Keep your Skin Hydrated this Summer with Borghese - Review and Giveaway! 2 winners! Ends 08/02

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This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsor Borghese! We look forward to working with you again! The winner has been notified and upon confirmation, follower name will be posted both here and on our homepage. Remember: There are great giveaways active on the upper right hand side of the page!

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Just like we get thirsty in the heat, so does our skin! The heat and humidity of summer time is no excuse to let you skincare slide.

While I know the last thing anyone wants to do in the heat is wear makeup, your skin still requires hydration, both from within and without! If you normally drink 8 glasses of water per day, up it in the summer to keep your body and skin hydrated!

The secret is to use products that do not clog your pores, clogged pores will trap oil and dirt, and make you feel even 'stickier' in the heat which is the last thing you want.

Product Recos for your skin + hair?, so glad you asked!

Acqua Ristorativo

What it does:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Helps preserve the most important characteristics of youthful healthy- looking skin including helping skin feel supple and toned.

What it contains:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Acqua di Vita Complex to hydrate and energize skin

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Two varieties of seaweed (Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract and Hydrolyzed Corallina Officinalis Extract) plus Watermelon Extract to protect skin against the damage of UV radiation

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ  - Pro-Vitamin B5 to help skin retain its natural moisture

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Pro-Vitamin B5 to help skin retain its natural moisture

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Dermatologist Tested. Allergy Tested. Suitable for all skin types.

Crema Ristorativo-24 Continuous Hydration Moisturizer

What it does:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Uses Moist 24™, a botanical moisturizing agent, to moisturize the upper layers of the skin for 24 hours.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Helps protect skin’s DNA from external influences using a Bio-Nymph Peptide complex.

What it contains:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Acqua di Vita Complex to hydrate and energize skin.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant, to help skin retain its natural moisture.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Two varieties of seaweed (Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract and Hydrolyzed Corallina Officinalis Extract) plus Watermelon Extract to protect skin against the damage of UV radiation

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -  Dermatologist Tested. Allergy Tested. Suitable for all skin types.

Shampoo Purificante - Cleansing Treatment for Hair and Scalp

What it is:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - A botanically enriched shampoo that cleanses hair as it moisturizes the scalp. Contains a body building formula for greater volume, substance and thickness.

What it does:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Herbal Formula - Stimulates and nourishes as it cleans.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Acqua di Vita® Complex - Rejuvenates with mineral waters.

Ristorativo Di Vita - Conditioning Treatment for Hair and Scalp

What it is:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - A lightweight botanically enriched infusion that conditions the hair and scalp. Restore hair's smoothness, add volume and revitalize scalp to restore a healthy, soft feeling. Soothing Thyme re-texturizes dry, damaged hair. When used with Shampoo Purificante, the result is "Bella Capelli!" (which means beautiful hair in Italian)

What it does:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Herbs and Botanicals - Revitalize and soothe both hair and scalp.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Acqua di Vita® Complex - Rejuvenates with mineral waters.

My Take

I have been using Borghese Skin Care Products for quite awhile now. And even introduced friends and family to the line. It all started with a facial I received at their skin care counter in a local department store, I bought pretty much one of everything, so I knew before going into this review that I would more than likely love the products, but I had never tried their haircare before so that was the most pleasant surprise!

My hair has been an extra pain this summer, entirely unruly and super frizzy and while I am still going to require chopping quite a bit off sometime VERY soon, the Shampoo Purificante and Ristorativo Di Vita Conditioner has helped me postpone that much needed haircut!

I love both the Acqua Ristorativo Serum as well as the Crema Ristorativo-24 Continuous Hydration Moisturizer, and I've been using both daily. The one, two punch to my skin has been very noticeable, my skin is much brighter, evenly hydrated and I find my makeup goes on much smoother. I have pretty much made the full switch to powder foundation, but one thing I that has always bothered me about the powder foundation, is that it can exaggerate any dry patches on your face, I've been able to skip primer using this serum and I use the continuous hydration mouisturizer mostly at night. I have seen a reduction in fine lines, a much more overall brightness and luminosity to my skin to the point where if I skip any makeup I don't feel guilty that day. (Although I will never give up my signature lips - which is a secret custom color combo I will NEVER share!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - WIN IT! - Ascending Butterfly and our friends at Borghese have a very special surprise for 2 lucky winners! 1 winner will get the Crema Ristorativo-24 Continuous Hydration Moisturizer and the other will get the Acqua Ristorativo Hydrating Concentrate!

Don't you just ♥ Borghese? I know I do!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - How to Win: (1) You must be a PUBLIC follower of Ascending Butterfly to be eligible for this and all giveaways. Indicate in your entry that you follow (if your 'comment name/user id' differs from your profile id, please let me know what name you follow under) and (2)MANDATORY-Visit Borghese and post the URL Link of any other product that catches your eye EXCEPT the reviewed products above! (3) You must also leave your email address somewhere in your comment. (You can format it this way for security, example: ascendingbutterfly AT mail host DOT com). (If your email is clearly visible in your profile, you can just say so, that's OK!) Please follow the easy 1, 2, 3 steps to winning (or in this case, the A,B,C’s of winning!) This giveaway is open to USA who are 18 years of age or older. No PO Boxes. One entry per Household, see Ascending Butterfly Giveaway Rules and Disclosure Policy HERE.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Please follow directions or you will be disqualified! All comments are moderated, they may not appear on the site right away (comments like "I want this" or "I want to win" will not be entered). You have from Tuesday, July 26, 2011 until Tuesday, August 02, 2011 at 03:00 PM (EST) to comment and be entered for a chance to win. You will have 48 hours to confirm if we do not hear from you we will be forced to move on to an alternate. (We only notify winners DIRECTLY via email, so if your profile or your comment does not have an email your entry will not be processed) You cannot have won a Carolina Pad prize pack orgift certificate in the past 90 days.

EXTRA CREDIT:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - You know how much I love finding us both win/wins right? Here's another one: Visit the Degree Women MotionSENSE App on Facebook and enter GetMoving031 in 'Enter Codes' HERE (you'll get an extra 5 MotionSENSE Miles which you can trade in for great prizes including trips, gift certificates, electronics and more!) Enter, share on your wall, and let me know you entered by linking me to where you shared it on your wall, by the way sharing also buys you extra MotionSENSE miles, win/win right? :)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Blog about this giveaway, linking to this giveaway post. Leave the URL in a comment. (If your blog post contains more than just a pic and link you'll get 5 extra credit entries! Leave five entries.)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Grab our NEW Button and put it on your Blog. Leave the URL where we can see it in a comment (if you have our old one, please swap it out, our URL address has changed!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @Tracy_Iglesias on Twitter (this is ascendingbutterfly’s editor) and give me your twitter ID in a comment

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @BorgheseBeauty on Twitter

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @Ascending1 on Twitter (this is Ascending Butterfly's new account, we will soon be hosting twitter parties which necessitates having a second account so we can make updates throughout the entire party!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Tweet this:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ @Ascending1 + @BorgheseBeauty #Beauty Skin Care Summer Blowout #Giveaway! 2 winners! Ends 08/02 http://tinyurl.com/3fq85qz

(Leave a comment with the tweet’s url so you can get a valid entry (click on the time your tweet was sent to get the direct URL and then copy and paste it here). You can Tweet TWICE per DAY.)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Digg about this giveaway and leave your digg username in your comment

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Fave this blog on Technorati and leave your Technorati user name in your comment

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Ascending Butterfly on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 'Like' Borghese and tell them Ascending Butterfly Sent You (I'm sure they'd love for you to tell them which you want to win most, the continuous hydration or the serum!) on Facebook HERE (Please post the link to your facebook comment, you can get that link the same way you get your link to your tweets!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Ascending Butterfly on Networked Blogs HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Join Ascending Butterfly's NEW Community/Real Time Chat, Group HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - One time only per giveaway, NOT a daily: Vote for Ascending Butterfly on: Fuel My Blog

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Have you entered another active giveaway on Ascending Butterfly? Let me know which one and you’ll get more extra credit!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Have you commented on a non-giveaway entry? Let me know which one here and you’ll get more extra credit!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Press the button below and join, you get an extra entry for this giveaway and a shot at more great prizes, lets win together! (one time extra credit, will be verified before entry can be accepted)

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FTC Disclosure Info for this Giveaway: This is not a paid insertion. This is a non-compensated post and all opinions regarding the product and the sponsor are my own experiences. I was provided product to facilitate the review and giveaway. The sponsors are fulfilling directly to prize winner(s), this in no way influenced my opinion of the products. Once a winner is selected and their information has been forwarded to the sponsor, the responsibility of prize fulfillment rests with the sponsor.

Got Frizz? Fight the April Showers with Liqwd!

Does that sound a bit counter-intuitive?

You can actually keep the frizzies at bay with Liqwd! No, not liquid, Liqwd! Let me start by saying this review is super long over-due, but the only benefit to that is that I really got to road test the product under every weather condition imaginable!

An unprecedented capsule collection, LiQWD professional products feature exclusive Nano-Hydrasphere™ and ColorLife® Technologies. Nano-Hydraspheres™ turn vital nutrients and potent volumizers into microscopic particles capable of penetrating the hair shaft to treat and transform critical, previously unreachable, cortex layers. ColorLife® works synergistically with Nanos to lock color brilliance and essential moisture in and environmental hazards out.

I have very fine hair that is wavy and super frizz prone, which is a difficult combo to work with. Not only do the pros have trouble keeping my mane shiny and fab, I have even more trouble! I find myself in a 'hair catch 22'. Taming the frizz, sometimes causes people to use products that 'weigh' the hair down to keep frizz at bay. But with fine hair, that will end up knocking all the body out of your hair, and if the frizz products are oil based and applied from root to tip, most of us with fine hair end up with the front almost greasy looking, but the middle to the ends still dry. Not pretty!

While April will always be my favorite month of the year because it's my Birthday and the start of Spring, it's also the month where 'April Showers bring May Flowers' and while I love Flowers, I do not love April Showers! and I hate what April Showers and humidity does to my hair!

My normal response to bad hair days are to book an appointment, but right now, salon visits are not in the budget! But I do have an arsenal of hair care products that help me keep the frizz at bay between Salon Visits!

Healthy hair is  hydrated hair, so start with the Hydrating Shampoo! The ultimate, moisture-powered solution for hair that’s processed, damaged or just plain parched. The result is fresh, dynamic, treatment-ready hair. I loved the smell and the way my hair felt from the first use. I don't know about you, but I can usually tell even when my hair is still wet, how well my hair will respond to the product. These are definitely salon quality and a little product goes a long way!

Liqwd calls this "The ultimate, everyday treatment for hair that's processed, damaged or just plain parched. The result is vital, voluptuous hair that radiates health, feels phenomenal and performs to perfection." I personally see this as far from 'everyday'. It certainly rivals many 'deep conditioning' treatments I've paid for in pricey salons!

If you noticed that the Volumizing Shampoo has a slightly bigger picture, it's because it is my favorite. It provides the same 'nano-hydration' for healthy, shiny hair, but also builds the volume that my fine, frizzy, thin hair lacks! In the words of Charlie Sheen 'Duh, Winning'!

It's encouraged on their website to mix and match products across their lines to get customized results, and this definitely worked wonders for me. My best results were achieved by using the Hydrating Shampoo, the Volumizing Conditioner, and the Think Big Professional Volumizing Catalyst (if like me you have very fine, thin hair, then I would suggest using LESS than the instructions require!).

And the creative, graphic designer side of me can't help but point out how sleek and wonderfully packaged the products are!

After visiting their blog, I'd definitely love to try the LiQWD Q-Keratin Smoothing Treatment next! It is Formaldehyde and Paraben free!

You can also get social with Liqwd on Facebook HERE. Don't forget to tell them that Ascending Butterfly sent you! I am sorry I don't have a giveaway this time, but hopefully we will soon, might not hurt to mention it while you are visiting their facebook page! ;)

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Active Giveaways!

1) Ends 04/15 - Yanni Truth of Touch CD Review and Giveaway! - Enter HERE!

2) Ends 04/19 - Easter Basket of Your Choice Giveaway! - Enter HERE!

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Vote Needed!

Voting Ends 04/15/11, I need You!!! I am a finalist in Mom Central Consulting's 'Grow Your Personal Brand' Grant Program. I would love your vote, but I would also love for you to read my entry. My essay is entitled 'Project Chrysalis'. A project, which many of you know has already begun. The essay questions I was asked to answer really made me think, about my 'brand' and most importantly about my goals both personally and professionally. I hope reading my entry brings you inspiration! This is a DAILY, 1 click, no registration required vote request. You can vote by pressing the image below or HERE:

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FTC Disclosure: I was not asked to write about Mom Central's Grant Program, nor does writing about it improve my chances. I feel the message they are sending by supporting bloggers efforts to grow their brand is an important and powerful one! This is not a paid insertion. This is a non-compensated post and all opinions regarding the product are expressly my own experiences. I was provided product to review, this in no way influenced my opinion of my experiences with this product.