Cream. Over the weekend I got my first ever sunburn and I can tell you that these products have come in handy! These definitely get my butterfly stamp of approval!

Left: Eve Pearl at work! Right: ME! Ascending Butterfly

Eve Pearl - is a 5-time Emmy Award winning celebrity Makeup Professional with over 18 years of experience in television, film, theatre and print. She also has the patience of a Saint. As I mentioned the event was held on a rainy and super humid day. Most everyone was mentioning how they were feeling sort of blah and while no one seemed to want to take pictures of themselves getting worked on, they were taking pictures of others instead which did NOT make me happy, it's a huge blogger pet peeve of mine in fact. In my opinion while at an event you shouldn't just take pictures of other bloggers and use them on your site. Granted sometimes you can't help it, you are trying to get a shot of a speaker and get people's heads, but that's not what I'm talking about, I'm talking about purposely snapping a direct on photo of someone who isn't purposely posing for it for you. We have no choice about the venue and event sponsor using our image, but the least we can do is respect one another!

You would think I was the celebrity because when I sat with Eve the amount of flashbulbs going off in my face was totally taking the fun out of the experience for me. And she picked up on that and asked people to stop taking pictures which I can't tell you how much I appreciate that she cared about me feeling comfortable. You can't quite feel 'beautiful' when you are feeling gawked at and super un-comfortable. And while I'm aware I'm probably the weirdest blogger on the planet in that I don't actually enjoy taking tons of pictures of myself or having my picture taken at all really, it really was taking away from the experience having everyone yelling which way to stare while trying to take in the invaluable tips and tricks she was giving me! The makeover she gave me was truly phenomenal, I actually hadn't experienced one that 'transformative' since my last one by Jane Iredale. Eve Pearl gave me a very subtle look that I really liked, it was transformative but in a way that didn't look put on, it was very natural and she was so nice that she really turned my day around! One of the products she used on me that day was the Dual Salmon Concealer Treatment (I am a 'Light/Medium'). I definitely LOVE this concealer. I rarely find one that is as effective as I'd like it to be with acne scarring and this one was fantastic! In fact here is my after picture with Eve:

Left: Eve Pearl, Right: ME! Ascending Butterfly - As you can see by the after, my acne scarring is very well concealed and she left my lip color (as you guys know I custom blend my own lip color and I find it quite flattering that most makeup artists tend to leave my lips alone) and she did a light, natural look on my eyes as well.

Eve was just all around awesome and I would definitely love to have her back on Ascending Butterfly!

I Coloniali - I Coloniali products are designed to offer an experience of beauty that embraces the body, the senses, and the emotions. They feature natural ingredients for the perfect balance for body and mind. They are where Spa Treatments meet the privacy of your own home. and while it was hard to pick a favorite from what I sampled on the spot, I fell in total ♥ with the Deep Massage Body Cream with Myrrh, it was a standout favorite and I will give it it's own day in the sun on these pages soon! While I requested the full size of this product because I'm totally obsessed with the scent, in our gift bags were also trial sizes of this product as well ast the Relaxing Bath Cream with Bamboo Extract, and the Velveting Hand Cream with Rice Bran Oil.

Juliet Stewart stands by her display at The Beauty Press Spotlight Day at Midtown Loft in New York City

Juliet Stewart - is the CEO of Juliet Stewart, a beauty and wellness company dedicated to teaching women about the power of their inner beauty. 

Left: Our very own 'Mama Butterfly' and Right: Juliet Stewart giving  an eyebrow shaping  to our editor

Juliet gave mama butterfly an eyebrow shaping and we also got to sample her parfum Juliet! Much like Eve Pearl, Juliet was warm, engaging, and super down to the earth, you can tell that she loves helping people bring their inner beauty to the light!

Left: Mama Butterfly Right: Andi from Mistura applies the 6-in1 Beauty Solution Pressed Powder

Mistura - Launched in 2008 and featured on National Television soon after, Mistura's 6-in-1 Beauty Solution multi-functioning pressed powder became an instant best-seller and I can see why! Mama Butterfly and I are very different in skin tone and this product worked equally well for both of us! Here is the after:

Andi from Mistura (left) applied the 6-in1 Beauty Solution Pressed Powder  on Mama Butterfly (right) during Beauty Press Spotlight Day at the Midtown Loft in New York City

Here is a shot of Andi proudly holding up her award winning product:

I was amazed how well this worked for a wide variety of skin tones, and I am not going to be happy when I run out of this that's for sure!

Osense Fragrant Sticks Incense on display at Beauty Press Spotlight Day May 2013 at Midtown Loft in New York City

Osense - You all know by now how much I love meditation (in fact this site started with daily breathing affirmational meditations in 2009), and one of the things that can help enhance meditation is incense, which is why I gravitated to this table as soon as I saw their display! Their 'Fragrant Sticks' are delightful and by far my favorite is the one they call 'Ipanema'. I will definitely be adding these to my meditation, in fact for those in the incense know, I hadn't found one I liked this much since I hit on Nag Champa!

PretendTan - DK Luxury Beauty's newest retail product is derived from their professional spa system for at home use. We all know that the only safe tan 'is tan in a can', and if you are going to do it you want one that is streak-free, oil free, odor free, paraben free, easy to apply and lasts for days!

Want to see what other brands I have been introduced to during past Beauty Press Spotlight Days? Check out previous coverage of past Beauty Press Spotlight Days HERE and HERE.

Butterflies, tell us which brand you are most excited about seeing a giveaway for (and don't forget to visit them on their social media pages and tell them you saw them featured on Ascending Butterfly)!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored or compensated post, I am under no obligation to share my event recap coverage and all opinions expressed herein are 100% my own.