I Am ....Lily Johnson.

Jumia/Sleek Fashion Fair

noreply@blogger.com (Lily Johnson) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 14:08:00 +0000

Nigeria’s no. 1 online retailer JUMIA and renowned make-up brand Sleek present to you it’s one of a kind Jumia/Sleek Fashion Fair, talk about the best online shopping experience meeting the best in fashion and beauty.

This one of a kind red carpet event will be a combination of a runway show and sales fair. This runway show will see models strut their stuff down the runway in male and female apparel from the stable of the worlds most renowned international and local designers only available on jumia.com.ng; it only gets better as attendees will have the opportunity to make on the spot online purchases of this eye-catching apparel as well as shoes, accessories, and wide selection of makeup from Sleek. It promises to be an electrifying atmosphere that will see guests treated to Jumia/Sleek goody bags with Jumia online shopping vouchers/ redeemable Sleek makeup vouchers, fun, good music and refreshments; also first 30 people at the event to get free Sleek studio skin care pack.

There promises to be loads of giveaways from the brands from free makeover voucher worth up to N10,000 to raffle draws that will see guests win goodies from Jumia, human hair, fragrances, skin care and so much more.

The Jumia/Sleek fashion fair will hold on Saturday 23 February at the Sleek studio, 64B Anifowose Street off Adeola Odeku Street, Victoria Island. Event starts at 12 noon.

Promises to be a great show. So be there ladies

For more information on event visit JUMIA Nigeria Fashion on Facebook and the official Facebook event page:

Stay cool

Lily Johnson

Dear Woman: Skin lightening creams and Blemish control products have the highest fakes out there. Beware!

noreply@blogger.com (Lily Johnson) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 12:22:00 +0000

I do not always want to believe that everyone using skin lightening products is doing that because they do not like their God-given complexion. There are people dealing with serious skin pigmentation problems, scars from burns and acne and have these annoying black spots or patches and it’s only natural to want to remove these spots. But I also know that there are people who just shock you by wanting to completely change their complexions. So they use these products to alter what they should have maintained. This I find utterly unnecessary. And also in trying to rid themselves of these skin problems, women also get carried away which is also unfortunate.

The best bet to treat spots is doing your best to stay away from the sun and use sun screen. Many ladies do not use sun screen and those who do, forget to sometimes. It doesn’t help that most sun screen products leave you with that white film on your skin but some sun screen products like Aloe sunscreen spray SPF 30 from Forever Living products doesn’t ‘white film’ you much and is very effective. So are most Neutrogena sun protection products.

Exfoliating your skin every other week with a mild skin exfoliating product also works. But exfoliating too much is bad for the skin and can aggravate skin problems.

When choosing blemish control products or skin lightening/brightening products, it is very important to choose products that are made with natural materials. Some of these companies lie and stuff their products with steroids that do more harm than good. So do your research and before anything, get a dermatologist to do a check first. In fact, if you know a good dermatologist in Nigeria and you are reading this, you will save a lot of women the stress of going from one product to another to treat skin discolouration, blemishes and acne scars by dropping some information in the comment section. Thanks in advance. And also ladies, if you are really looking to treat blemishes, when you achieve a clearer skin tone without the dreaded spots, then it is time to stop.

Source

Now, to the subject matter. Skin lightening is a huge business that is worth billions of dollars around the world and unscrupulous manufacturers are churning out fake products that find themselves on the shelves of beauty shops and even online shops. Some of these shop owners are often clueless about this. Even big brands are not left out. I heard Makari and QEI+ have their fakes being peddled around and sold to unsuspecting women. Imagine what using a fake skin lightening product can do to your skin. My advice, look for authorized dealers of the products and avoid steroid based products that damages your skin and leave you all 'washed out'.

Keep looking beautiful.

Lily Johnson

Rest in peace Justus Esiri

noreply@blogger.com (Lily Johnson) — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 17:36:00 +0000

Justus Esiri was a wonderful actor and would be greatly missed. It is indeed sad that we had to hear the news of the death of another entertainer. I just saw him in a Nollywood movie two days ago and just heard about his death this morning. So sad.

May his soul rest in the bosom of the Lord. To Dr Sid and the rest of the family, please accept my heart felt condolences.

Lily Johnson

And we are still talking about Kim Kardashian...

noreply@blogger.com (Lily Johnson) — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 16:46:00 +0000

I love my Naija people. We are probably the most interesting people on earth. We are very opinionated, love good food and love to have loads of fun. And we can talk!

The last hasn’t been heard about Darey’s very successful Love Like A Movie concert. Bloggers, entertainers, writers and well, everybody is still talking about the one person who was the reason I am sure the tickets sold hundreds [if not thousands, no I wasn’t there], Kim Kardashian.

So I heard Darey [who is an artiste I really love his works] paid Kim K a whopping $500k to make a short appearance. Well, I have to be honest, I actually thought Kim was going to host the show with Darey [I was wrong, she was going to host the red carpet only] and I did wonder how she was going to do that still. She is pregnant. But the reality star spent under an hour in the show, took pictures, made ‘the appearance’ and left pronto.

So people who attended the show and other people who sat at home like me reading a book or watching a movie took to blogs like Linda Ikeji’s and were writing angry comments about the whole thing and insulting Kim K for being well a talentless porn star and Darey for being a sell out. Hmmm!

I am not Kim K’s fan but I do like her fashion and the fact that she is a good business woman. Let’s go through everything shall we?

# Kim Kardashian’s claim to fame is a sex tape which she made and intentionally leaked to the media and sold it for some cash: Yeah true. She made this tape with her boyfriend Ray J and well, it got leaked and she decided if the world was going to watch her ‘do this’ she might as well get paid for it. She did this in her 20s. She must have her regrets about the last decade now that she is in her 30s. We don’t know what they are. If she has ever asked God to forgive her, I am sure in HIS infinite mercies HE has. I’m sure we will all get there.

# Kim Kardashian has no talent whatsoever so it was a wrong choice to choose her for Love like a Movie concert: Oh yeah, she is not a singer though The Dream produced a song for her. She wasn’t an actress till well, Tyler Perry went ahead and casted her for a movie that would be out very soon. What Kim is, is a business woman who has made her money just looking pretty and posing for some magazines nude and in clothes. Many women do this without achieving half the fame and money she has. It is mind boggling. She manages to draw people’s attention anywhere she goes and in anything she does. She knows how to create a buzz better than most international artistes that have talents. People love to hate her but would listen to her and watch her just to make bad comments and stuff. So she was paid to create a buzz for Darey’s concert and here we are.

#Kim was paid $500k to stay for under one hour: Someone has to ask if Darey if he is complaining about this investment. Did he make profit? Because the concert was awesome. Even the pictures were so beautiful and I am sure people enjoyed themselves with or without Kim. So the problem is really Darey’s and if he hasn’t complained that he was ripped off, why should anybody? Unless you didn’t enjoy the show. Yes the money can feed a small country for weeks but if Darey agreed to pay it and still pulled off a fantastic concert, it’s all good.

I wonder if the concert would have been as packed as it was if Kim K had been replaced with a Nigerian star. Let’s say Genevive Nnaji or Ramsey Noah. Just a thought. We should appreciate our artistes too then we might not have to do this though that's how it is in the entertainment world anyway. And the truth about life is, there is nothing you would do that people won’t find something to complain about. Even if Alicia Keys was invited, somehow people would still find something to talk about that isn’t very cool. I read an article where someone even said ‘our local champions’ referring to our artistes and yet you wonder why Darey brought in Kim K.

Anyway, good luck to us all as we try to leave our footprints on the sands of time.

Lily Johnson

Oscar Pistorius: The saga takes a turn for the worse.

noreply@blogger.com (Lily Johnson) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 10:48:00 +0000

I have been following the Oscar Pistorius and Reeva Steenkamp story for a while now. I didn’t even know the man until his name was all over the news for shooting his girlfriend. Then I found out that I was the ignorant one. The man was some sort of legend. I watched his interviews prior to the whole brouhaha. Nice chap, soft spoken and his smile was a winner. The story before he gave was that he thought the very beautiful model who had been dating for a while was an intruder so he shot her and it was all a huge and unfortunate mistake. The world felt sorry for the man but of course there were people that didn’t believe it was an accident and the girl’s family wanted to know more

Oscar Leonard Carl Pistorius is a South African sprint runner and Paralympic star.

The story seems to have changed. The prosecution believes Oscar might have killed Reeva in a blind rage and even have a theory backed with some new evidence; a bloodied cricket bat and the deceased’s iPad which they believe might contain a message Reeva got that sparked the whole drama. And there are reports that the Police had visited his home more than once following calls about domestic violence in the last three months.

Reeva Steenkamp was a South African model and Pistorius' girlfriend

News sites are now flowing with angry comments from people that once idolized the man. With Reeva’s mum asking for her little girl and Pistorius’ weeping in court; the situation is a very very sad one. His case has been compared to that of OJ Simpson with people saying he might actually get away with murder.

A South African news website today published this as what they believe happened in Oscar's home that night.

Of course he is innocent until proven guilty and I think Femi Fani-Kayode’s article is a bit harsh on the deceased. This just shows us that anger, steroids and guns don’t mix well. The negative effects of steroids include even ‘partial delusion’ where the person just gets blinded for a while and does something very crazy.

A very lovely couple. Very sad..

You remember Chris Benoit the WWE wrestler who killed himself and his wife and beautiful son? That fatal act was blamed on his head injuries and steroids.

Chris Benoit and his family

Maybe Pistorius was pissed at Reeva for something because it does seem strange that he shot her more than once and killed her. So he was going to kill the intruder? I don’t know him but was he like always expecting an intruder who was going to kill him and had to act fast? It could also be that it was really an accident. The only person that knows what really happened that day is poor Reeva.

May her soul rest in peace

God help us all

Lily Johnson

Getting matching tattoos

noreply@blogger.com (Lily Johnson) — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 22:12:00 +0000

I can’t say I don’t like tattoos even though I can’t really see myself getting one. I compliment a beautiful one and always listen to a person when he/she takes the pain to explain the tattoos to me. I find the art interesting too.

I see quite a number of women sporting this Rihanna star neck tattoo. Hmm!

Couples who are madly in love get matching tattoos to sort off ‘seal the deal’. Some of course, are left with the pain of getting rid of it when love flies of the window.

Angie had to remove the 'Billy Bob'. Love had gone.

Caspar Smart, Jennifer Lopez’s dancer and lover wants them to get matching tattoos and I just wondered how a lady that isn’t really into tattoos would react if her husband/boyfriend/fiancé wanted them to get matching tattoos.

Jennifer Lopez and boyfriend Caspar Smart.

What if the dude makes a huge deal out of it? Like ‘Oh baby, if you really really love me, you would do this for me? Oh dear!


Khloe Kardashian-Odom and Lemar Odom. Simple yet looks cool.

Ok, this 18 year old let her boyfriend of 24 hours tattoo his name on her face. Crazy!

Anyway, different strokes for different folks...

Have a fabulous week ahead guys!

Lily Johnson

Rest in peace Susan Goldie Harvey

noreply@blogger.com (Lily Johnson) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 21:44:00 +0000

I woke up around 2am this morning to hear that Goldie had passed on. I couldn’t believe it so I switched off my phone and went back to sleep believing it was just another rumor.

But it wasn’t after all.

I didn’t personally know Susan Harvey but the few people I know who were close to her say very good things about the singer especially that she was generous to a fault and kind too.

Her song ‘Don’t touch my body’ is still a favorite of mine. I like all the daring things she did in her music videos and with her style. Goldie made you look and look. That was one of her strongest points as a performer.

Her death came as a shock to me and I wondered how it was possible for someone I had seen her pictures with some artistes at the just concluded Grammy Awards would wind up dead all of a sudden. I heard they found out what took her from us. Heaven only knows.

Rest in the bosom of the Lord Suzie. You left your mark in this crazy world and your close pals who know the real Susan Harvey and the rest of us who admire the drama you brought into all you did would miss you dearly.

May God keep us and our loved ones safe...

Lily Johnson

Playsuits, Women and Cellulite

noreply@blogger.com (Lily Johnson) — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 18:47:00 +0000

A playsuit is probably one of the sexiest things a woman can wear. What with all that skin showing and legs, legs and more legs? It has this way of looking good on a woman no matter her shape and size.

However, playsuits since they expose most of the thighs also expose other things, mostly cellulite.

I am one of those people that believe a woman should accept her body the way it is and not let her flaws make her insecure but I also think she should also realize that some of those flaws can be treated or well hidden. It doesn’t matter really and doesn’t make you less of a fashionista or less sexy if you dress to hide your flaws.

Source

I see women in playsuits and other short garbs in movies [actresses], at events and on the streets of Lagos showing stuff that I believe they shouldn’t be showing.

Now if you have flawless legs, you can get away with wearing the playsuit alone but if you have cellulite or big thighs [It is sort of hard to find a woman who has big thighs without some cellulite], it is cool to pair it up with tights. That way, you are comfortable and it isn’t painful to look at.

Is this lovely? Source

Treating cellulite isn’t easy but with good diet, brushing and effective off the counter cellulite treatments, you can make it look better.

Stay beautiful.

Lily Johnson

My top 20 songs of the week

noreply@blogger.com (Lily Johnson) — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 09:58:00 +0000

These are the songs that I have been listening to the whole of last week into this week. Of course I have listened to more than twenty songs but these songs [not in any order] are the ones on replay most of the time.

Tracy Chapman ---Talking about a revolution. Download/Play

Rihanna ---- Diamonds. Download/Play

Lily Johnson ----- Playboy. Download/Play

Omawumi ft Flavour ---- Bottom belle. Download/Play

Burna Boy ---- Like to party. Download/Play

Chris Brown ---- Don’t judge me. Download/Play

Alicia Keys ---- Brand new me. Download/Play

Emeli Sande ---- Clown. Download/Play

Banky W ---- Yes/No. Download/Play

Lara George ---- Ijoba Orun. Download/Play

Toni Braxton ---- Please. Download/Play

Donnie McClurkin ---- We fall down. Download/Play

Indie Arie ---- Brown skin. Download/Play

TuFace ---- Ihe n’eme.

Tiwa Savage ---- Love me, Love me, Love me. Download/Play

Beautiful Music Group ---- Blood stains and Roses.

Sade Adu ---- By your side. Download/Play

Nicki Minaj Ft Chris Brown ---- Right by my side. Download/Play

Phyno Ft Olamide ---- Ghost mode. Download/Play

Usher Ft Rick Ross ---- Lemme see. Download/Play

Enjoy!

Lily Johnson

I guess nobody wanted to hear you say that Keyshia Cole.

noreply@blogger.com (Lily Johnson) — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 10:43:00 +0000

If you are on Twitter, you would have seen a whole lot of tweets about the 47^th annual Super Bowl. Most of them were about Beyonce’s performance and insults thrown at Keyshia Cole, the Heaven sent singer for saying that Michelle Williams of Destiny’s child ,who performed at Beyonce’s half time, was ‘always f***N things up’

Her tweet....

I am sure she was a bit surprised when people jumped on it and kept insulting her for those words even though she kept replying with a picture of herself saying ‘You Mad?’.

Some tweets at Keyshia

And Keyshia mostly replied with...

I mean, Michelle had always been seen by people as the ‘weak link’ of Destiny’s Child. When the group broke up, there were talks all over cyber space that it was over for her too. So she said it, I believe, thinking people were going to join her and ridicule Michelle but she got the greatest surprise ever. I personally don’t think Michelle is that bad though. She is just not Beyonce. And this has shown that even though she might not be just as good, she does have her fans. Or at least people who won’t just sit around and watch her being insulted.

People were reminding Keyshia of her not-so sterling performances too. I guess those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. I don’t think it was cool for Keyshia to say that about a fellow singer really.

Yeah yeah, people might say ‘She was just being herself’ but even if she wanted to say something like that, she would have been a little nice. Or discreet. Artistes do it all the time, just not as brazen.

Spread the love and nothing else. Have a great week.

Lily Johnson

How is it possible that a man doesn’t ‘do sexy’?

noreply@blogger.com (Lily Johnson) — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 07:52:00 +0000

It was puzzling when I heard this but that is the situation. A newly married woman discovered that her husband wasn’t into lingerie and sexy night wear. He found them repulsive and actually said ‘Do not wear these things worn by prostitutes’

You can imagine how shocked she was to discover that her husband felt this way about lace and stuff. She had bought loads of sexy night wears, baby dolls and underwear to prepare for passionate nights in her marriage. That was what she got.


I like this number by the way. Victoria Secrets has such lovely lingerie.		Source

The couple had met in church and got married a few months ago. The lady was away in another state most of that time. Youth service I think. So they kept in touch and immediately she was done, they got married.

The lady obviously is troubled by this situation which was why she was talking about it. I don’t know how this has affected their sex life either. I think every woman wants to feel sexy, wear something sexy and gets admired by the man in her life. I could be wrong though. But I really don’t know how I’d feel if my husband wanted me to wear only those unattractive, long, shapeless night wears to bed each night because he felt that see-through ‘show-me-what-you-got night wears and underwear should only be worn by hookers.

There’s a part of every woman that wants to be some wild seductress or superhero – Alana de la Garza. Source

I think it would be hard for a woman who is used to treating herself to lingerie to adjust to this but for a woman who didn’t think that kind of stuff meant anything, it wouldn’t even be an issue.

So what do you guys think? Should she try to get him to like lingerie? (Why does that sound seriously weird?) Even if it doesn’t affect their sex life much? (If she is complaining, then something is wrong or is it just me?)

Happy new month and have a beautiful week ahead.

Lily Johnson

When a woman falls in love and loses herself..

noreply@blogger.com (Lily Johnson) — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 11:58:00 +0000

Love is the best feeling of all feelings. To love and to know that you are loved as well with the same intensity. That smile when you remember some stuff you guys do together. That feeling of contentment that you get when you remember him. Most times, the world sort of fades away when you are with him. The touch, the kiss, the peace....

It is so easy to get totally lost in this. It is even okay if it is with the right man. A man who would not take advantage of it and ruin you. A man who cannot but destroy everything that comes his way. A man who is in ruins himself and can’t offer any better to anyone.

Imagine being hopelessly and desperately in love with a drug addict. What good can come out of it? He is probably the most handsome and loving man in the world. He tells you every day that he loves you and would kill himself if you leave him. And you believe him because when you didn’t call him for a day, he actually did cut himself. You are the only one he has because his family has stopped caring.

He is good at what he does but anytime they find out about his drug issue, he gets sacked. So he is in and out of jobs. It is a sad situation because he does try to quit. But never checks himself into any rehab. When you met him, you didn’t have the slightest idea he did drugs and when you found out, it was too late. The fact is, many women would totally forget themselves and what is right thing to do in this situation which is checking him into rehab or running as far away as possible. They choose to stay and end up addicts themselves and ruin two lives.

Source

It is not easy of course to run when you are in love. But if you love him enough, you should get him to clean up. Do it with all your strength and will and if he loves you, he would want to be better for your sake. If he doesn’t, what does that tell you?

Imagine falling desperately and hopelessly in love with an assassin/armed robber. He sent you gifts like Santa Claus after the first date. You couldn’t believe it. Then you began dating and it got better. He took to places that you didn’t think you would ever go to. You had access to his beautiful house and car. You loved him. He made you happy.

Then you began to find guns, knives and dangerous weapons in his possession. You eavesdropped on his conversations when he was on the phone despite yourself. Read his messages when he was in the shower. You were now sure that this man you were in love with was a murderer. And he did it for people that paid handsomely for it. Very few women would call the Police on him. Even fewer would carry their bags and look for an excuse and bolt. Many would weep and confront him. Endangering their own lives in the process because what if no one is supposed to know and who ever finds out would be killed?

Lottie Coll, the wife of legendary Irish gangster/murderer Vincent 'Mad Dog' Coll

In the movies, the man would probably ask her to forgive him and he had to do one more job and then it would all be over and they would live happily ever after. That is if the ‘boss’ doesn’t kill him when he hears his ‘best man’ wants to quit. In reality, some women would begin to hold guns for the man or even begin to go on ‘operations’ with the man. A girl who was raised in a good home would because she is in love, become an accessory to something as serious as murder. A number of women are cooling their heels in jails across the world because of this. Those are the ones that are alive to tell the story. Put yourself first. Not ‘us’ but ‘you’ in this situation. God has changed the stony hearts of many men. It can be your story if your faith is strong enough. Is it?

Love yourself first. Love yourself enough to know when to put yourself first. Love yourself enough to stay alive and make an effort to change someone for good instead of allowing someone to make you a monster. Think of all the people that love you and want the best for you before taking that leap into abyss.

If it can’t make you a better person, then you are better off without it. Or him.

Stay good.

Lily Johnson

Featured! Playboy by Lily Johnson plus all you need to know about me.

noreply@blogger.com (Lily Johnson) — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 16:03:00 +0000

I was born Ivera-Lillian Uzoamaka Ozomma-Jonn in Enugu.I know this might sound like a cliché, but I have been writing songs since I was 9. I just wrote everything at the back of my note books. Then I decided to get a book and write them all out. My short stories too. I wrote my story and song ideas on sheets of papers of different sizes that littered around and just generally annoyed everyone. I still do that though just without the litter.

I was part of the choir of Queens’ School Enugu between 1995 and 1997. I sang the alto part with another girl. It was so much as we got to sing on TV and perform for dignitaries and all.

Then I began my solo performances in church meetings. Sometimes with my bunk mate who loved performing with me. I sang my own songs. Of course everyone talked about how deep my voice was. It was funny when every girl had that girly kind of voice and I didn’t.

When my family moved to Lagos, I wrote songs and performed with the choir of my small church. It was a really tough time for my family then so my whole life kind of revolved around juggling poor paying teaching jobs and writing for a romance magazine just to make ends meet. Singing was the only thing I did for fun.

Click here to listen/download Playboy

I grew up listening to Onyeka Onwenu, Toni Braxton, Anita Baker the late Tina Onwudiwe and Tracy Chapman. I love them because I can actually sing their songs. Love Whitney Houston too but then who doesn’t?

What I do is soul music primarily but I’ll be doing some pop, Afro pop and maybe some RnB. Basically good music and I hope you guys enjoy them.

Thanks for all your support thus far. Love you all.

Lily Johnson

Download Playboy

Staying with the monster for the sake of the angels.

noreply@blogger.com (Lily Johnson) — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 14:14:00 +0000

Marriage is supposed to be the union of a man and a woman who love and have mutual respect for each other. They would have problems and issues, misunderstandings and arguments but the fact that they love and respect each other is supposed to help the weather the storms. This is my take. This is what I will have. To this, some women would say, ‘Take your head out of the clouds girl! Get married and then you will know the reality. Love isn’t enough and respect somehow dies because of some events.’ Hmmm... I know it isn’t easy but I know a number of couples who make you want to grab a man in the streets and make an honest man out of him.

“I was working in the kitchen when he called me on the phone. My phone was charging in the room so I didn’t hear it ringing. When I got to the room, I
saw that he had called twice. I tried to call him back but he didn’t pick his calls. Then he came in after some minutes. He went straight to my phone, broke it and took out the SIM card and broke it too. ‘Why would you have a phone if you can’t answer your calls? he said with venom.

I didn’t say a word to him. I had finished cooking and still had errands to run. I picked up the pieces of my phone, dished his food, and told him I was going out before I left. I had to pick up some things for my son who was going back to school this week. When I got back home, he wasn’t around. He came back later and we slept on our matrimonial bed.

Around 5am, I woke up to the most horrible thing ever; my husband was choking me. He told me that if he killed me here, nobody would ask questions. I couldn’t scream. My first son was the one that saved me. He ran into the room when he heard my suppressed cries and the angry voice of his father. It was then he left me alone. But not before hitting me on the face”

She could barely move her neck and had a black eye. Even her voice was barely audible. Her father had convinced her to marry this man. He was afraid she won’t get married. He didn’t want people to keep asking him what she was doing in his house at 27. So she did and had 3 boys and a girl with him. Adorable children.

“My kids are still very young. My daughter is 4 years old. If I decide to go, who is going to take care of her? My oldest son is just 12 years old. If I go, I would want to go with them. But how can I take care of them? He didn’t let me work or do any business. I don’t want my kids to experience this now. I am waiting for them to grow up so it won’t be so hard on them when I end the marriage. That is my decision. Till then. I would look for a way to fight back.”

After listening to this and shedding a tear or two, I just decided to publish it to know what you guys would advise her if you were to. I think her life is officially in danger? A man that chokes while you are asleep? God have mercy!

Drop your thoughts. Thanks.

Lily Johnson

5 items you MUST have in your purse this season.

noreply@blogger.com (Lily Johnson) — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 11:42:00 +0000

The dry/harmattan season is here! So it's time to arm ourselves with a few things to battle whatever the dry winds and scorching sun throw at us on the go people. If these aint already in your purse, consider this a quick reminder.

#1. A good lip balm: You don’t want to be going around with dry looking lips. Get a good lip balm and use it before you go to bed and under your lip colour in the morning.

#2. A small tub of a good moisturizing lotion or cream: The skin needs lots of moisture this season. Moisturize on the go if you must.

#3. Sunshades: The sun rays and hot wind isn’t good for your eye area. Cover up to avoid dark patches and sun burn.

#4. Hand Sanitizer: The dust brings germs with it so tuck in a good hand sanitizer into your bag and use it before you eat anything or bring your hand to you face.

#5. Disposable face towels: People mostly get acne eruptions and skin issues during this season so we have to be careful what we put on our faces. If you cant get disposable face towels, then get a few handkerchiefs so that when one gets dirty during the day, you start using another instead of using one throughout the day.

Stay beautiful and have a lovely week ahead.

Lily Johnson

Happy New Year dearies!!

noreply@blogger.com (Lily Johnson) — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 09:39:00 +0000

May God's mercies and blessings follow us all this year and all the days of our lives.

Remain blessed. *blowing kisses*

Lily Johnson

Merry Christmas dearies!!

noreply@blogger.com (Lily Johnson) — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 14:48:00 +0000

I wish you all a Merry Christmas. May the blessings and favour of God continue to follow you everywhere you go.

Have a fun filled day!

Lily Johnson

Trends that rocked 2012 [Fashion and Beauty]

noreply@blogger.com (Lily Johnson) — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 23:47:00 +0000

Now this is my own opinion and what I saw which I am sure most of us did. Ladies went ‘gaga’ on these trends and I wonder if they would continue next year. Anyway, we know how these things work. New year, new trends.

#1. Pink lips [plus or minus the pout]: All of a sudden, pink lipstick, lip stain and lip gloss became essential commodity. 90 percent of the ladies you saw on the streets had a generous amount of ‘pink’ on their lips. Girls even got permanent pink lips. I am still not sure how that works but someone told me about it in a market. The pink lip thingy does look good when properly done. Really pretty actually. I have a couple of pink lips things myself. But when a sister is walking down the road with a tub of pink lip gloss on her lips, errr no. But we do see this sometimes anyway.

#2. Stylish head wraps: I loved seeing this. Some ladies just know how to get it right. Various colours and styles of head wraps were worn with almost anything. Bad hair days were hidden stylishly.

Source

#3. Colour blocking/ Neon Colours: No, it didn’t go away. In fact, it came back strong and doesn’t seem like it’s going anywhere. Who knows though.

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#4. Peplum: Gorgeous peplum dresses, tops and skirts. Love them. There seems to be a peplum for everyone and ladies rocked them well.

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#5. Big and chunky accessories: Saw a whole lot of that. Ladies ditched their tiny gold necklaces for bolder accessories that came in different colours.

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#6. Sky high wedges: Wedges became even higher and had colours that wowed.

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#7. The huge topknot inspired by Beyonce: Was I the only one that saw that ladies had their braids in top knots this year? Salons even began to charge to pack the hair up! Lol. This didn’t look good on some faces I must say.

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#8. Transparent chiffon tops: These came in various colours and paired mostly with denim.

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Do share the trends you rocked this year whether they are on this list or not. I would like to know.

Season’s greetings everyone and happy holidays!

Lily Johnson

Dear Woman: The real reasons why some skin care and anti-aging products are all ‘hype’ and no results.

noreply@blogger.com (Lily Johnson) — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 21:23:00 +0000

Tracy Blatter of Raisin Face did me the honor of sharing this valuable information about skin care and anti-aging products on my blog. Some of the information I got from her piece are quite revealing. Women spend a lot of money on cosmetics and most times, we are clueless about what we are buying. Now you can at least, know what you are paying for.

Here is her piece…

Skincare is a multi-billion dollar business. There are thousands of companies producing tens of thousands of products so it’s no surprise that women are undecided regarding what to buy. The larger companies work to entice you through expensive ad campaigns also known as 'hype'.These campaigns often use airbrushed pictures of supermodels in their late 20’s to sell anti-wrinkle creams to women in their late 30’s and 40’s

However, a list of ingredients is the first thing you should look for in a product if you plan on applying it to your face. If a list is not available, there’s a reason why it’s missing. Usually, it means the manufacturer doesn’t want you to see what goes into the product. Be a wise consumer and put the item back on the shelf. If the next product has a list of ingredients, note the order in which they are listed.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires that ingredients be listed in descending order. The component which weighs the most is listed first, and the ingredient weighing the least is listed last. Therefore, nine times out of ten, water will be number one on the list and a healthy antioxidant or peptide will be close to last. Although this is helpful, note that the percentage of the ingredient being used is NOT required. This is unfortunate, because some very expensive creams contain more than 50 percent water and just a few drops of “something beneficial”.

Another thing to look for is oil. Petrochemical ingredients like mineral oil are used in a lot of today’s anti-aging products because they’re extremely cost-effective. However, mineral oil can exacerbate acne problems for many men and women. It’s not absorbed into the skin and doesn’t contribute nutritionally to it. Shea butter is a better alternative. It provides a protective layer to the skin like mineral oil, but is also rich in vitamins A, E and F and helps to prevent damage caused by free radicals. Other oils to look for include sweet almond, coconut, rosehip, squalane, jojoba, argan and emu oils. These are absorbed into the skin while adding vitamins and fatty acids.

The next time a big company uses an airbrushed supermodel to talk you into buying anti-aging cream, don’t listen to what it’s telling you. Instead, try and listen to what it’s NOT telling you.

Tracy Blatter

Why pay for water? "Skin Fix Concentrate" by Raisin Face is an anti-aging cream that plumps wrinkles, fades dark spots, and keeps skin moist and supple all day. It is very gentle to sensitive skin. It contains 30% organic aloe and almost 20% Emu oil. "Skin Fix" is also loaded with peptides, ceramide, shea butter, green tea extract, organic coconut and jojoba oils and contains no mineral oil, lanolin, parabens, dyes or added scents. It contains just 15% water!

Skin Fix concentrate does make your face smoother and softer and within days of use, you will definitely notice the difference. It is worth a try ladies.

Click here to read reviews and learn more about Skin Fix concentrate.

Seasons greetings and stay beautiful!

Lily Johnson

Top 5 natural oils you should look out for in anti-aging and skin beautifying products.

noreply@blogger.com (Lily Johnson) — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 22:07:00 +0000

There are millions of skin products out there in form of creams, butters, lotions etc. While some companies use mostly chemicals in manufacturing their products, others have embraced these natural goodies and use them in their products. They have been found to be effective and have no side effects unlike chemicals and steroids.

Some people just buy products without bothering to read their contents. It is a habit one must cultivate so that if you have any skin reaction, you would be able to find out why it is so. Also check out for banned and harmful chemicals. Especially in skin brightening products.

These 5 natural oils are effective when used in anti-aging treatments, skin brightening and beautifying products.

#1 Shea butter: Shea butter is a solid fatty oil made from the nuts of Karite Nut trees that grow in the semi-arid savannah regions of West and Central Africa.

It contains beneficial vegetable fats that promote cell regeneration and circulation, making it a wonderful healer and rejuvenator for troubled or aging skin.

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It also contains natural sun-protectants. It is very beneficial in the treatment of stretch marks and other skin conditions.

#2. Argan oil: Argan oil is produced from the kernels of the Argan tree and is one of the rarest and most expensive oils in the world. Berber women have used Argan oil for centuries to protect and nourish their skin, hair and nails from the harsh conditions in which they live.

It has extremely high levels of Vitamin E and 80% fatty acids which make it perfect for healing many skin ailments as well as protecting against premature aging caused by oxidation.

#3: Emu Oil: Emu oil is gotten from the fat of the emu; an Australian bird. Emu oil has been shown to reduce the depth and length of fine lines & wrinkles in many studies as well being moisturizing and a natural skin softener.

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It has been proven to be the fastest and most penetrating oil into the skin, as well as a trans - dermal carrier for any other added therapeutic ingredients or skin care.

#4 Primrose oil: Primrose oil is extracted from the seeds of the evening primrose, a pretty yellow and fragrant flower that blooms within less than a minute in the evening. Most people know about evening primrose oil capsules but it is actually used in beauty products too.

It is an antioxidant so it counteracts the effects of free radicals that increase the aging process. Primrose oil also interferes with the production of inflammatory hormones. This helps in easing joint pains and inflammations that are a necessary evil of aging.

#5. Rosehip Seed Oil: This natural oil which comes from the seeds of a rose plant native to Chili, has been used for centuries because of its skin healing properties.

Rosehip seed oil is excellent skin care oil for skin rejuvenation and aging skin.

It has a high amount of essential fatty acids, Vitamin E and Vitamin A. Together they stimulate skin cell regeneration and increase collagen and elasticity.

With its healing properties, it is very useful when treating stretch marks, sun damage, scars, burns, eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, age spots and wrinkles.

So when shopping for your products, look out for products that have mostly natural contents. You can even buy these oils and mix them yourself if you have the right information on how to do so.

Keep looking beautiful and have a fabulous weekend.

Lily Johnson

Loving these at the moment

noreply@blogger.com (Lily Johnson) — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 23:47:00 +0000

These are some items that I’m loving at the moment. I want some of them for Christmas and I’m expecting that all my friends and family would read this post and go shopping knowing they would get shrills of excitement from me. Yes o!

#1. This dress

Now, I put up this particular picture so I can lay emphasis on the type I want; the fabulous knee length dress on Alicia Keys. I don’t exactly like the shorter version of it. I think this dress is gorgeous. Or maybe it’s just Alicia. Lovely!

#2. Nokia Lumia 900

Adverts on TV make you sometimes want ever so badly what you might not even need. I got sold when I saw the ad of Nokia Lumia on TV. The part where the guy actually took it out of a bag of flour and washed it did it for me. I’m one of those people that go into the kitchen with my phone so that I do not miss an email. So, with this, ‘accident proof’ phone, life would be a lot easier.

#3. Valentino Rock 'n Rose couture perfume

I was sitting beside this woman in a meeting and I thought she smelt really beautiful. I totally love perfumes so I asked her and she told me it was Valentino Rock ’n Rose Couture. I just loved the rose notes. It wasn’t over powering or made you wonder if she fell into a rose bush. Something nice a classy woman should add to her collection.

#4. This makeup box

The colour is just so pretty and this makeup artist loves it!

Have a fabulous week people.

Lily Johnson

Dear Woman: Have you tried Aloe Face and Hand Liquid Soap?

noreply@blogger.com (Lily Johnson) — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 13:20:00 +0000

Aloe Hand &Face Liquid Soap is a rich, pearlescent, moisturizing hand and face cleanser with a generous amount of aloe. It creates a luxurious lather, leaving the skin feeling clean, smooth and silky, while minimizing the irritations experienced with some bar soaps. Its mild formula also makes Aloe Hand & Face Soap an ideal shampoo for children and adults alike.

Biodegradable, pH-balanced and non-irritating, it is mild enough for daily facial, hand, hair or body cleansing, and is suitable for those with sensitive skin.

Mild formula
Moisturizing cleanser
Mild and non-irritating
Pump-action dispenser

What do I think about this product?

Aloe Face and Hand Liquid soap can be used to wash the whole body because it is so gentle on the skin. It has this beautiful fragrance that stays a while on your skin. It is so thick that just a little on your sponge can go a long way so a bottle lasts for weeks!

Stay beautiful.

Lily Johnson

The 'valid' reasons for dating a married man

noreply@blogger.com (Lily Johnson) — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 08:43:00 +0000

I was listening to a group of ladies at the salon a few days ago. They were talking about a woman I knew [It is indeed a small world]. One of them was the woman’s husband’s mistress who sometimes boldly picked the man’s calls to say a whole lot of nonsense to the woman when she called to speak to her husband. No, these weren’t ‘local’ ghetto fabulous women looking for a man who would take care of them and pay their bills. These were women who dressed and talked like decent people until the conversation took that direction.

So this lady and her friends said that there were ‘valid’ reasons for a woman to date a married man and not feel guilty about it.

1. If the man’s wife nags the hell out the man: That is, she nags him so much that he is actually seeking solace in some other woman’s arms. So she [mistress][ is actually saving a soul by dating him; helping a brother out so he doesn’t get hypertensive or so depressed he becomes suicidal. According to the lady, this woman she was dating her husband and ruining her home was a hopeless nag. The woman is one of those people that told you whatever they had in mind but honestly, I wouldn’t know if she was a nag. This reason they said, was valid. SMH

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2. If the wife isn’t as adventurous in bed as the husband would want her to be and has no intention of improving: Yes, they said it is justifiable if a woman decides to help a sexually frustrated married man. It is his wife’s fault if she doesn’t help him achieve his sexual fantasies and yes, she was indirectly telling him to go out there to ‘get it’ so why would she feel guilty for dating such a man?

They kept going on and on with other ridiculous reasons they believed were okay. By then, I had gone into the hair dryer and typing this post in my mind. I was a bit pissed too and that wasn’t the best time for me to open my mouth. The wife has four growing kids for the man who had married her when she was around eighteen or nineteen years old. She started her life from the scratch with him before he became a successful business man.

Every woman knows how wrong it is to date a man that has a wife he is legally married to. To ruin the home of a woman who you do not know her story. To share with her the time and resources of her husband when you do not know just how hard she worked with him to get it all. Anyone with a conscience won’t do such a thing. No I am not preaching. It is just a terrible experience for the woman in question and a group of women decided to mock her while buffing their nails in a salon. Very sad.

If you are ‘the other woman’, do stop looking for reasons to justify your actions. There is none really and you are in denial.

Happy Sunday and a joyful week ahead to you all.

Lily Johnson

Dear Woman: To age gracefully, you need more than expensive anti-aging creams.

noreply@blogger.com (Lily Johnson) — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 14:26:00 +0000

My guest writer Sonia Crystella, an Australian based skin care enthusiast did me the honour of sharing her thoughts on anti-aging, anti aging products and general skin care.

Here is her piece...

In the near future more people will realize how we need a combination of body, mind and soul connection to age well. All the Botox, face lifts and expensive skin creams don’t work unless you are fuelling your body with super foods and high quality supplements.

As you know ECOCERT doesn’t guarantee all ingredients in products are organic so we need to be careful of GMO additives in skin care. Several years ago, I discovered some of the skins tightening creams make the skin less elastic, for whatever reason when you stop, the skin become worse than it was before.

I have been studying anti-aging since I was 21. The reason for this is that I was born sick, so at 21, I stopped meat sugar and alcohol.

Every one’s DNA is different. You notice some people have no wrinkles but terrible bodies, or visa versa. The skin care market has become more about money than what is best for the body although I must say that some companies strive to formulate the perfect product.

Sonia is 56 years old! Wow! Looking good really.

At different stages of aging, your skin responds in different ways. It recovers better when you’re young this is why many products work for a while, but as you get older unless you have fuelled your body with nutrition and love, the skin care stops working at the same level.

26 years ago I was a guinea pig for the supplement COQ10. This is the best anti aging nutrient and toner when applied to the skin, but!! MOST don’t work because of the way they have been manufactured. I was reading some blogs on skin care reviews and one woman stated that some companies use twenty year old models for anti-aging products. People are not stupid. They want to get value for their money they want to see what really works.

I have learnt that the love in one’s heart is not enough to halt ageing. People can visualize all they like but what people really need is a combination of good nutrition, love and meditation and no matter how much stress you have in your life, you have to let it go

Last year, I interviewed a Dr for my book about TA65. It is the latest breakthrough {so they say }in longevity. It repairs the telomeres and comes from the herb Astragalus. I have taken this herb for years, but they say the herb doesn’t work because it has to be from a certain variety and this is hugely expensive. Last week I watched a documentary on it, at the end they were trialling a combo of meditation, exercise and supplements. The funny thing was the Doctors looked old. It is a wonderful product but most can’t afford it.

Anti-aging comes from a commitment to body mind and soul. Most people look for quick fixes. There are no short cuts. You must do the hard work, otherwise when you start going through hormonal changes, your body will show the years of abuse and addictions to sugar alcohol and chemicals in foods.

Speaking of products, Rosehip is still one of the best night time repairer. It is so simple but yet very effective. I go on to try other products anyway. I guess it is the human in us.

I am presently testing Okura sweet pea, it is an organic product made in Australia. The company doesn’t know this, but I do it independently, for my benefit.

I can say Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair is a brilliant product as well as the French skin care line Avene; especially for sensitive skin.

But remember without nutrition and meditation you will never achieve your highest potential.

All the best.

Sonia

**Sonia does not represent any company. All she said was based on her study and personal experience.

So nutrition, meditation and anti aging products that actually work it is people. Thank you Sonia!

Happy New month to you all and have a fabulous weekend.

Lily Johnson

The Friend Zone

noreply@blogger.com (Lily Johnson) — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 14:50:00 +0000

Of course we have all heard that before. Sometimes, someone is saying it as a joke or some guy (or girl) is telling a painful story about how some girl (or guy) after a whole lot of love and affection and stress, decided to put him (or her) in the dreaded monster island ruled by a half human half dragon creature called the friend zone.

I totally understand that when a man likes a woman romantically but for some reason, the woman doesn't feel the same way but feels they could be friends; it can't be easy for the man and he may want to move on and not be friends with the lady. In fact, I think that is the best for both parties.

What is baffling and completely crazy is this: When a woman tells a man from the beginning that she can't have a romantic relationship with him probably for a good reason like she is dating or engaged or she doesn't think it would work out between them and he decided to ...well, stay friends with her. Then all of a sudden, he starts complaining to the world that she put him in the friend zone and because it is such a crazy place that only 'weak' men allow themselves to be in, he becomes a totally hateful creature to the lady.

It isn't right if it was the woman that led the man on and on and made him believe that he had a chance with her and after raising the man's hopes, tell him she can only be friends with him. Yes, that should do a lot to anyone's ego. If that's the case, the man can safely write a book on the subject and we would all buy. But feeling this way when you were expressly told from the beginning and you lingered believing that he/she would change her mind about you and it didn't happen? Honey, it is nobody's fault.

Everything does depend on individuals. Some people have good relationships with people they had thought would be their lovers. For some people, the friend zone doesn't exist. If you like a person a lot to want to be in a romantic relationship with him/her, what is wrong with being friends? Might be a tad hard for some of us though.
Friendship is indeed a beautiful thing and I am one of the people that believe that your spouse/partner should be your friend. No matter how it comes, why not open your hearts to all the beautiful things that could come out of it?

Have a wonderful week!

Lily Johnson