Friday, March 20, 2015

What #Beauty Brands did @beautypress put on the radar of #bbloggers this time? Find out here!

NOTE: This is an event recap, this is not a product endorsement or review.



Please note my new disclaimer above event recap posts, an event recap is not a product review nor is it an implied endorsement, these are brands we had the chance to interface with at the Beauty Press Spotlight Day, and as we go actually testing product samples (if samples were provided), we will then highlight our specific thoughts about each product in an individual post.

The first Beauty Press Spotlight of 2015 put some brands that were new to me on my radar and I also got to meet the faces behind a few brands I was already familiar with.

Here are the brands we  met, this time in no particular order:

All Beauty Water


Pictured Above: All Beauty Water comes in three 'refreshing-tastic' flavors: Pomegranate, Cucumber Aloe and Strawberry Acai, each bottle is 16oz and contain: 2 glasses of water per serving, 8 SkinVitamins including: Vitamins A, C, D E, B3, B6, B12, and Biotin as well as 7 SkinNutrients including: Selenium, Green Tea Extract, Magnesium, Manganese, Calcium, Potassium and Zinc. They are 0 Calories, contain NO sugar and are non-GMO, Kosher, Vegan and Gluten Free with no artificial flavors, sweeteners or preservatives!

Blemish Potion and Sen7 Fizz, whats hot products


Pictured Above: whats hot! showed off two products, Blemish Potion (above on the upper shelf) and the Sen7 Fizz (on the lower shelf) a fragrance atomizer that is actually TSA friendly so you don't have to leave your favorite scent home for fear it will be taken from you at the airport!

cureology beauty

Pictured Above: cureology beauty certainly caught my eye with the butterflies on their poster, they make haircare products that use only ingredients available from renewable/sustainable resources, packaging with post consumer material, organically grown ingredients, are a cruelty free brand that doesn't use animal testing and they donate 10% of their proceeds to the Breast Cancer Cause. I definitely love supporting brands that give back!

Grand Central Beauty

Pictured Above: Grand Central Beauty - There wasn't a time when this booth was by itself so we have a candid photo above with the Grand Central team mid pitch! They offer "S.M.A.R.T." skincare with SMART being an acronym for Smooths. Moisturizes. Anti-Aging. Redness-reduction, Tones. They are also cruelty free and they are made with pride in the USA.

My Amazing Hair Secrets

Pictured Above: My Amazing Hair Secrets offers a Shampoo, Conditioner, Quick Dry Shake'n Spray (that cuts your blow dry time in half), a Repair & Shine Secret and a 'My Amazing Color Boost+ Secret that helps to protect and intensify hair color while helping to also maximize shine and luminosity. Their website even offers '15 steps to a perfect "Amazing"  30 Minute Blowout!

NUTRAFOL, Hair Loss Dietary Nutritional Supplements
























Pictured Above: Co-Founder of NUTRAFOL, Giorgos Tsetis holds up NUTRAFOL for both men and women, these clinically formulated supplements promote thicker, fuller, faster hair growth as well as improved texture, by repairing and revitalizing damaged hair follicles, minimizing hair loss due to stress, combating hair loss due to hormonal imbalance, helping the body build resistance to stress and protects hair against damage from excessive styling or excercise and counters the effects of (lack of) sleep or nutritional deficiences. - This is definitely one of the products I look most forward to starting on as I am a lifelong insomniac!

Ottilie and Lulu at BeautyPress Spotlight Day February 2015, Skincare for Tweens and Teens, all-natural skincare and beauty


Pictured Above: Ottilie and Lulu provides an all-natural skin regimen for tween and teen girls including cleansers, moisturizers, sun protection solutions and blemish treatments. Their products are all dermatologist tested and allergy tested and contain natural ingredients, never to early to get started on a healthy skincare routine!

Pour le Monde Parfums at BeautyPress Spotlight Day February 2015, Certified 100% Natural Prestige Fragrance



















Pictured Above: Pour le Monde Parfums are the only CERTIFIED 100% natural prestige fragrances in the world! And they also give back to charities including: Cancer Support Community, Guiding Eyes for the Blind and The National Multiple Sclerosis Society. there is a huge difference between natural versus synthetic perfumes butterflies, and please remember 60% of what you put on your skin gets absorbed into your bloodstream!

























Pictured Above: Primp and Polish Manicure with Nail Art!

MY TAKE:

Sadly a lot of bad behavior by super entitled "Print Editors" marred my experience. While some of us patiently waited our turns in line to meet a brand rep many "Print Press" felt it was OK to walk right in front of the line, and instead of brand reps asking them to wait their turn in line like everyone else, if the person said "I'm Print" the brands more than 75% of the time allowed it, marring my opinion of them both quite frankly. Perhaps for the next show I should tout my print credentials and see if it allows me to skip the lines too......And as many brands went 'vial size' for 'bloggers' this time around you won't see as many individual product reviews on this show as a vial size is not sufficient to test the efficacy of any Beauty Product. There were some brands who did provide sufficient full size test samples and those will be given individual features in the future.

I am finishing up a supplement I am currently testing and will start on the NUTRAFOL system next, so I will keep you posted on my progress with them at the end of the testing and report my results in a separate post.

I loved that many brands included this time do give back a portion of their proceeds to benefit charity, and that a movement toward natural, chemical free products are prevailing with many emerging brands. Me and All Beauty Water definitely have something major in common, we both believe that Beauty definitely starts from WITHIN.

Which product mentioned would YOU most like to try and why? 

(Who knows if a lot of you are interested in the same product I may be able to have them come back and do something nice for YOU! So don't forget to let them know you saw them featured here first when you connect with them via Social Media!)

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post and 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.

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

{@WordlessWednesday} Guess me from underneath! {#Photo}

Can you guess what I am?



















Happy Wordless Wednesday! This picture ties into something very special that is coming very SOON, so stay tuned for a Flash Giveaway that will open and close quickly and include some very special surprises!

Bloggers feel free to post a link to your Wordless Wednesday Post so we can check out your pictures too, just remember, NO giveaway links or linkies here, Wordless Wednesday links only!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post and 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.

Monday, March 16, 2015

{#MotivationMonday} #Butterflies we are FOUR days away from the first day of SPRING!

Fellow East Coast Peeps, soon we will have LESS of this:



And more of THIS:


In just four days, it's bye bye old man winter and HELLO Spring! Who is with me?

I hope this put the motivation in your Monday!
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Wednesday, March 11, 2015

{#WordlessWednesday} My wish for you Butterfly!


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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a Sponsored Post. And I really do wish you Happiness in Your Life, Today and Every Day!

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

{#TryItTuesday} Thinking about a new #hair color for Spring? I tried @eSalon and here are my results! #eSalon #bLinkBiz

I am a Spring Baby and if the season of Spring represents anything it's renewal, a perfect time for change in my book. I started the changes last year actually by donating over 13 inches of hair to Pantene's Beautiful Lengths, an organization that uses the hair to make wigs for women battling cancer, if you missed that post, click HERE. That was serious change for me as I had my hair super long for a very long time!

This year I knew I wanted to try color, and not just a 'wash out' over time color, but something that would last longer and bring me into summer. And that's where esalon comes in.

Here is the 'lo-down' on my experience:

Ordering Process:

You complete a questionnaire that asks questions about your hair's length, texture, current color, level of grey (if any) and you are also asked to include a current photo to help make it easier for the colorist who will be working on your order to get the right color for your hair. I personally had trouble completing my order and had to try a different browser than the one I normally use to finally get my order to go through, I still don't know why that happened (and no, I wasn't on a mobile device or tablet I was on my desktop!). Despite attaching a photo I was asked to re-send via email another photo. The order took quite awhile to arrive, and arrived via US Postal Mail (which I had to pick up, it wasn't brought to me directly - apartments and their super small mailboxes!).

This is what arrives:

Packaging/Contents:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Two Bottles of Developer

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Two bottles of hair dye - one for roots, the second for ends

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Gloves

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Dye Brush

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Stain Remover

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Stain Guard (much akin to Vaseline to protect your scalp and ears from the color)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - One Packet of Shampoo

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - One Packet of Conditioner

Application:

I don't have grey hair so I don't color my hair and had no real idea of what to expect, but the fact that this comes with one hair color for roots and another one for the ends, seemed strange to me, but you start with mixing the color for your roots and then applying it and leaving it on for what seems like a very long time before mixing and applying the color that gets put on the ends. The final step is to add water to the leftover dye used on the ends to create a rinse that can be used in the shower BEFORE Shampooing or Conditioning your hair.

It took a LONG time to rinse this stuff off I will tell you that. and you will definitely want to jump into the shower and not try to crouch over a sink as it's a bit difficult and time consuming to get the rinse to go clear before you start to shampoo.

TIP: The 'personalized instructions' don't mention the gloves are in the box in the center, so if you open your kit and can't figure out why there are no gloves, they are there, just in that box where the stain guard, stain remover and shampoo and conditioner packets are.

RESULTS:

So here is the big reveal, the before and after:

Top Photo is my hair BEFORE. The Bottom is my hair AFTER on the same day the color was applied. The only difference is in the top picture, the before photo, my hair is slightly shorter.

Price:

Each kit totals $24.95 and they offer an auto renew pricing which is slightly cheaper at about $19.95

My Take:

The color I selected was "Light Brown Golden Copper" - I find my hair looks more red than 'golden' and I don't like the different color at the roots and different color for the ends. Thankfully it is not totally 'ombre' probably because of the rinse but the rinsing didn't 'blend/marry' the color cohesively in my opinion. Overall this is NOT the color I expected and I am not thrilled with my results. 

Perhaps if I did have grey in my hair to cover, I would have been happier with the results, this is way redder and way darker than I expected and the results I wanted to achieve was to go LIGHTER and I wanted to see more of the Golden Brown shade that was shown to me on their website when I finished my survey/questionnaire.

And also as I don't color my hair regularly I think I would have preferred just leaving this to the pros and putting that $20 towards an actual salon experience which feels a bit more 'pampering' in my opinion. I guess I'm just not a DIY type of girl.

Do you currently color your hair butterfly? If so, what is your favorite shade and favorite brand? Have you tried esalon yet, if so, what do YOU think? Sound off and let us know!

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FTC Disclosure: This is a sponsored post and 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. I participated in the eSalon hair color campaign as a member of The bLink Marketing Network. I was provided a free hair color to review but all opinions are my own.

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

{#WordlessWednesday} No My Brain Doesn't Want to be PICKED, it Wants to be PAID! #Humor #Photo

No My Brain Doesn't Want to be PICKED, it Wants to be PAID, Wordless Wednesday, Humor
If you like me, don't forget to Pin me!
When you get those 'Can I pick your brain?' emails that drive you nuts, send them the link to this page with a smile!

Noticed how I used overlay to carefully and sneakily put in butterflies all over the skull neck and shoulders?

I don't know about you but a cup of coffee just won't cut it, if you want to pick my brain pay my hourly consulting rate! If you want an advertorial I will gladly send you the rate sheet, no need to pick my brain!

Happy Wordless Wednesday on the interwebs! Bloggers feel free to comment with the direct link to your Wordless Wednesday Post today and we will be sure to stop by and show you some love too! (No Giveaways and no links to just your homepage - Wordless Wednesday Posts ONLY please!)

Butterflies what do you reply when someone asks to pick YOUR brain?

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post, no monetary compensation has been exchanged and 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.

Sunday, March 1, 2015

Top 3 lessons I took away from @DeliverFromEvil #SinisterSunday #HorrorMovie #CableTVCouchCritic

"Deliver Us from Evil (2014 film) poster" distributed by Screen Gems
"Deliver Us from Evil (2014 film) poster" distributed by Screen Gems

I am a horror movie buff. I have been since I was a kid. I would slip Fangoria Magazine into my text books when classes weren't challenging me enough. And about the only thing I ever really got into trouble for as a kid was watching The Exorcist when I wasn't supposed to.

For those of you on Optimum, the Starz Channel switched their new movies to Friday Nights, and this Friday they were giving a movie I really wanted to see in the theaters but missed, Deliver Us From Evil. The movie is supposed to be based on the book 'Beware the Night' by Ralph Sarchie and Lisa Collier Cool. The movie is marketed as being based on the book, but it turns out that it actually features a completely original plot and is not based on the cases recounted in the book by New York cop, Ralph Sarchie - portrayed by Eric Bana in the movie.

My Top Three Takeaways from this Movie are:

(1) It's hard enough for single ladies as it is, but ladies we now need to add this question to the list we ask prospects "Do you (or anyone in your bloodline) have any supernatural gifts I should be aware of?" - If you see the movie you will understand exactly why I am adding this list to my questions I ask prospects.....And Guys, yes you should ask this question too! - Sometimes people carry 'spiritual' baggage they aren't even aware about. SCARY SHIT!!!!

(2) I need to leave the Bronx as soon as possible. Just saying. (I may also be avoiding the Bronx Zoo from now on because of this flick!)

(3) Do not buy children stuffed toys. They end up being creepy and scary - and if you hear something under the bed, never investigate, RUN!

Below is the Official Trailer: (Flip the lights on if you need to while watching the trailer!)





My Take:

Now that I know that the movie created an original script and did not really base itself off the book I want to read the book and find out just how much creepier the real life cases that were investigated really were.  Although maybe I don't want to hear about all the supernatural shit that Detective Sarchie and the Castillan Priest encountered in the Bronx until I move away from here!

The lead role was actually supposed to be played by Mark Wahlburg, no offense Mark but I am glad it went to Eric instead!

Are you a horror fan butterfly? Did you see Deliver Us From Evil? If so what did YOU think about it?

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post, 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.

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

{#WordlessWednesday} It is a Gold Foil Wrapped Magnum Kind of Day! {#Photo}



Now, Now Butterfly get your mind out of the gutter! What did you think I meant? Leave your link as a comment and we will be sure to stop over and give your Wordless Wednesday photo some love too! (No Giveaway links please!)

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post, 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.

Monday, February 23, 2015

Find out how my #Travel Wanderlust could mean a trip to #Paris for YOU! #trafalgarinsider

This post is sponsored by:



I have battled both Snowmageddon 2015 and the Flu this brutal winter here in the North East and the only thing they have both stirred up in me is my never-ending battle with Travel Wander Lust! I want to escape, and I want to escape BAD! Having worked in the airline industry in the past my passion for travel has never waned.

With my birthday coming up in April I really want to go big, but quite frankly I'm not sure I am up for the planning involved in an Epic adventure you know - that 'once-in-a-lifetime' trip that you never forget! (My first trip to Vegas was one of those Epic trips that's for sure! Thankfully what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!) The only thing I'm sure of at this point is that I want it to be an international trip, Europe, Asia or somewhere Down Under are my top choices right now.

While stuck at home with the flu I have done some preliminary research, and come across some real contenders both in terms of destination AND who should plan it - with the same attention to detail that I would if I did it myself.  One of the forerunners is a family owned company who is one of the innovators in "Insider Experiences' - allowing travelers to dine with locals in their homes and more! I have always been an 'off-the-beaten-path' type of traveler, and like me, the folks at Trafalgar share a passion for all things travel.

I need a personal travel director/concierge for this upcoming birthday trip and with Trafalgar they arrange for every detail - think luxury coach transportation, hand-picked four-star accommodations, all baggage, hotel and restaurant gratuties! Now that's what I'm talking about!

I personally was snowed in with the Flu on Valentine's Day, but my research for one thing (my upcoming birthday trip) led to another that I just couldn't keep to myself and just had to share! How does an eight-night romantic trip to France - you know THE CITY OF LOVE - sound to you?

The Eiffel Tower
Photo Credit: Mayors & Cities - The Worldwide Municipalities Magazine
Not yet sold? The Wonderful France Trip Includes:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Visiting famous landmarks including: Eiffel Tower, Champs-Elysees, Palace of Versailles

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - St. Tropez and Monaco - the playground of the rich and famous

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Pristine Cote d'Azur Coastline

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Trafalgar unique insider experiences including a Be My Guest dinner in Provence cooked in a wood-fired oven in a family run restaurant

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Visit the world-renowned vineyards of Cote du Rhone and Burgundy Wine Regions

But HURRY! The contest runs until February 26th, that is also the deadline date for the Early Payment Discount allowing couples to save up to $1,200 on trips to Europe! Enter HERE for the contest, and if you can't wait to find out if you won and want to lock in that discount, call Trafalgar Travel Experts at 866-544-4434!

MY TAKE

You know just how much brands that give back mean to me and I am happy to share that Trafalgar is a founder and active supporter of The TreadRight Foundation, a not-for-profit that works to ensure the environment and communities we visit remain vibrant and well preserved, TreadRight has donated $2.5 million to sustainable tourism projects worldwide!

If you are like me and like to 'lurk' a bit and get to know a brand before you commit, you can hang out with Trafalgar on Facebook and Twitter! And as a blogger I am literally bursting at the seams to share that if you fill out the form HERE and share your best photo taken during a Trafalgar Vacation, they will PAY YOU for it! And it is easy as one, two, three - (1) Enter your Details, (2) Upload your images and (3) Submit, note they will only accept hi-res images 710 x 710 pixels or larger!

Where is your next adventure? Where would you like Trafalgar to help you plan an epic adventure for? Did you enter the Wonderful France Competition Butterflies?

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FTC Disclosure: This is a sponsored post, however 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.

Friday, February 13, 2015

This #FridayThe13th let's talk what's new on #Television! These Shows are on my radar!



I didn't get a flu shot this year and I have spent the past two weeks doing the flu 'cha cha' a few hours of lucidity where I try to get everything done and then totally wiped out again. In fact the other day I took a shower thinking I was doing great, and my fever spiked so high I thought surely I would pass out. Then the thought of  the EMT's finding me butt naked in my bathroom made me muster my energy to get my PJ's on and get back to bed.

The only great thing about the Flu is TV. Whether it's Cheese TV, Binge Watching, or catching new shows, the flu makes you a captive audience.

Two new shows on my radar are Empire and The Slap.



EMPIRE:

This show centers around a hip hop music and entertainment company called Empire Enterprises, and the drama amidst the members of the founding family of the company who are fighting for control, and stars Taraji P. Henson as Cookie Lyon and Terrence Howard as Lucious Lyon. Lucious is a former drug dealer turned hip hop mogul and CEO of Empire Entertainment who has been diagnosed with ALS and now needs to figure out who his successor will be. Cookie, is Lucious' ex-wife, mother of his three sons and she took a 17 year stretch in prison instead of Lucious for drug dealing. So far this one is keeping me riveted, and I haven't been able to say that about a non cable series in AGES. I can't wait to see this story unfold and it is one of the best TV gifts that has come out of me having the flu and forcing myself to rest! Empire airs Wednesday's at 9pm on Fox! Taraji is truly tearing it up as Cookie!



The Slap

"The Slap" is a miniseries based on the book by Christos Tsiolkas and Australian Television Series and centers on what occurs during the 40th birthday party of Hector played by Peter Sarsaard. His wife Aisha played by Thandie Newton plans a birthday barbecue for Hector that includes his boisterous Greek family. The party comes to a screeching halt when his cousin slaps another couple's mis-behaving child. The series stars Peter Sarsaard, Thandie Newton, Zachary Quinto, Uma Thurman, Melissa George, Thomas Sadoski and Brian Cox. It airs Thursdays at 8pm on NBC.

My Take:

I am normally a fan of cable series shows like Game of Thrones, American Horror Story, Nurse Jackie, Boardwalk Empire and the little time I even allot for TV would normally go to a cable series, however these two network series do hold potential and I have greatly enjoyed what I am seeing so far!

Have you seen Empire or The Slap yet butterflies? If so what do you think of them? If not, what is your favorite Television series right now?

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post, no monetary compensation has been exchanged and 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.

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

{#WordlessWednesday} My #Beauty Care Haul - See what I won from @mirta_deperales


I love entering contests and I can't help entering Beauty Contests, here is a gift bag I won from Mirta de Perales, on the outside is skincare, and inside the bag was a ton of haircare! 

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post, I won this gift bag and was under no obligation to write anything about it!

Friday, February 6, 2015

{#FashionFriday} High Fashion AND Washable? Oh yes you can! #PGFutureFabricsNYC

Display of Tide Products #PGFutureFabricsNYC

Are those three dreaded words 'Dry Clean Only' going to become a thing of the past? I can only hope so!

With cars out that can now drive themselves, it's about time fabric and fashion took a leap forward and gave us more choices. Like the choice to enjoy designer label fashion that is completely washable and having the fabric retain both it's feel AND color!

#PGFutureFabricsNYC


P&G hosted a Future Fabrics Event in New York City hosted by Fashion Stylist/Expert, Author and Television host George Kotsiopoulos focusing in on the science of the beauty and care of clothes and the advancements in fabric and technology that included a Fashion Show of looks by Giles Deacon that are completely washable! (see photo of all the looks below:)

Fashion Show of washable fashion looks by Designer Giles Deacon #PGFutureFabricsNYC
Women wear only 20% of their clothes 80% of the time, and according to Cognitive Psychologist, Dr. Lawrence Rosenblum there are 'a myriad of cross-sensory influences on your experience - what you see, how it feels to the touch, what your nose smells, it is the look, feel and scent of your clothes that combine to impact the relationship that you have with them and your final decision on 'what to wear today'.

The Look Color and Whiteness of Clothes by Tide #PGFutureFabricsNYC
Above: 'The Look' of a garment plays a huge part in whether or not we will select it to wear, no one wants a white shirt that is now beige or yellow! (as you can tell the whitest of the shirts is the one washed in Tide Laundry Detergent, where as the same garment washed in competitor brand detergents did not yield the same results and did not preserve the 'whiteness' of the garments)

The Feel Flexibility and Handle of Clothes by Tide #PGFutureFabricsNYC

Above: 'The Feel' of a garment is part of the multi-sensory perception that goes into whether or not we will pick a particular garment out of the closet that day.

The Scent Invisible Stains Cause Odor Tide #PGFutureFabricsNYC

Above: 'The Scent' While that may seem like an obvious one, I had no idea that invisible stains also cause odor. Tide formulas are helping to protect the 'like new' feel of clothes via Fiber Preservation Technologies that prevent hard water minerals from compromising fiber integrity and The new Tide 4-in-1 Pods with Febreze help take this process a bit further by aligning and polishing the fibers to remove soil and invisible stains and binding the parts that actually cause fiber damage and that also lead to premature degradation.

Scent Notes of Downy #PGFutureFabricsNYC

There was a bit of focus on 'Scent' (which was to be expected!) and I was very surprised to learn that proctor & gamble (P&G) employs the most perfumers in the world!

Scent Notes of Downy  with P&G Fashion Scientist and George Kotsiopoulos #PGFutureFabricsNYC

Six of the 'main' notes that go into Downy include:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Green Notes
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Apple
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Rose
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - White Floral
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Vanilla
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Musk

The science behind Tide and Tide HE Turbo #PGFutureFabricsNYC

There were even demos that explained the science behind what goes on in our washing machine (this butterfly is thinking it is really time to invest in a High Efficiency washing machine and get out of the 'dark ages' when it comes to washers!)

Green and Floral Notes of Downy #PGFutureFabricsNYC
Green and Floral Notes of Downy #PGFutureFabricsNYC

New products to look for on your next trip to the supermarket include:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Tide Pods Plus Febreze
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Tide HE (high-efficiency) Turbo
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Downy Fresh Protect in-wash odor shield in the 'active fresh' scent

MY TAKE:

Tide and Downy have always been my laundry 'go-to' products, and getting this inside look into the science and technology of washable fashion was certainy fun and definitely made me think. I want to re-evaluate my wardrobe and get rid of that 80% that is not being worn and focus more into the 20% that I tend to wear more often, this way I can never say 'I have nothing to wear' and I can really say I love everything that I am currently rocking!

And as events always come with cool swag, with my online nickname being The Official Twitter Party DJ, I have to share that part of the swag was a pair of MARC by Marc Jacobs Humlan Oil Edition UrbanEars headphones! (you can toss the  removable headband and the ear cushions in the wash!) SUH WEET

Do you think more designers will embrace the 'washable fashion' trend?

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FTC Disclosure: This is an event recap, no monetary compensation has been exchanged however Ascending Butterfly was provided with Product Samples for Editorial Consideration and there was a 'swag bag'. This however did NOT influence my opinion. 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.

Saturday, January 31, 2015

Sharing my #RapidResults with @neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Night Moisturizer thanks @Allure_magazine! #SPONSORED #BBloggers


I couldn't possibly succeed at being more entertaining on this particular topic than this buzzfeed article called "22 Things That Only Happen To People Who Have Resting Bitchface" by Lara Parker and Candace Lowry, this collection of GIF's are simply hilarious, but something that anyone accussed of this shall we call it 'condition' can relate to. (For those in the know '2's' always follow me, so I find it interesting this particular article on Resting Bitch Face most caught my eye!)

As a freelance writer, blogger, social media consultant and life coach, reading my emails on a daily basis, give me this face:


See those forehead wrinkles? That's exactly what happens every time I open another email asking me to do something for free! It sounds sort of like this "You want me to craft content for you with how many words, and on a deadline and you want me to do it for free because if I won't invariably someone will' - Then I scream profanity at my email and go grab an energy drink because I know it's going to be a long day!

I actually hate being in pictures. I don't do selfies, and I try to avoid being in front of the camera as much as possible. Taking pictures goes something like this for me:


Allure Magazine asked their Beauty Enthusiasts to test out Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Night Moisturizer


ABOUT:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Accelerated Retinol SA
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Fades the look of stubborn wrinkles
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Brightens Skin Tone
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Smooth fine lines and texture

MY TAKE:

While it claims to boast visible results in just one week, I found it took closer to just under 3 weeks to show visible results for me. But then again I do test a lot of products and tend to have to ease my skin into it a bit. The first week I had to start it one day on and one day off which is the norm when I'm testing anything with Retinol. It takes my skin a bit to ease into products with Retinol. so technically the first week may not count since I didn't use it every single night. I found by the beginning of week 3 that I began to notice a fade in the most stubborn wrinkles which for me are forehead and parenthesis (or more like a semi colon than parenthesis because one side is more pronounced than the other!). It did work well on both fine lines and stubborn wrinkles but I didn't notice a marked difference in terms of brightening, I would have liked to see more especially since I am using the Pink Grapefruit Cleanser by Neutrogena during the day as a face wash since my skin is acne and oil prone/combination.

Overall at a price of $20.99 per 1 fl. oz I found it to be effective and budget friendly and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. It did deliver the promised results, just in a bit more time than one week!

What is YOUR favorite Neutrogena Skin Care Product Butterfly?

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FTC Disclosure: Allure and Neutrogena provided product to Ascending Butterfly free of charge for Editorial Consideration. 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.

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Junior High School Graduation #ThrowbackThursday

I have already shared High School before so I thought I would share a Junior High School Graduation Photo for Throwback Thursday this week!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post and 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.

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

{#WordlessWednesday} How a #Foodie survives #Snowmageddon2015

hearty seafood bisque with organic mushrooms


While it didn't come down in New York City nearly as bad as was predicted, the MTA Public Transportation System as well as local airports did shut down. Supermarkets and Super Stores in general sold out of food and essentials very quickly and I spent my time making comfort food like this hearty seafood bisque pictured above (I normally don't but I added fresh organic mushrooms to this one because I love mushrooms and didn't want them to go to waste!)

Did you get snow where you are butterfly?

Happy Wordless Wednesday, bloggers feel free to link us to your photos today, leave a comment here, just no giveaway links please!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post and 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.


Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Wine & chocolate! @romanticwine paired with Brookside Dark Chocolate Crunchy Clusters! #DISCOVERBROOKSIDE #SPON

The folks at Crowdtap recently challenged a few of their members/digital influencers to pair Brookside Dark Chocolate Crunchy Clusters with another thing they love and post the results of our pairing, so here is mine:


I chose to pair IceWine Exclusives TMRW Vidal IceWine with my Brookside Dark Chocolate Crunchy Clusters and it was the perfect combo!

Don't get me wrong, wine and cheese is still aces in my book, but I have been attending tastings that are dedicated to pairing wines with chocolate and I have enjoyed them and wanted to re-create the experience at home.

TMRW - The most Romantic Wine are carefully selected handcrafted Icewines from Canada which I have featured on Ascending Butterfly before (see our coverage of the NY Wine Festivals for more info or their website), are such an exception to my palate rule. I tend to lean toward dry and less sweet wines, but TMRW wines offer such 'balanced complexity' that they are 'sweet and refreshing' in my book, not cloying or annoyingly sweet, but just that perfect sweetness that doesn't overshadow.

BROOKSIDE Chocolates combine exotic fruit juices and clusters of crispy multi-grains with soft fruit flavored centers with sweetened cranberry bits covered in smooth dark chocolate. I love that they offer a 'crispy, fruity' taste with a dark chocolate. 

Together they made the perfect combo. The chocolates are not super sweet, so pairing them with a sweet wine gives all your senses a little rush!

What pairing will you try today on #TryMeTuesday Butterflies? Have you ever paired Wine with Chocolate?

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FTC Disclosure: This is a sponsored post and 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.