Silk Press Products

Leave-in Treatment https://a.co/d/aNNxznZ

Conditioner https://a.co/d/61SyUSk

Blow Dryer https://a.co/d/1qLrUpm

Flat Iron https://a.co/d/9dATIzJ

The Beauty of Friendship and People

I often times think back about the greatest highlights of the happiest, most childlike moments with my friends. It brings so much peace in moments of my present self. I think of the times I stood naked in the sight of a room of girlfriends and not feeling awkward, judged or uncomfortable. I think of times when I was loud and obnoxious and didn't have to feel as though I should not have done that. I think of the times when I'd just meet a new friend and it would have felt like perfection or when it felt like holding their hand and skipping down the avenue. Such bliss.

Then I think about the changes. The doubts. Bitterness. Fights. Distrust. Disgust. Hypocrisy and wondered when did all of this appear. When did it all change?

I think blissfulness and all its antonyms are parallel. You know what they say, "ignorance is bliss." Just as how we could be ignorant in bliss, it's that exact same way we could be ignorant in the opposite. Ignorant in anguish, brokenheartedness, depression, misery. I always say it; "there's just no way to live in a fallen world and not experience pain." Sometimes I wonder if I stopped getting undressed in front of my friends because of smart phones and media sharing instead of believing I actually am ashamed to do it again.

Friends and people are often times for seasons. I guess that's why friendshios seems to be more effective in the tropics, because there's only one season there. I miss the tropics.

I always find it reassuring to remind myself of the initial reason for me favouring a friend. I always bring myself back to the best moments and I find that holding on to that always allows me overshadow doubt with complete joy. "For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning."

DEMINUAGE SKINCARE In Depth Journaling of Using QuickPore Technology

Deminuage reached out to me by way of my YouTube page via email to see if I would be interested in them sending me their line of Luxury Skincare Products. I obliged and they sent me the following:

1 QuickPore NanoPen Prime 

5 Booster NanoChips

10 NanoChips

5 QuickPore Blanq Brightening Serums

The packaging was well put together, contents were all sturdy looking and feeling, especially their QuickPore NanoPen Prime. 

Installing the NanoPen Prime was very easy. Screw the NanoChip unto the Nano Pen and that's it. The QuickPore Blanq Brightening Serum bottle was a bit difficult for me to break open as I suffer slightly from arthritis in my hands, but I got it opened eventually. Some of the serum was stuck in the top part of the serum bottle and I was trying to drain all the contents out, but gave up on that and just used whatever was in the bottle. The serum felt a bit light being applied to my face. It was almost water like after having placed the rubber head on the bottle.

The Booster NanoChip is more intense and I mistakenly used it first, but it wasn't damaging as you can used any one of the chips. The booster chip caught me by surprise, because it had this trubing, ticklish feeling that made me want to sneeze after having placed it on my nose and eventually also, I got teary eyed by this feeling.

The overall experience for the first time was good. After a while of using the booster chips I felt a slight bit of a sting. It gave me a slight stinging effect to my skin, even after I was done with the process completely.

After I was done, my face had a lot of fine white particles left over from the serum because the serum dried out on my face. The instructions didn't say whether or not I should rinse the residue off from my face, so I didn't rinse. I moisturized after because my face felt a bit dry even though I used the Deminuage's Brightening Serum.

The morning after, which was the first morning, my face felt pretty great and already I started to feel the smoothness in my facial skin.

As I only received five bottles of serum to go with 15 nano and booster nano chips (I guess they suggested that I go get my own serum to see how it works with their nano chips or buy some of theirs); I opted to use the Soothing and Rejuvenation and Repair Mask. Before applying the mask, I cleansed my face with my Alaffia African Black Soap Cleansing Wash and to my surprise, after having used the mask my pores already started disappearing. I was amazed and very excited to use the entire set that was sent to me.

I kept going back to the Deminuage website just to ensure I wasn't making any mistakes and wished that their instructions were more detailed and the fact that if they were gonna ask someone with my skin color to promote their brand that their website should also include models with my skin color so that it could appeal to my audience.

When using the Quick Pore Nano Pen Prime with or without the Booster Nano Chip, I get a sneezing sensation each time I use it on my nose. It's kind of hard to not sneeze, but after a while I got a hang of it.

The first time I wore the Soothing and Rejuvenation Repair Mask was the morning after I started using Deminuage's Nano Pen & Chip. The mask made my skin tingle a lot. I wondered if it was a result of it working or that I was doing something wrong. The second go around, I decided to use the mask at night immediately after using the Nano Pen, Nano Chip and Brightening Serum and that is when when I felt the soothing effect. 

Leaving the Brightening & Rejuvenating Serum on my face dried my skin out a lot, so on the 4th night of using Deminuage I got better results by washing the serum off after using the Nano Pen. Eventually, I used up their serum and then opted to use the RoC Correxion Retinol Deep Wrinkle Serum which in my opinion worked very well with the entire process.

In conclusion, after I completed the entire treatment that Deminuage sent me I decided to wait a few days to see how my skin would react to not using their products and in my opinion, my skin was looking better with Deminuage. That refined look that my skin developed over the 3 week period of using Deminuage began to disappear. The beauty spots under my neck got lighter also.

GET 10% OFF your entire purchase when you use discount code JOHANNA by clicking on the link below: SHOP DEMINUAGE https://deminuage.com/?ref=wn4_96ArSALnRB

CLICK TO WATCH VIDEO

Relationships and what causes them to change

Sometimes we reminisce on past relationships and events in wonder of what changed. Sometimes we blame others for changing, when in fact we are the ones who probably changed or better yet we have to allow things to change, because there is never a definite constant.

Not because they didn't tell you...

How often have you doubted yourself after telling someone something that you observed about them and they become so angry that you regret saying it to them and it even leads you to doubt what you said?

About 3 years ago, I noticed something about someone and I felt the need to address what I observed. I told the individual about what I saw in them and they became so angry that it literally affected our relationship somewhat for years to come. They even expressed that I was the ONLY person to make that conclusion and that I was wrong. You know, I had to tell them that not because no one tells you about your nasty ways, doesn't mean you don't have any ways that needs to be changed. Sometimes we are afraid to tell others about bad attitudes they may have because we are afraid of how they may respond to us. 

Every time this this person had an opportunity to remind me about what I said and how wrong I was they used that opportunity. I even started to think that I was wrong in my observation, but I held on to what I observed and I even explained to that individual why I said what I said based on what I saw in their attitude. 

Fast forward a few years, I had the opportunity to speak to 2 family members of that individual who was very close to that person about some disclosures and guess what? They too had issues with that same person. Did they ever tell them and will they ever tell them? Who knows. After the revelation I took some time to think about myself and the many times I have doubted my observations and believes just to suit the likes of those who can't see what you see and of those who believe that not because something is being said to them that everything with their character is all good and dandy. 

It's ok to be criticized just as long as there is need for change and it's of the outmost importance to look into ourselves when others bring certain things to our attention.

I Asked God For $40 And He Gave It To Me

As a disclaimer, I have many folk in my life who I can ask for money, but because I prefer not to beg or ask others for anything; I either work for what I want or do without. When I am in a certain amount of need, I ask God for everything.

I was slated to start my new job on February 7, 2020 and to my dismay, my orientation was canceled. At this time, my bank account only had enough funds to clear one (1) and a half payments. Later that evening on February 7, 2020, the first payment cleared and left less than enough cash to clear the second payment. That second payment was credit from a popular 'Mobile' gas station where I would buy my gas using my bank Visa debit card, but I usually choose the pay with credit card option because that way the station only takes $1 from my account until the next 3 to 5 days approximately when they would take the total amount that I filled up with. Now, if I don't have sufficient funds in my bank account when that payment for gas is taken, it pushes my account into over draft and then if my account overdrafts by a certain amount, I end up paying a $35 over draft fee.

Knowing all of this, I thought of different ways I could rake in some cash before the period for that payment that would be taken to be made. I then asked God for forty dollars. Later that day, my dad's sister-in-law walked up to me and gave me $25 for absolutely no reason! No, REASON. I asked her why she was giving me cash and she said that I shouldn't ask any questions and that I should just take the money. She even said that she just does stuff like that all the time. I mean, this woman just gave me money. For no reason? Isn't that Jesus??? Anyway, I took the cash and thanked the good Lord of course. The next day I took $2.50 for 10% tithe and $1.50 as freewill offering to throw in the offering basket. I had just enough between what was in my pocket, my wallet and my bank account to make up for my gas bill.

After church on Saturday, February 8, 2020, my son reminded me how I had promised him a fast food meal if he didn't get any detention text for that entire week. I am like to myself, how do you break a promise to a child when they had held up their part of the bargain. I am also like, if I don't fulfill the promise I made to him that he may not feel motivated to behave in school the week after as he would have these promises of being rewarded for stellar behaviour in school,broken by me. I had to make the purchase which then deleted the funds to pay my gas bill.

As I drove to the bank and then parked in the parking lot of my bank, I just didn't even bother place any of the cash I had left into an ATM deposit. What sense would it make? My account is going to over draft anyway, because I am still short by $10 or so. I prayed and asked God for the balance and drove my way back home.

I forgot about my woes after getting home and just spent my Saturday night like any other. Around 11pm my dad called me and handed me some money. I asked him what the money was for? He said when people give you money, don't asked questions, just take it. Guess how much he handed me? $40.

Thank you Jesus!

The Sun Still Serves Its Purpose

It's 35 degrees today and this tropical girl just wants some warmth. As I walked through the house I feel slight chills coming from the unseen open spaces of the house. It's freezing outside and despite the heater being on, the house still has open sections in it that's just brrrrrrrrry cold!

I am downstairs in the living room and something draws me near the front door. Maybe it is the beautiful sun rays the were glistening through the window. Maybe it's just divine intervention, but whatever it is I made it close enough to feel how surprisingly warm, almost how hot the glass is. I thought to myself that it felt like summer all over again in this Brooklyn, NYC place. All the slight and sudden chills vanished with just a small amount of it being felt in the bottom of my legs as the length of the glass in the door only reaches just below my thighs. 

THIS IS AMAZING, I thought. How could the sun give this glass in the door so much heat in the middle of this FRIGID WEATHER??? I really couldn't believe it and didn't understand either, but then I thought, "look at that. The sun still serves its purpose amidst this very cold day."

Making it even more convincing, my son, not knowing what revelations I had made came and opened the door I was getting warmth from to show me that the outer door, which is all glass, generated even more heat. We both stood taking in the bliss of the feel of summer in our little space. We even went as far as to open both doors to see if outside was still freezing and indeed it was. With the rush of cold wind letting itself in as we cracked the door, I screamed out, "shut the door." It was that cold.

Is this you today? Are you the one who sheds warmth even when the world can be an icy cold place? Do you ever feel as though you should just blend in with all the harshness of those around you? Still serve your purpose today. Amidst the hate and what others throw your way, you have to serve your purpose. Be you. Be true in any and everything situation so that others can be drawn to your warmth.