• BEAUTY MUST-HAVES

    NEW BEAUTY PRODUCT TEST – SOLUTIONS 24 CLINICAL CORRECTOR STICKS – BEFORE

    Today is a first for Belle Meets World – I’m conducting a new product test that will happen in two parts – the first being my first impressions, initial use and before photos (YIKES!) and the second being the results 4 weeks from now after I’ve given the Solutions 24 Clinical Corrector Sticks a real go to work their supposed magic on my puffy eyes, dark circles and dark spots.

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    BELLE MEETS WORLD HOSTS THE SINE QUA NON LAUNCH PARTY

    I reached a big milestone as a blogger last week – I hosted an event! As I’ve posted in the recent past (here), Sine Qua Non salons in Chicago chose me and three other local bloggers to be the faces of their new Desperate Measures campaign, as well as to help launch their new Siné line of haircare products – by throwing a party! 

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    THREE WEEKS TO BUILD A FITNESS HABIT – WEEK ONE

    I never intended this to be a fitness blog, but I guess I never ruled it out either. I’m certainly not a health expert, and I struggle every single day with staying motivated to eat well and move often. One thing I do know, though, is that sharing my health journey with my readers is a great way to keep myself accountable to change and to hopefully show – with full transparency – that it isn’t easy as a woman in her 30s to put her health first. But it’s worth a try, and I’m ready to take us there one week at a time. Here we go!

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    BELLE’S SUMMER WARDROBE ESSENTIALS – FEATURING BUCKETFEET

    While some may think fashion is superficial, I am of the mind that personal style is an art form. The way one puts her clothing together is a true expression of herself and what’s going on inside. If I’m honest with you, I’d admit that I dress for attention because I want the world to wonder what’s happening behind these crooked eyes and goofy smile. It’s important for me that I am seen as different, brave and playful – and I use my clothes to convey this every single day. Others may not see the same value in that form of expression – which is fine too – as long as we respect each other as the artists we each are in our own ways.

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    NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS – PROGRESS REPORT AND CONFESSION

    Here’s to accountability! I’ve been very self-reflective lately, finding myself a full six months into 2015 and not feeling fully secure in the progress I’ve made against what I set out to accomplish this year. There are some resolutions that were on my list that I’ve really nailed and are now a part of my everyday life – like religious skincare practices. There are some that I’m still working on that just don’t seem as relevant anymore – like taking better care of my belongings (I do the best I can). And then there are those things – well, namely one thing, my health – that I’ve completely ignored to the true detriment of my well-being. That stops today. 

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    VINTAGE EYEWEAR

    As a follow-up to my post with makeup tips for girls who wear glasses, I thought I could share my recent experience selecting new frames online. Normally I would buy frames in a store so that I could try on several pairs at once. This time around, however, I wanted to try out some vintage eyewear, which isn’t easily available at the place where I usually buy my glasses. Enter vintageopticalshop.com, where I found these sassy rhinestone cat-eyed frames at a very reasonable price point. I LOVE the frames and part of the adventure has been testing out the best way to wear them – especially since I don’t have a retro personal style. Turns out, they look quite nice with my natural curls, a simple outfit and easy makeup. Score!

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