Kreme NG Interviews Liz Osho On Beauty @Kreme_ng @LizAwoliyi
I like to think the first time I was introduced to Liz Osho was through an article she wrote titled “Yup I got married at 32 ….. that’s my story &I am not ashamed of it.” I had to stop and read this article with such a catchy intro. While I read it, I felt the honesty, heart and truth in it, and I had to speak to her. She is smart, warm, funny and a true girls girl. She not only graced me with this interview, but since then has been so supportive and the embodiment of women empowerment. Thanks Liz for participating, and for being you.
How important is skin care to you?
Skincare is very important to me. I grew up in England and went to a predominantly Caucasian boarding school from the age of 8. So when growing through puberty in that environment I learnt from an early age that our skin is different, therefore the products and ingredients used on our skin would be different from what a Caucasian person would use. Even the technique used to take care of our skin is different. From about 15 years old, I had my own share of acne and I tried using products that was not suitable for my skin. Initially I started using a pill called Dianeppe, because my skin had broken out and I didn’t know how to deal with it, and this was prescribed to me. When I turned 18, someone introduced me to a product called dermalogica, and that was when I got into a proper skincare routine which I haven’t stopped since. So yeah skin is very important to me.
What is your skin type?
Combination skin.
Do you use SPF?
I don’t use SPF and I know I should, especially with the climate in this country. I did try Murad SPF. It felt really good on my skin and gave a nice base to my makeup, but It’s not something I use frequently and I know I should.
Take me through your skincare routine AM and PM
In the AM, I use dermalogica special cleansing gel. Sometimes I use the dermalogica microfoliant scrub, and to be honest sometimes I skip that part because it’s extra time in the bathroom. But when I use it I see a difference in my skin because it’s really good for hyperpigmentation. With the daily microfoliant, I pour a little enzyme powder mix in a little water till it forms into a paste. Then I apply it on my face and rinse off when I am in the bath. Then I use any moisturizer during the day like dermalogica active moist.
In the PM, I never go to sleep with makeup, I always take my make up off. Then I cleanse, tone with dermalogica multi active toner and I always use Kiel’s midnight recovery concentrate essential oil at night. I love it! I discovered it on a trip to Barcelona last year. It was a really long trip so my skin was dry and I bought a bottle in duty free, tried it and I swear by it. People wonder why I put oils on my skin when I have combination skin, but it doesn’t work like that. It makes my skin really soft.
You recently got married (congratulations). Did your skincare routine change leading up to the wedding?
Absolutely! I did visit Priscilla’s Pride day spa in Ikoyi and they have a special cream they give brides. it is a small tub, and it’s supposed to give you a glow before your special day. I don’t know the active ingredients in it, but I used it. Plus I went to Apples and Oranges spa in Victoria island, and I had various bridal treatments, like a Hammam bath for my body and deep therapy facials before the wedding.
How important is skin care to you?
Skincare is very important to me. I grew up in England and went to a predominantly Caucasian boarding school from the age of 8. So when growing through puberty in that environment I learnt from an early age that our skin is different, therefore the products and ingredients used on our skin would be different from what a Caucasian person would use. Even the technique used to take care of our skin is different. From about 15 years old, I had my own share of acne and I tried using products that was not suitable for my skin. Initially I started using a pill called Dianeppe, because my skin had broken out and I didn’t know how to deal with it, and this was prescribed to me. When I turned 18, someone introduced me to a product called dermalogica, and that was when I got into a proper skincare routine which I haven’t stopped since. So yeah skin is very important to me.
What is your skin type?
Combination skin.
Do you use SPF?
I don’t use SPF and I know I should, especially with the climate in this country. I did try Murad SPF. It felt really good on my skin and gave a nice base to my makeup, but It’s not something I use frequently and I know I should.
Take me through your skincare routine AM and PM
In the AM, I use dermalogica special cleansing gel. Sometimes I use the dermalogica microfoliant scrub, and to be honest sometimes I skip that part because it’s extra time in the bathroom. But when I use it I see a difference in my skin because it’s really good for hyperpigmentation. With the daily microfoliant, I pour a little enzyme powder mix in a little water till it forms into a paste. Then I apply it on my face and rinse off when I am in the bath. Then I use any moisturizer during the day like dermalogica active moist.
In the PM, I never go to sleep with makeup, I always take my make up off. Then I cleanse, tone with dermalogica multi active toner and I always use Kiel’s midnight recovery concentrate essential oil at night. I love it! I discovered it on a trip to Barcelona last year. It was a really long trip so my skin was dry and I bought a bottle in duty free, tried it and I swear by it. People wonder why I put oils on my skin when I have combination skin, but it doesn’t work like that. It makes my skin really soft.
You recently got married (congratulations). Did your skincare routine change leading up to the wedding?
Absolutely! I did visit Priscilla’s Pride day spa in Ikoyi and they have a special cream they give brides. it is a small tub, and it’s supposed to give you a glow before your special day. I don’t know the active ingredients in it, but I used it. Plus I went to Apples and Oranges spa in Victoria island, and I had various bridal treatments, like a Hammam bath for my body and deep therapy facials before the wedding.
What did you change in your skincare routine?
I visited the spa about 8 days before my wedding and there was a difference. At Apples and Oranges spa they use Biologique Recherché products which are very good. I usually go to Apple and Oranges for my hair and pedicure, but the bridal treatment was gifted to me and it made a difference. I won’t lie, the running around preparing for a wedding can be stressful, and I was tired, but I think the facial helped me look hydrated and refreshed despite feeling tired.
What is your favorite facial treatment and where did you get it?
My favorite facial treatment is a deep facial treatment, and I get it at Apples and Oranges located in Victoria island. I trust them with my face. Their treatments are really good and I even fall asleep during their treatments.
What is the best skincare advice you have received, and what is the worst?
The best skincare advice is drink water. I don’t really like water, so I don’t drink as much as I should. But my husband, who drinks a lot of water, has great skin and it’s a lot nicer than mine. I have really dry skin, and I know it’s because I am not hydrated enough. When I do drink like 2 liters a day, I see the difference in my skin. So that’s the best skincare advice.
The worse skincare advice I have heard is sperm on your face (laughs). I have never done it, but I have heard people say it and I think it’s disgusting. Don’t know where that came from.
What is your current “can’t live without” skincare product (if you had to run out of a burning building what product would you pick)?
Kiel’s midnight recovery concentrate.
If you could create a skincare product, what will it be and what would be the benefits?
Hmm…. it would be a product that you would put on your face to take away the black spots. I am a squeezer; I can’t help himself. I even squeeze my husband’s face, and he’s like “would you leave my face alone” (laughs). Consequently, I am left with a couple acne scarring on my face, so I would create a product you apply on Friday and by Monday the scar is gone completely like that Photoshop app everyone uses to blur their face (laugh).
What is your favorite social media handle, and who do you love to follow and why?
On Instagram, I follow Jackie Aina because she is so blunt, and I look up some of her eyebrow tutorials. For inspiration I follow Joel Austin and Oprah on twitter. Ohh, I also follow “askdamz” on Instagram for diet inspiration and motivation, because my weight fluctuates so I follow her to inspire me not to over eat (laughs).
What is your greatest joy?
My greatest joy so far is meeting my life partner; he brings me so much joy. When I wrote the article, “I am 32 and married it’s okay” it wasn’t just random. I was actually tagged in stuff a day after my wedding with people saying I am so old and just getting married. I was shocked at the negativity I received from people insinuating I settled. I waited this long, not because I could get married earlier but because I didn’t find anyone worthy or the worthy person hadn’t found me. I am happy I found someone that understands me. The truth is as much as I am very Nigerian (born here and left for the UK at 8 years old) I am also not very Nigerian; as mentioned earlier I went to a predominantly Caucasian boarding school from 8 to 18 years old, so I have my quirky side due to my life experiences, and he gets me. I feel like God really made him for me.
Another great joy is that I am able to follow my passion. Before I moved to Nigeria four years ago I was working in recruitment. I was a TV presenter in London on a show called “The magazine show” on BEN TV. I was also working Monday to Friday as a recruitment consultant, that is what I did to pay the bills. So my passion was TV and Entertainment. I was happy I was able to move back to Nigeria despite not knowing anyone. I moved and lived with someone I knew from Uni. Now I’m a social media consultant. I have over 90k tweets. I tweet so much. I like to tweet. Now I get paid to tweet and be active on social media, which I naturally love to do. They say “turn your passion into money and you don’t have to work a day in your life” and I’m happy I am able to do that.
What is beauty to you?
I know this will sound cliché, but beauty is from within. Beauty is not about aesthetics. I think beauty is a feeling; it’s about how someone makes you feel. Beauty is what you radiate. You emit it from inside; from words, and actions. There’s even beauty in silence. Beauty is a feeling and how you make others feel, not really your looks.
Whose beauty inspires you (not a family member)?
My ex-MD Genevieve Magazine , Betty Irabor is one. I love her like a mom. I’ve learnt so much from her. She’s a beautiful woman inside and outside. We’re both Aries, so we have a lot in common. Another person is Bola Balogun; she’s my mentor. She handles PR for most of the beauty brands in Nigeria. She was the first stylist that Genevieve had. Her agency is called Glam brand agency. She’s beautiful because of the feeling I get when I leave her. There are people that I have had to cut out because of the way I feel when I am with them and when I leave them. Whenever I visit Bola I leave feeling inspired, I feel like I can achieve anything. I feel beautiful. Osas Igohodaro Ajibade is another very beautiful person that inspires me.
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