Merry Christmas dearies!!

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]

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. 

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

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”.  

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

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. 

Loving these at the moment

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.

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

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

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?

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

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