She is back! *removing cobwebs*

I was at Nutty Jay's blog  and when I was waiting for my comment to load on the site, (it never did) my eyes strolled to her blog roll and I saw Lily Vee Johnson and underneath that, 8months!!!. I haven't blogged in 8 months. Time flies like crazy.

OK between dislocating my shoulder, working on a project that went straight to blazes and working on my business MystiScents (Bath&Body and Perfumery.. I will be talking about that here) 8 months have passed. Hmmm! I can only say thank God for life. And yes I am very good now thank you. And I hope you all are too.

Mirror Mirror on the wall..omg! Wait, who is that girl??

Ah! My 'skinny like this' days are so over.

I used to exercise at least four times a week. I was all into squats, belly crunches, using the treadmill and jogging. I loved the idea of doing some physical activity to burn some fat which only seemed to stay in my lower body. Then I stopped because I felt I was at my ideal weight and even got skinner than I wanted. (Oh you know that saying 'You can't get too rich or too skinny'? I only believe the 'Can't get too rich part')

So last week, I discovered that I had gained 7kg and my tailor confirmed that my normal (and somewhat stable) statistics had changed.(Yep, a sister drifted from 36-28-39 to 36-29-42).And I decided to start exercising again.

Now this is for people who do not have a lot of time (or loads of energy) but want to lose weight (not lots of it). This is what I do now and it works.

Before anything use a body cleanser. Now some stuff that people sell as 'herbal cleansers are not to be joked with. If you are in Lagos, you will see many hawkers selling stuff in bottles and it claims to cleanse and cure. If used excessively, a doctor told me it would stress your liver. That is why I favour the Aloe Vera gel from Forever Living. One can hardly go wrong with pure aloe Vera gel. So I take a small cup of this first thing in the morning and last thing at night. Then I exercise for 10mins 5 days a week. Belly crunches, squats, then 5mins on d treadmill. I do this before I have my bath in d morning and face my day. I am not big on breakfast. I usually do green or black tea when I feel like it. It doesn't have to be a total gym work out at first. You build on it. 5mins today, 10 mins tomorrow until you are huffing and puffing in the gym for hours. I am barely watching what I eat to be honest but I have cut down on the sweet stuff. Watching what you eat is important.

After a week, you should see a difference. I did. I have lost more than half of what I gained and I sort of like where I am now so I am not in a hurry to lose the other half.

Happy new month guys and I wish you the very best in all you do.

Lily Johnson

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Stress Sweat: It just might not be body odor.

I was reading a magazine and stumbled on an article on sweating and got to know there are two types of sweat; the
ordinary sweat and stress sweat.

Stress sweat smells very different (and more stinky) from ordinary sweat. You get ordinary sweat when you exercise or when a place is hot. But when you are stressed out physically, mentally, emotionally or any other way, that sweat you get is stress sweat and studies show people can smell it and it might even affect how you are perceived. Read here to see how stress sweat changes how men perceive women.

This really means that the offensive odor we perceive on people sometimes and conclude they have body odor might just be stress sweat. The guy might just be overly anxious about that first date or interview and the girl might have crazy confidence issues.

You avoid stress sweat by generally reducing stress. So stay away from people and unnecessary situations that do nothing but give you stress. There are breathing techniques also and yoga.

Read  here  for more information and expert advice on stress sweating and  here for information on how to combat stress and be cool.

Stay lovely!

Lily Johnson  

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Laserderm Clinics Ikeja, Lagos: My experience.

In a post I talked about visiting a clinic concerning those acne from hell I suddenly got. I had read about LaserDerm last year online and when I made a call and was told about some consultancy fee of N7,000, I was like ehh no. But since then till now I’m sure I must have spent like ten times that amount on products which were either doing nothing, hit and miss or even worsening the situation.
So I had another reason to give the clinic a try. My dear younger brother has severe acne and it was beginning to affect him emotionally. We both booked an appointment.

The Review

Customer service: If you have been in the situation where a customer service rep is extremely rude to you which happens sometimes, you will appreciate it when you get decent customer care service. The lady at the front desk at LaserDerm is very cool I must say. You’ll feel like you are talking to a friend. Cozy reception area too. It’s all about time with these people so when your appointment is for 1pm, get there by 12:50pm so you can cool off a bit.

The consultation/The Doctors: Ok, after filling a form that educates the doctors on your condition i.e, when it first started, the medications you’ve used you know standard hospital stuff, you still get to discuss your expectations and what is obtainable. They offer a range of treatments and run you through them and advice you on what’s best for you. At the end of the consultation, depending on what you came for, you are given samples of the products you are supposed to start using. A nice surprise. They can even work with your budget. Just be open and honest. The two doctors I met were very friendly, kind and very professional.

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

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

Foods that are great for the African skin.

It has been said that you don’t get a glowing skin by just using cosmetics. Nutrition plays a major role too. So I stumbled on foods that are especially good for the skin while looking for materials for a project. I made more research and it seemed like most beauticians/nutritionists agree that these food items should be eaten by every woman especially the African woman as often as she can for that glowing skin.  I must say I didn’t know some of this information and this isn’t a comprehensive list. Just the three I didn’t know about.

Spinach: When I saw this I remembered with mixed feelings the way my mum used to make us eat spinach stew on some Sundays. We would all sit at the table and she would unleash a healthy looking cane and warn us to finish eating our ‘green stew’. We would eat in tears and wonder why we had to eat ‘green’ when we can have the delicious ‘red’ stew we were sure kids all over the world were having at that time. 

That was many years ago though. I totally love it now. Spinach contains lutein. Lutein, a nutrient known to be involved in eye health, has now been found to also play a role in the health of the skin. Lutein improves skin hydration, elasticity and lipid content. Lutein gives us healthier skin, provides deep protection from the harmful blue light of the sun, and may help prevent skin cancer.  Lutein is also found in eggs. In fact, its bioavailability from an egg is higher than from spinach. But I do know I would indulge in vegetables. I am not really an ‘egg’ person.

Skin lightening injections; your opinions please!

Believe it or not, I got to hear about the existence of skin whitening injections and pills about two months ago.[I don carry last abi?]. I decided to write about it because I read in a magazine that it was becoming very popular in Nigeria. Some weeks ago, a pop singer and her ‘friend’ had issues and the issue of skin whitening injections came up. [ Some secrets of these....{fill in the gap} are out there yeah?]

It is said that this injection would give a uniform complexion without knuckles, cures acne, fades scar marks and makes the skin soft and supple. I did a bit of a research and saw that a lot of companies mostly in Asia are marketing these injections and pills.

Eye opener

I told you guys I was writing exams right? I try to study at night and even when I am not studying, I do some of my writing. So because of this, I don’t get enough sleep and thereby having dark circles round my eyes. (I really hate to say this but it did make me look like a ....panda!)

Now, some eye creams just say loads on their label but do absolutely nothing. I don't know why those companies are allowed to still exist.

After trying a number of products, I finally got an eye cream that not only clears the dark marks but also reduces puffiness. (May i add that it was quite pricy). It worked but I still had tired and dull eyes all day.


So I tried a trick that I saw in some magazine months ago; putting your eye cream in the refrigerator. The effect was amazing! My eyes looked brighter and I didn’t look like I was going to fall asleep at any time.



When you dab the eye cream with a finger underneath your eyes, it instantly cools the entire eye area. Good eye creams smooth away wrinkles and take years off your eye area so it is a must have. You can visit a dermatologist or a beauty specialist to get one that is good for you.


So girls, look and stay beautiful as always!



Lily Johnson

Love me or leave me!

I believe I am a precious being. I am talented, beautiful, intelligent and creative. And sweetheart, so are you! No one would believe in you if you don’t believe in yourself.
We all have our shortcomings and weaknesses. I can be very emotional and temperamental. You don’t want to see me when I am very angry. I might apologise for surprising the people that I care about and others but how can I apologise for being who I am?

This doesn’t mean that if you have a bad character like a destructive temper, that it is a natural thing. No dear, you have to get some counseling. And low self esteem isn’t something to be proud of. Get some quality counseling. I am just saying that everyone should be loved for who he or she is. The people that care about me should love that headstrong girl and accept the fact that I am an emotional person.

Men usually say that their women try to change them but some men do try to change their women too. A career woman is told to become a full time house wife not because that is what she wants but because that is what her man thinks is best for her. Some make their women go under the knife because they don’t like the way they look.
My dear, if you have to do anything, do it for yourself. Everyone has to love you for whom you are and if they don’t then they shouldn’t be with you.
You are not perfect. Nobody is. Everybody deserves to be loved except a select few who don’t know what to do with it.
Look in the mirror everyday and tell yourself that you are unique and wonderful and deserve to be loved for you. And to anyone that thinks otherwise, shout and say “leave me!”

Think positively

Yeah, things may be in a major jam and so bad the solution seems not to look like a solution at all. All you do is run around helplessly and your mood, a thick black cloud.

I usually tell people that I am a realist; that is; I am neither pessimistic nor very optimistic. I see things the way they are and take them as they come. But I am a huge fan of positive thinking and most times it does work! At least, it lifts the spirit and prevents one from going into depression.
In a very bad situation, believe me; I know how hard it is to think positively. How on earth is a sister supposed to think positively when she just lost her job? Or when her fiancé of five years just called off the engagement? Or when her best friend just died in a car crash? Positive thinking would be nowhere in the books please!

But honey after everything; the mourning, the crying, the frustration and bitterness, life goes on. You have to move on. You got to tell yourself that things would turn out just fine and believe it. Tell yourself that you are going to get a new and even better job {f the boss. He didn’t deserve you}. Assure yourself that your knight in shinning armor is going to find you and be with you forever {f your ex too. He didn’t deserve you either}. Look up to the sky, your loved one is in heaven and expects you to be happy {And babe, you deserve to be happy}.

See each day as a day filled with great expectations that are pleasant and when bad things happen, look at the bright side. Infact always look at the bright side of life. Go through each day with a smile and believe you are a survivor. Get rid of all the negative thoughts. “It is not going to work” should be used only when absolutely necessary. Someone told me that it is frequently used by losers. Remember I said when absolutely necessary {I am a realist remember?}
It will work. You can do it. Think positively always

LILY JOHNSON

So you want to lose weight?

Yeah, yeah, you have been told by everyone in the world that you are FAT. Those who care about you have said the same thing using nicer words and encouraging you to do something about it. Maybe you’d like to try something or maybe not. Maybe you are living in denial and again maybe not.

So what do you want to think about yourself?….
Okay your BMI doesn’t say you are slim. Your friends are talking endlessly about weight loss programs. Your co-workers attach the word ‘big’ to whatever they have to say about you then there are other people like people you sit beside in buses and trains, your mother in-law, your boss, your shrink…these people may have unkind things to say sometimes. Or maybe not

Listen my dear; the opinion of the entire galaxy is just secondary. No one on earth should be swayed by what people think about him (or her). You should look deep into yourself and find out what you think about yourself. Believe me; you don’t need hours of counseling to discover that. Just look at yourself dispassionately and say what you see. After all, you are the one living in your skin.

The moment of truth is here! Are you ready? You would need these:
A pen and a paper
A full length mirror
Your favorite casual wear, dinner wear, work wear, night wear and if you swim; swim wear
Your critical thinking mind

Wear these clothes one by one and observe yourself carefully and critically but don’t be too hard on yourself. Just write what you see. Please do not look at the clothes, look at the body wearing them. I bet you’ve never really observed yourself in a full length mirror before going to work or before going out with your close friends. Yeah, when you’re going out for a dinner party, you could spend hours before a mirror trying to find the right dress but I bet you never did it with a pen and paper!
So does your body flatter those clothes? You know, does your body look attractive in those clothes?
Or do you just wear drab and unfashionable clothes?! Why for God’s sake?

Source

Okay, okay…so do you think you are fat and pathetically so? Do you think that those clothes are just for covering for you and never to make a fashion statement? Or do you think you are just a little overweight and you are just fine with it? You just need to update your wardrobe with more fashionable clothes and key into the ‘phat’ culture?

Girl, make up your mind because you are about to take on a harder task. Alright.
Now take off your clothes. Everything. Remember don’t be too hard on yourself. Believe me nobody is flawless. People just love themselves and try hard to keep in shape. Others of course visit plastic surgeons.
Now stare at the mirror closely and write what you think about your face, arms, boobs, stomach, thighs and legs. It is not an easy feat I know but it is something you have to do.
Now wear your clothes and go out for some fresh air. With the paper and pen in hand. Sit and take a deep breath. Good. Now try to summarize what you have written. Remember the words are your own and you want to establish reality.

So what do you think about yourself now that you have seen yourself? That is the big question.
If after what you have seen, YOU GENUINELY FEEL YOU LOOK OKAY and believe that YOU ARE NOT IN DENIAL and you are HAPPY with your appearance and believe that your weight is not (or should not be) a source of worry to people that care about you unless (or until) there is a health problem involved; then sweetheart, you shouldn’t feel any pressure to loose weight. And if you have to do it, it should be when you decide to do it. No pressure at all!!

But if the first reaction when you saw your naked body in that mirror was a cringe, if you looked at the cellulite on your thighs and belly with horror, if the way you look makes you want to puke, if you are always insecure or just got insecure after looking at yourself in that mirror, if you wear clothes to desperately hide yourself, if because of your weight you don’t want to go out and have fun with your friends, your relationship is suffering because of your low self esteem and you think you are just going to die of weight-related health problems; girl you just have to get on a weight-loss program! And fast!
 
Have a fabulous week..

Lily Johnson