Monday 17 December 2012

Winter Lipstick #1

My favourite lipstick colours for this time of year are generally either browns or deep reds. I will occasionally throw in a regular nude or bright red to mix things up a bit.
One of my most worn colours from last year has carried over to this year. I first saw "Grace" on Youtube videos from FashionRocksMySocks and SuperBeautyNerd and noticed how beautiful it looked against their pale complexions. It is a beautiful deep red colour that really does suit even the most snow white of girls. My only negative would be that the matte finish is ever so slightly drying after a few minutes of wear. 

Lipstick - No7, Grace
(£9.00 - Available from Boots)

Note - The Boots website advertises Grace as a gold yellow colour so I am not sure if the names have changed since the rebrand. 

Friday 14 December 2012

First ever OOTD

This is my first ever outfit of the day. I wouldn't expect to see too many of these on here, I haven't really got any body confidence but I do like this outfit so I thought I would share it.
The pictures were taken while on a trip to Cadbury World at the start of this month.
The lipstick I am wearing (Which you can only really see in the first picture) is Mac Viva Glam Cyndi.


Scarf: New Look, Jacket: New look, Dress: Primark, Tights: Evans, Bag: Ebay, Shoes: New Look

So, How did I do? Did I add all the information you would of wanted? Let me know if you would like to see any more of these and I will see what I can do. 

Saturday 1 December 2012

Bloggers Autumn/Winter Lipsticks

A while ago on twitter I asked for my favourite online ladies to show me their top lipstick picks for Autumn/Winter. I was pleasantly surprised by the range of colours and brands and have definitely found some new must have items to add to my list. I have 9 lipstick lovelies to share with you over the course of three blog posts. So here are my wonderful first three. Enjoy. 







Wednesday 28 November 2012

Guest Post - Alex Talks


A few months ago my gorgeous (real life) friend Alex started up her own blog - Alex Talks. With an unpredictable illness meaning I am not always fit to blog I thought it would be a great idea to have Alex do a guest post for me. I hope you all love her as much as I do and give her blog a little follow.

As a bit of a beginner to make up, and blogging, I was very shocked and happy when Maxime asked me to write a post for her blog, stating my favourite Autumn/Winter lipstick for you all, obviously I couldn't not say yes, and as soon as she asked me, I already had a lipstick in mind
Seeing as our weather has turned very autumnal now, and the leaves are on the ground, I've actually been wearing this lippy quite a bit (to my surprise!). When I bought this and got home, I thought maybe this colour was rather brave. I’m not normally one for using a lot of colour on my lips, and up until one on Maximes birthday parties, I wasn't one for lipstick, so my collection isn't vast!
However all of that being said, I completely love this now! It’s a very buildable lipstick, and you can apply it very lightly for a stained look, or blot and layer up for a deep rich look! And for a £1, who’s complaining? Plus, it being a Nivea (who I never knew did make up!), it’s really moisturising too.
My pictures do not do it justice either, the picky of the lipstick on its own, is a much truer look at the colour.
Hope you like my lipstick choice, and thank you to Maxime for inviting me to do a post!
TTFN. xo


Lipstick - Nivea Beaute, Raspberry

Tuesday 27 November 2012

Thanks for voting

Thank you to everyone who voted in the poll. The Lipstick Blog is now officially "Bella Belle" after all but one voted for a name change. 
You can now find me and my blog at www.bellabellex.blogspot.co.uk and contact me at MaxiBellabelle@hotmail.com
Normal posting with resume as soon as possible. 

Thursday 22 November 2012

Bella Belle?

Hello Hello
You may have noticed a few changes.
When I posted about my Fibromyalgia I had no idea I would get the sort of response I did. I was so overwhelmed by all your comments and couldn't believe how many people were in a similar situation. I considered writing more posts on my Fibro and other illnesses to help support those in a similar situation and make others aware of such illnesses. 
The Lipstick Blog  was created because of my obvious obsession with all lip products but I have slowly started mentioning other things I enjoy.

Bella Belle is actually the nickname I call my mums dog and for me it just flows off the tongue, plus Bella in Italian and Belle in French are both "Beautiful" which would make my blog "Beautiful Beautiful" 

The reason I am writing this is because I would love to know what you think, Should I stick to being "The Lipstick Blog" or continue on my new journey with "Bella Belle" 

Feel free to let me know in the comments if you want but please vote on the poll in my side bar >>>>>>>


Saturday 17 November 2012

NOTD - Skyscraper

No words today, just nails.

Base Colour - Topshop, Voltage
Main Colour - China Glaze, Skyscraper




Tuesday 13 November 2012

A totally unrelated post


Living with an invisible illness should be something I am well used to by now. I have had at least three of them in my life time. Each just as debilitating as the last. But realistically I don't think it is something I will ever get used to and hopefully something that I don't have to.
Mid September I was diagnosed with having "Fibromyalgia" however it looks like it is something I was battling against for around a year without a clue.
I finished my 10th big theatre dance show in June 2012. It had been one of the most difficult shows I had ever taken part in. I was plagued with back ache, jarring knee pain and exhaustion. I simply put all these things down to being unfit and slightly over weight. Midway through the shows I developed shin splits and was unable to walk backwards and forwards to my dressing room without help, "It's just the stairs" I told myself and battled through dance number after dance number for 5 days. Come the end of the show I was totally unable to walk and took a week off of dance class to heal but a week later I was back to lessons and finding even the simplest of movements agonising. After half an hour of nothing more than warm up exercises I disappeared out the back door and sat down to compose myself. A quick sip of water and I was back in to the studio and carried on my lesson. This incident repeated for 3 weeks until it was the school holidays. By this point I wasn't leaving my bed at all during the day. Exhaustion washed over me with the slightest of movements and even the simplest of tasks were becoming too much.
I had felt this feeling before, it was all too scarily familiar. Back in 2001 I was diagnosed as having M.E, Otherwise known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I left school when I was 13 and was known as the girl who "Just gets really tired" (if only it was that simple)
Although the familiarity of the tiredness was ringing through my head I had never felt pain quite like this before. The pain seemed to be spreading. The arch of my foot would swell up, the side of my foot would often feel like a sprained ankle. My knees would crack with every movement and the pain would be so intense I felt sick. My hips stung like a knife being drive in to my side. My lower back pain would consistently drive me to tears and my arms would ache so badly I just hung them by my side as if they weren't even attached to my body.
After many tears, sleepless nights and doctors visits I was finally diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. As with M.E, Fibro is characterised by many many MANY different symptoms and no two people will ever have the same ones, but for me everything was suddenly falling in to place.
Those chronic stomach pains and the extreme sickness I was getting from suspected IBS was linked with Fibromyalgia.
The constant sniffing, runny nose and sinus related problems were Rhinitis caused by the Fibromyalgia.
The return of my panic attacks which have plagued me since I was 7 were also caused by the Fibro.

Sadly you can not have a blood test to see if you have Fibromyaliga. You can't simply pee in to a bottle to get your diagnosis and no amount of x-rays will show anything. It is a long, lonely, frustrating road of trial and error to get to the desired conclusion.

Fibromyalgia, M.E, and Depression are just three of the many invisible illnesses that cripple thousands of people every day. Just because someone looks perfectly healthy doesn't mean they aren't suffering on the inside.

Friday 9 November 2012

LOTD - Sassy

This was my first venture in to berry lips for this year. As with most people at this time of year I love to wear a dark red lip. To me it is almost the nude of the winter. It goes with nearly everything and really helps to pull any outfit together. 
Sassy is a new lipstick in my collection and on first glance it was perfect. I love the dark red glossy finish and the moisturisation that comes with it. Unfortunately it is ever so slightly sheer and therefore it does tend to go a bit patchy in places. However that is nothing that can't be fixed with a lip liner or a base coat of an opaque red lipstick.

Lipstick - No 7, Sassy



Wednesday 7 November 2012

Things are changing


After three weeks of two difference illnesses I haven't worn a drop of makeup so I am seriously lacking in LOTD pictures. I have a great idea for a winter lips post but unfortunately that will have to wait until my immune system sorts itself out.

I think I am going to start slowly making subtle changes to my blog. Nothing drastic, just adding more structure to my posts and hopefully some more regularity. I have been massively inspired by the fabulous Makeup Savvy recently. Her blog is very neat and organised with well laid out, practical posts and I would love my blog to become more like that.

I don't know if you have noticed but I have been playing around with my camera settings and computer editing to try and get the best looking pictures possible. I don't think I am quite there yet so please bare with me. Any hints, tips or tricks would be greatly appreciated.

Please let me know if there is anything you would like to see on the blog. I have some more "What was I thinking" posts lined up after being asked a couple of times to see my lipstick disasters. I also have a "Lips tips" idea. 

On that note I will bid you farewell and hopefully I will be back very soon. I'll keep popping the pills until I feel half decent and get back on the blogging train. 

Maxi
x-x-x

Thursday 25 October 2012

LOTD - Cherries in the Snow

I realise I have been absent for a long while again but I'm not sure taking pictures from my sick bed will make for the best of viewing. I am still ill but thought I would quickly chuck up a new Lip of the Day.
Cherries in the Snow has got to be one of the most beautiful lipsticks I own. It is the perfect shade of deep pink with just a hint of red (that the pictures totally don't pick up) with its moisturising touch, glossy finish and spot on price tag I really haven't got a bad word to say about it.

Please excuse the terrible phone pictures and awful poses. 

Lipstick - Revlon, Cherries in the Snow






Saturday 13 October 2012

LOTD - Two lipsticks, one look.

 I used not one, but two lipsticks as well as a lipgloss to create the colour I was looking for for this look. I love mixing lipsticks together to create a totally new colour and adding a gloss on the top changes the tone that little bit more. I am not entirely sure this shade of pink totally suits me but I can't put my finger on why.

Lipstick - Elf, Classy
                Elf, Gypsy

Lipgloss - 17, Pink Ice





Wednesday 10 October 2012

NOTD - Tour De Finance

Here is my first post venturing in to the world of the unknown.
As well as lipstick I absolutely adore nail polish. My nail polish collection is equally as ridiculous as my lipstick one and growing every day. I went through a faze recently where I broke all my nails and just wasn't interested in wearing polish but now I have regrown them I have fallen back in love with shaping and painting them as often as humanly possible.

Nail Polish - Essie, Tour De Finance 



Monday 8 October 2012

LOTD - Barely There

This is one of my favourite nude lipsticks. The price and the consistency are just perfect.
While I am here, is there anything else you would like from my Lip of the Day posts? I am never sure whether to just leave it at pictures and the name of the lipstick or if you would like more. Possibly prices and where to buy? Or maybe what I am wearing in the picture and where to purchase? Let me know.

Lipstick - Vivo, Barely there

 


Sunday 7 October 2012

Candles and Beauty

Over the last few months it has become more and more apparent that beauty and fashion bloggers have another passion - Candles.
Everywhere you look candles are big business at the moment, with beauty girls around the globe raving about Slatkin & Co, Neom and Yankee, along with many others.
Is there some sort of link between beauty and candles or is it just a happy coincidence?


Alongside the 22 plus brands currently offering candles as part of the Christmas gift selection in boots, there is no shortage of familiar names from the beauty world including Ritual, Origins and Clarins. 
Would you buy a candle from your favourite skincare company or would you prefer to go to a dedicated candle company? And why do you think it is that they have jumped on the candle bandwagon? Do skincare and candles really go hand in hand?


Wednesday 3 October 2012

LOTD - Orange Punch

This was the lipstick I wore on my car journey to Bournemouth. It was a gorgeous sunny day and I wanted a bright lipstick to match. 
I adore Orange Punch. It is cheap, cheerful and long lasting. What more could you want from a lipstick? Perhaps the fact that it is an exact dupe for the Mac lipstick "Morange"

Lipstick - Collection 2000, Orange Soda.




Blogger Balls Up

I have been trying to blog about my recent trip to Bournemouth for what feels like years, Unfortunately after illness, losing most of the lipsticks I took with me and the memory card with the pictures on I finally setlled down to tell you all about my lipsticks of choice and blogger wouldn't let me. Clearly "Mr Blogger" is as unimpressed with my disappearing act as you all should be. So I have decided to pass on that for now and carry on blogging about other such stuff.

Quick question, I know this is "The Lipstick Blog" but would you guys mind the odd blog about other stuff? Let me know.

So let's get down to the important stuff... Have you missed me?

Monday 20 August 2012

LOTD - Lip Of The Day

I was supposed to go for a night out last Saturday but unfortunatly my plans fell through so I spent the night playing with my makeup and this is what I came up with.

Lipstick - Mac, Style Curve. 


Tuesday 14 August 2012

Revlon Lipbutter - Strawberry Shortcake


Obviously I am a bit late with this since I had my blogging break but I couldn't not mention the Revlon Lip Butters. Everyone went a little bit crazy for these, myself included.

The Revlon lip butters were released in earlier this year in the UK and the bloggasphere exploded with colour and excitement.
Initially I picked up two shades (Strawberry Shortcake and Lollipop) It was love at first swipe and I went straight back out to pick up another two (Candy Apple and Cherry Pie) but it wasn't long before I was lusting after the shades unavailable in the UK. I located them on eBay and got myself a final two (Gumdrop, Red Velvet)

The pictures below are of me wearing Strawberry Shortcake in a lip of the day that never quite made it to the blog.




Friday 3 August 2012

All aboard the Blogging train.

I could ramble on forever about where I have been but I won't bore you with my life story. I am back on the blogging train and desperate to leave the station.
I had a huge list of blog posts that I wanted to write, however they have since vanished from my life so if you have anything you would like to see on the blog, any ideas or requests then please let me know.
I am trying to decide on the direction of the blog and where I want to take it. I have considered taking my face pictures off and just using lip swatches rather than full pictures, what do you think to this idea? Do you prefer the whole face pictures or are you not bothered?

I shall be back very soon with my next post. I can't wait to read your ideas and what you have to say on the matter.
Thank you so much for stay with me, I will never leave you again I promise.

Maxi
x-x-x

Sunday 13 May 2012

I haven't forgotten you...

I am still here I promise. In between birthdays, working and dance rehearsals I have managed to catch an evil virus that has left me feeling more than a little drained. I will be back soon I promise.
On a little happier note I am sooo close to 100 followers. Wowza.

Thursday 3 May 2012

Lip Tips

I love learning little tips and tricks to help me get more out of my makeup or just improve its performance and application. 
As I have previously mentioned I suffer from dry lips and have tried loads of different things to try and help keep them smooth and soft but this is by far the best thing I have ever used.
This little gem was shared with me by the gorgeous Makeup Savvy who replied to a lip SOS tweet.
So what is this wonder product?

Bepanthen. 

 Nappy rash cream. Bum cream if you will.


Bepanthen is a thick cream that contains pro vitamin B5 which aids skin recovery while helping with moisturising. It is also perfume and preservative free. Although designed to look after the delicate skin on a babies bum it contains all the benefits I look for in a lip care product.

Even though I have a drawer full of lip care, ranging from Vaseline, to Carmex, from Korres to Elizabeth Arden, nothing has come close to my Bepanthen and I now carry a tube of it with me everywhere.

Bepanthen can be purchased from supermarkets, chemists and pharmacies from £1.99


Tuesday 17 April 2012

LOTD - Lip of the Day

This was one of my favourite lip of the days, I don't know why but whenever I wear denim I love wearing a bright lip. 

Lipstick - NYX Round Lipstick, Chloe.



Wednesday 11 April 2012

What Was I Thinking?

This is a delightful new series I like to call "What Was I thinking?"
We can all get wrapped up in our little obsessions, and for me, it is thinking every single colour on the lipstick market is a must have. This leads to ridiculous unnecessary purchases that very rarely have a happy ending.
The first lipstick in this segment is Models Own - Baby Pink. I won't say too much about this lipstick because I feel the pictures speak a thousand words. However what I will say is that the texture of the lipstick is beautiful. It is smooth and moisturising. My problem with the lipstick is simply the colour.


Friday 6 April 2012

LOTD - Lip of the Day

Once again a nice fail safe neutral lip. Not a whole lot to say on this except I love the formulation of NYX lipsticks and they are possibly my favourites to wear (sorry Mac) 
For anyone interested, my necklace is from SaraSecret and I love it to pieces. 
Lipstick - NYX Pumpkin Pie




Tuesday 3 April 2012

Lipstick Haul - Mac

The newest lipstick to be welcomed in to my collection is Mac Girl About Town. I received this beauty as a present from Sinead and love it to pieces. It is a gorgeous glossy bright pink in an amplified finish, which means it provides an amazing pop of colour with a smooth creamy finish.





Tuesday 27 March 2012

LOTN - Lip of the Night

Recently I was invited to Birmingham to celebrate the beautiful Sinead from DitzyMakeup's birthday. I had such an amazing time and her family and friends made me feel like I had known them forever. The lipstick I wore for our night out is on of my favourites at the moment so I just had to share the pictures with you. 

Lipstick - Revlon, Raspberry Bite.